We live in the 21st century. It's a new era and time for new ideas. NCFCC promotes innovative solutions and the application of current and future technologies to increase the quality of life for all individuals, families, and communities throughout North Central Florida.

"Work smarter not harder" is a well known phrase. For individuals, businesses, and communities this implies a smarter use of available resources. NCFCC's strategic plan is designed to increase the efficiencies of a community, to provide all the necessary information and services to the citizens through which they could save time and money: The following features describe some of the characteristics attributed to "Smart Cities:"

Information and Communication Infrastructure
A community-wide and regional information and communication infrastructure would empower citizens to have all relevant information for their daily life available at their finger tips. Such a system would mean:

• A high bandwidth telecommunications infrastructure throughout the community that links businesses, organizations, and individuals.
• Tie economic development initiatives to expand and support the key industries of the Information Economy.
• Put government, schools, and libraries online and make them available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Re-engineering and digitizing of the existing government processes and procedures in order to cut down red tape and reducing the cost and time of service delivery.
• Online shopping and payment for local goods and services.
• Affordable access throughout the community wherever it is needed.
• Maintain strategically located community technology centers where individuals can use government services without having to drive downtown.
• Sufficient training for all citizens about the available technologies and services.

Smart Growth
NCFCC's Smart Growth program aims to manage urban growth in such a way, that will enhance its communities, strengthen the economy, develop a distinct identity and protect the environment. Our plan is to find local solutions along local issues with respect to the following five key strategies:

• Livable Communities, which manages where and how communities will grow, including the look and feel of its urban design
• Connecting Communities, which is about how we connect people and their activities and move goods and services through transportation initiatives
• Strong Communities, which increases community ownership, leadership and participation in the issues affecting them
• Place of Opportunity, which is about retaining and increasing the economic strength of the region
• Sense of Place, which is about creating a sense of pride in our communities and North Central Florida

We will use this web site to feature goals, objectives, and resources about coordinated growth and strong communities.

Transportation Infrastructure
Every day, citizens have to spend a lot of time and energy in commuting from one place to another for meeting their desired ends. Urban sprawl increases the distance and time between places. In general, this leads to more traffic and more street construction. But the city of Los Angeles is a prime example that building more and wider streets does not decrease traffic, congestion, and travel time.

In order to obtain a maximum utility from the transportation infrastructure, individuals will need to choose the most efficient mode of travel for their trip purposes. It is critical that mode choices be made available in quantity, location, and cost that result in overall efficiency of the transportation system.

The preferred mode of travel is shifting from the automobile-oriented model of the 1960's and 1970's to a pedestrian-oriented system that supports transit. NCFCC promotes multi-modal travel, with high density downtown areas with pedestrian only zones with light rail and express bus routes providing the link to urban and suburban centers and urban bus routes connecting downtown and city neighborhoods