The Sustainable FloridiansSM Benchmarking and Monitoring Program (SF-BMP) is a UF/IFAS Extension program developed and delivered in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Florida Chapter. The goal of SF-BMP is to create a comprehensive, incentive-based, and dynamic sustainability performance framework for new land development projects in Florida. With Florida’s population continuing to grow by more than 900 people a day, it’s critical to reduce the impact of these new developments. SF-BMP works collaboratively to develop energy, water, ecosystem, landscape, and community engagement goals and objectives tailored to specific master-planned land development projects. The program does not endorse specific projects or products but does promote integrated and research-validated principles and practices. These are tested through innovative living laboratories, where ecological and sustainability performance metrics are specified, benchmarked, measured, verified, and monitored over the life of the project.
Our largest living Laboratory to date is the Sunbridge Stewardship District, a 24,000-acre master-planned community development in Central Florida. Sunbridge is being developed by Tavistock Group and is entitled for construction of almost 30,000 new homes, during its 30-year build-out horizon. To move the needle with more sustainable practices that measurably protect the area’s water quality, reduce water and energy use, and promote biodiversity and ecosystem services, the Sunbridge Stewardship District entered a master research agreement with SF-BMP, in early 2021. Since then, the main entry and visitor center for the community (Basecamp) and twelve model homes in the first neighborhood (Weslyn Park) have been constructed, and living lab teams have launched applied research studies, to measure performance outcomes and impacts.
Photo 1: Weslyn Park model homes showcase the testing of native-dominant, no-mow landscapes and rooftop solar as more sustainable development alternatives.
Credit: SF-BMP/M. Jennison Kipp
The Sunbridge project was recently highlighted at the OUTSIDE: Sustainable Landscape Collaborative in Lake Nona, Florida. The OUTSIDE Collaborative works to increase the adoption of sustainable landscaping practices. It is unique in its work to bring together all those involved in making this change: landscape design professionals, urban planners, landscape architects, developers, builders, researchers, Extension, and others. This year’s event was held October 13-14 and included tours of the Sunbridge Basecamp Boundary Planting Research Plots and the Weslyn Park model homes’ alternative landscapes.
Photo 2: Basecamp Boundary Planting Research Plots. Credit: Florida Wildflower Foundation/Emily Bell
Photo 3: Interpretive signage at Basecamp Boundary Planting Research Plots helps visitors learn about the research. Credit: Florida Wildflower Foundation/Emily Bell
During the indoor workshop portion of the OUTSIDE Collaborative, a panel of SF-BMP, University of Florida, and University of Central Florida researchers spoke about the experimental design of the Basecamp Boundary Planting Research Plots and shared preliminary findings. These boundary plantings are a result of a collaboration among Tavistock, the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of Florida (UF), Cherrylake, and LifeSoils. The objectives are to identify native plant species that can thrive in new urban landscapes, irrigation and soil amendment practices that improve establishment and health of native plants, and the characteristics of native plants that promote pollinator and ground dwelling beetle biodiversity.
Photo 4: Gulf fritillary butterfly. Using native plants will attract more pollinators to backyards. Credit: The Nature Conservancy/Lesley Bertolotti
These boundary plantings at the Sunbridge Basecamp will inform, and hopefully inspire, the adoption of more sustainable landscapes throughout Sunbridge. The impacts of this were already seen in the no-mow landscapes installed at Weslyn Park model homes. These landscapes have little to no irrigated turf and were designed to provide ecological benefits with significantly lower water use. The H2OSAV (Water Savings, Analytics & Verification) program will use metered water data from Sunbridge to measure the water savings from these alternative landscapes.
We’d like to thank ANREP for honoring us with the 2022 Innovative Program award. The Sunbridge project is just one of the SF-BMP living laboratories coming to life in Florida. As time goes on, we’ll be excited to share the results of this collaboration and others.
Nick Taylor
State Specialized Extension Agent – Water Resources
Program for Resource Efficient Communities
Center for Land Use Efficiency
University of Florida
Email: nwtaylor@ufl.edu