On the business of retail in Palm Beach County, “Join us in the former Macy’s space in City Place. . .

“. . . as we explore the future of retail and the retail spaces that inhabit our landscape.”

At an all-day forum last June examining the future of retail in this County were some names you may recognize: Dana Little, Natalie Crowley, Maria Marino, Anne Gerwig, William Waters, Brandon Schaad, Seth Behn, Raphael Clemente, Chris Roog, and David Harrison. Who are these people? See the bullet list below.

Below is more information including a video from that forum.

The ripples from this very well-attended forum could be felt in the City of Lake Worth this week at an all-day “Visioning Workshop” where the topic of retail and revitalizing Dixie Hwy. was a very big topic. Looking 5–10 years out new retail establishments will be essential for this City’s continued growth.

This forum was sponsored by the Palm Beach County Planning Congress, Inc. and meets on a regular monthly basis and features a variety of topics. Meeting formats vary and include presentations, panel discussions, field trips, tours, and/or a combination of formats depending on the topic.

This recent forum was titled:

“Planning Challenges 2018: Shapeshifting Retail. Facts and Fiction”.

The keynote speaker was Tony Carvajal, the Executive Director at the Florida Chamber Foundation. From the forum program:


“Tony Carvajal serves as Executive Vice President of the Florida Chamber Foundation, the research and solutions development arm of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Working in partnership with state business leaders, the Foundation advances initiatives that envision a vibrant and sustainable economy in the Sunshine State.
     He is regularly called on to provide guidance and insights into state-level plans and has served on numerous policy steering committees covering topics as varied as education, early learning, workforce development, economic development, transportation, healthcare, volunteerism, civic infrastructure, philanthropy, and smart justice.”


The video of Mr. Carvajal is at the end of this blog post. There are eleven (11) videos total, the shortest video is eleven minutes and the longest is thirty minutes. Click on this link to see the entire list of YouTube videos.

Another keynote speaker was Bob Gibbs, founder of the Gibbs Planning Group, a leading thinker on retail development and author of the book Principals of Urban Retail Planning and Development. Other speakers and facilitators included:

• Dana Little, Urban Design Director, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council.
• Dale Scott, Southern Division Lead, International Council of Shopping Centers.
• Natalie Crowley, AICP, Planning & Zoning Director, Palm Beach Gardens.
• Mayor Maria Marino, City of Palm Beach Gardens.
• Mayor Anne Gerwig, Village of Wellington.
• William Waters, Director of Community Sustainability, City of Lake Worth.
• Brandon Schaad, AICP, Development Services Director, City of Boca Raton.
• Seth Behn, AICP, Land Use Attorney, Lewis, Longman & Walker.
• Raphael Clemente, Executive Dir. Downtown Development Authority, City of West Palm Beach.
• Chris Roog, Director of Economic Development, West Palm Beach.
• David Harrison, Vice President of Design & Construction, Related Companies

Without further ado, Mr. Carvajal with
the opening keynote:

As always, Thank You for visiting today and hope you found this blog post informative and helpful.