Cape Coral Commercial Land Use Allocation
In the early years of Cape Coral, residents only had a few arterial roads to commute to Fort Myers for work and basic services. As Cape Coral quickly developed, the City has had to strategically identify future commercial land to serve the needs of residents close to home.
The development of Cape Coral, FL began in the 1950’s when the land was subdivided and sold as thousands of quickly developing residential lots. In order to provide for a high quality of life in Cape Coral, the local government has worked to provide commercial services for job opportunities near residents. In planning for the future of the city, the Interactive Growth Model® was used to determine the amount of commercial space needed in comparison to the available supply. The analysis found their commercially zoned land was deficient and concentrated, with few opportunities for significant commercial development.
Dr. Van Buskirk used the first iteration of the Cape Coral Interactive Growth Model (CCIGM) to help the city acquire 5 fire station sites, 23 sites for future commercial centers with market support, and the timing and location of several new school sites. The CCIGM has helped Cape Coral plan since 2002 and has resulted in considerable savings beyond the cost of the model.
“In 2002 Paul Van Buskirk forecasted that the 2010 population of Cape Coral would hit 155,179 permanent residents…Van Buskirk had scored the equivalent of a demographic bull’s eye…Cape Coral population was 154,305 in 2010” – Gulf Coast Business Review, March 8, 2012
