Focus Areas

Agriculture

The Tampa Bay region of Florida is ripe with urban and community garden spaces that feed people in cities, while rural farms continue to grow citrus, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, other veggies, ornamentals, trees, and even fish. Most fish, however, both shellfish -- like shrimp, oysters, clams, and crabs -- and the kind anglers go after -- such as grouper, snapper, pompano, and tarpon -- thrive in Gulf waters and local Bays.  read on…

Architecture

Architecture and urban design shape neighborhoods and communities that everyone wants to call home. read on…

Arts

Art lovers get their pick of museums, art festivals and cultural events every week of the year as the region's top private indoor venues and public outdoor spaces host performances and put on displays that prove worthy of critical acclaim and nearly always draw a crowd.   read on…

Connections

Making connections or finding one's peeps -- people who share similar visions, global perspectives, professional goals, entertainment interests, social media and/or community values -- improves the Tampa Bay region's ability to build strong neighborhoods and a sense of community that will help shape what's next.  read on…

Diversity

People from all over the world call the Tampa Bay region home as evidenced by the multitude of non-English languages heard in every shopping center and throughout the region's schools. The foreign-born, in particular, are helping Florida thrive by adding a rich diversity of food, arts, cultures, skills and entrepreneurial spirit to the eclectic mix of natives who've long recognized Florida as the land of opportunity. read on…

Entrepreneurship

Long seen as a perfect place to pioneer ideas and make investments, the Tampa Bay region has a well-earned reputation for growing the smallest seeds of entrepreneurial spirit into grandiose plans to solve the world's problems. Few places contain a richer history that promises more for the future. read on…

Environment

The downtown Tampa skyline. Arts venues in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Sarasota. Neighborhoods filled with bungalows, rails-to-trails, and beaches that connect communities. Dunedin's Main Street. Bartow's Courthouse. Bradenton's Village of the Arts. Lakeland's lake homes. Lakewood Ranch, Fishhawk Ranch, and Westchase. Moffitt Cancer Center, All Children's Hospital and Tampa General. USF, HCC, Eckerd, Stetson, and New College. Fabulous golf courses, public parks and riverfront properties. And what about all those Third Places, where we hang out when we're not at work and we're not at home? Those places and so much more make up the unique fabric of the Tampa Bay environment and give us a sense of place that residents are lucky enough to call home. read on…

For Good

Charitable giving is on an upward trajectory in Florida as are the needs of people and charitable community projects serving everything from the arts to animal shelters to disease and healthcare. More than one in 10 workers are employed by mission-driven organizations, making the growing nonprofit sector one of the state's leading employers. In the Tampa Bay region, more than 10,000 nonprofits go about the business of pursuing a social mission.  read on…

Health

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Higher Education

The University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, Eckerd College, the Ringling School of Art & Design, New College, Saint Leo University and a host of higher education institutions fuel the region's economy. USF alone, with top-tier researchers and more than 50,000 students, places a special emphasis on awarding masters and doctoral degrees that rival those of much older, better-known institutions worldwide. read on…

Housing

Florida's heavy dependence on the real estate market remains strong despite the recent economic downturn thanks to a mix of housing choices ranging from mobile homes to new suburbs to urban and beach condos that continue to attract those who want to live in Jimmy Buffett's paradise.  read on…

Innovation

Innovation fuels productivity and economic growth in no place better than the Tampa Bay Area, where universities and colleges such as the University of South Florida and the Ringling College of Art & Design incubate new ideas and help launch new businesses that serve a global market. The Tampa Bay region's propensity to attract thought leaders and to launch creative industries will prove the harbinger for carrying Florida into continued prosperity. read on…

International Trade

The Tampa and Manatee seaports along with Tampa International Airport and a dozen or so smaller regional ports make for world-class accommodations when it comes to doing business overseas. With trade to Central and South America as well as to Europe and Asia on the upswing, Florida stands poised to increase its market share.   read on…

KidsBay

The Tampa Bay region is a great place to be a kid and to raise kids. From topnotch public and private schools to parks and entertainment to agencies and nonprofits that offer special assistance to families, the region is home to a treasure trove of people and amenities aimed at improving and enhancing the lives of children. read on…

Life Sciences

The Tampa Bay region is gaining in global reputation as a growing hub for research and development in the life sciences thanks to collaborative partnerships between West Central Florida colleges and universities, such as the University of South Florida and its new downtown Tampa medical school, CAMLs, and emerging private business and industry. read on…

Manufacturing

METI in Sarasota and NDH Medical in St. Petersburg are at the center of a growing cluster of medical device manufacturing companies attracted to the Tampa Bay region's ample supply of patients and ability to create the synergy necessary to create a vibrant industry workforce. read on…

Marine Sciences

Mote Marine in Bradenton, USF-St. Petersburg and the Florida Aquarium in Tampa are leading the way when it comes to all things water and the abundance of life within. All are involved in new and innovative research that promises to improve the world's health and environment. read on…

Neighborhoods

Producing good quality, affordable housing remains one of the top opportunities in a region that prides itself in the number and variety of home choices from mobile homes to multimillion-dollar mansions in neighborhoods as mixed as the incomes of those who reside within. read on…

On The Ground

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On the Ground (español)

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Sustainability

The green movement is alive and well in the Tampa Bay region with builders scrambling to obtain LEED certifications and cities passing ordinances requiring construction meet new environmentally friendly specs. Among those leading local efforts: Earth Charter and the Urban Charrette. Recognition for Best Practices by Sustainable Florida include Hillsborough Community College for its South Shore Center and the City of St. Petersburg for its Green City Initiative.  read on…

Talent

The Tampa Bay region is at the hub of an expanding talent pool in Florida, driven largely by a distinguishable sense of place, growing cultural arts venues and successes at the University of South Florida and other institutions of higher learning and related industries. The state as a whole must continue to explore options for becoming fully competitive on the global level by attracting top employers and employees, and creating opportunities for all to thrive. Much progress has been made in the right direction in recent decades and the potential to grow smarter and better remains huge. read on…

Technology

Among the Tampa Bay region's many assets: A business climate that fosters tech firms. Led by the University of South Florida, the higher education community encourages and incubates technology in direct and support capacities. The region is an ideal work environment for clients and white-collar employees who once migrated toward much larger urban areas. The result: A vibrant and competitive tech eco-system that fosters innovation. read on…

Transportation

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Vision Zero

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Workforce Transition

Today's economic changes combined with the aging of Boomers out of traditional industries means for a wealth of people looking to reinvent themselves to remain vibrant contributors to the region's workforce while sharing experiences earned over a lifetime.   read on…
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