Our Funding Sources

Since its inception in 1987, the VPT Lab has been actively involved in basic GIS analysis, and applied planning and policy research supported by:

• National Science Foundation
• Florida Sea Grant
• The Nature Conservancy
• United States Geological Survey
• United States Department of Energy
• National Park Service
• Local government agencies
• Research centers and institutes
• Non-profit agencies

List of Projects by Theme

HEALTH AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Project funded by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in collaboration with the University of Miami, Colorado State University and Washington State University:

• The Role of Air Quality and Built Environment in Social Isolation and Cognitive Function Among Rural, Racially/Ethnically Diverse Residents at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease

Hazards and Disasters – Tools, Techniques and Policy Implications

Projects funded by the National Science Foundation:

• CRISP Type 2/Collaborative Research: Probabilistic Resilience Assessment of Interdependent Systems (PRAISys)
• Understanding the Role of Diaspora Advocacy Coalitions, Non-Governmental Organizations and Networks: A Focus on Haiti's Disasters
• Displacement due to Catastrophic Hurricanes: Assessing Potential Magnitude and Implications for Housing and Land Development Policies. View PDF
• Haitian Americans as Critical Bridges and Lifelines for Recovery and Rebuilding in Haiti  View PDF 
• Watershed Initiative

• Geospatial Applications For Climate Adaptation Planning

Projects related to coastal resilience:

• Kresge Foundation: Health Effects of Seal Level Rise in South Florida. With support from Kresge Foundation, Florida Atlantic University (FAU), the Florida Institute for Health Innovation (FIHI), and South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC) conducted a two-year study to identify areas that are most vulnerable to the health effects of sea level rise. The results are summarized in a report entitled Health and Sea-level rise: Impacts on South Florida. For more information visit the FIHI website.

• Florida Sea Grant: ADAPT: Adaptation Design and Planning Tool for Urban Areas in the Coastal Zone. PI:  Jeffrey Huber, Florida Atlantic University. South Florida cities are increasingly recognizing that man-made armoring of the coast is a short-term solution to address community vulnerabilities from sea level rise. This project will produce a resilient coastal urbanism tool called ADaPT (Adaptation Design and Planning Tool) to addresses opportunities for low impact development and green infrastructure technologies at lot, street and neighborhood scales. This will result in a manual that offers a design framework for adaptation action areas at appropriate scales for coastal community land-use planning, with a pilot application for the City of Ft. Lauderdale. R/C-S-61. 

  Grant period: 02/01/2016-01/31/2019

• Florida Sea Grant: Salty Urbanism Adaptation: Using Natural and Nature-based Features to Enhance Ecosystem Services and Quality of Life in Response to Sea-Level Rise. PI: J. Huber and C. Polsky. The team received a follow-up award in 2020 titled “Salty Urbanism Adaptation: Using Natural and Nature-based Features to Enhance Ecosystem Services and Quality of Life in Response to Sea-Level Rise" (to the amount of $184,737) to develop a design manual for mitigating the flood risk in the areas most vulnerable to sea level rise. Grant period : 2020-2021

• URP Research Supports Coastal Resilience Web Application

• In 2011, the Florida Climate Institute published a series of white papers on climate adaptation. The FAU team led the research on Florida's water resources and climate adaptation. The full text of the report entitled "Florida Water Management and Adaptation in the Face of Climate Change" can be found here.
• A Shoreline Inventory/Characterization Tool as a plug-in to ArcGIS
• Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Framework for USGS Ecosystem Portfolio Model. View PDF
• Implications of Redefining Florida’s Coastal High Hazard Area. View PDF

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

• Lake Worth Beach Housing Emergency Study and Rent Control Ordinance Analysis

Renewable Energy

• Go Solar Florida: Florida Rooftop Solar Challenge

3D Visualization

• Virtual Downtown Ft. Lauderdale 3D Model for Planning Conceptualization and Analysis
• In ed City Pilot Project
• Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park Amphitheater Visualization

Districting, Redistricting, and District Analysis 

• City of Pembroke Pines Redistricting. View PDF
• City of Hollywood District Analysis and Redistricting. View PDF
• Broward County Redistricting
• Broward County School Board Redistricting
• City of Pembroke Pines Redistricting
• Palm Beach County Redistricting
• Palm Beach County Jury Pool Districting
• South Broward Drainage District Districting
• The Town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Redistricting
• City of Greenacres District Analysis 

Inventories and Mapping

• Biscayne Bay Partnership Initiative Basemap
• FIU Mobile Home Inventory
• Florida Department of Transportation Mapping
• City of Fort Lauderdale Basemap Maintenance
• Fort Lauderdale Crime Analysis Mapping
• City of North Miami Beach Asset Mapping
• Lake Okeechobee Dike Evacuation & Shelter Plan
• Florida State Road 40 EFS Basemap
• Loxahatchee Groves Basemap
• Broward County County-Wide Community Design Guide

Guides, Plans and Designs

• MIASF Broward County Boater’s Guide Manatee Zone Maps
• Port of Fort Pierce Port Plan
• Mapping for County-Wide Community Design Guide Project 

Web Projects

• MyNorthFork.org Community Website. View PDF
• Fort Lauderdale CRA Website. View PDF
• City of Boynton Beach Economic Subsite
• City of Boynton Beach Website
• DDA of Fort Lauderdale VISION Subsite
• State Road 40 EIS Website Interactive Mapping
• MIASF Potential Marine Facilities Web Mapping

Surveys

• Barriers to Effective Use of GIS Technology by Community-Based Organizations. View PDF