ANALYTICAL EXERCISE POPULATION DYNAMICS on FLORIDA'S TREASURE COAST Introduction Migration has always been a potent forc
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2022 1:33 pm
ANALYTICAL EXERCISEPOPULATION DYNAMICS on FLORIDA'S TREASURE COASTIntroductionMigration has always been a potent force in shaping the fortunesand character of America's regions.Those movements typically form well-delineated patterns ofchannelized flows. For two centuries thedominant flows were westerly, first across the AppalachianMountains into what would becomeKentucky, Tennessee, and the Midwestern states bordering the GreatLakes. Later paths led to Texas,California, and Oregon. Since the 1970s, migration channels havetaken on a narrower and more selectivefocus. Recent target destinations now are likely to be major urbanareas in the so-called Sunbelt states.Major recipients of these population flows are greater Phoenix,Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Atlanta, andthree metropolitan regions in Florida: Orlando, the Gulf Coastcentered on Tampa-St. Petersburg, and theAtlantic coast megalopolis which stretches from Miami northward toWest Palm Beach and beyond.Within each of these urban areas one can also find channelizedmigration, or local mobility streams eachcreating new places while also reshaping existingcommunities.South Florida has one of the nation's most attenuated linearmetropolitan regions, stretching 120 milesfrom Miami to Fort Pierce. Squeezed between the ocean on the eastand the uninhabitable Everglades orother swampy lands to the west, this megacity is seldom more thanseven to ten miles wide. When thecoast is so accessible to most residents obviously the notion ofliving "close to the beach" does not holdthe same meaning as it does in southern California.This exercise asks you to review and interpret community-leveldifferences along the Treasure Coast ofcentral Florida. The region is defined as the three county corridorwhich extends northward from FortLauderdale to include Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie counties.In 1997 the Treasure Coast was hometo 1.3 million residents, scattered among three dozen communitiesand countless rural subdivisions whichlie outside of city boundaries. The two largest cities, West PalmBeach and Port St. Lucie, each aresmaller in population than Fullerton.The purpose of this exercise is to sharpen your understanding ofintra-regional variations in urbanpatterns. Because regional growth is uneven over time and fromplace to place you will need to interpretand map the variability among places located in this dynamicregion. In addition to basic populationstatistics, the data set for the Treasure Coast includes an arrayof income, age, housing, and place-of-birthevidence. Because of the large number of places within the region,we have limited the evidence to thoseplaces which contained populations of at least 5,000 as of1990.Regional Growth and MigrationMuch of the population change in this region is a reflection of thenorthward expansion of the so-called,Gold Coast megalopolis which is centered on two poles, Miami andFort Lauderdale. The developmenttide, however, has not been a straightforward northerly trajectory.Described as an urban ladder by onegeographer, think of its northward extension as a process in whichsome "outer rungs" of the ladder areadded early, then lower steps are filled in later. Somecommunities, such as Palm Beach and Lake Worthfor example, experienced their major growth spurt before 1970, theinitial date listed in your tables ofevidence. We may not know exactly when their "rungs on the ladder"appeared but we do know that itwas sometime prior to 1970, thus making them mature cities within anewly urbanizing region. Incontrast, many other places, including Port St. Lucie, were carvedout of fields and marsh lands after themid-1970s. Some are even newer still, being creations of the 1980sand 1990s.The most often used indicator of regional population change is theaverage annual growth rate. This maybe expressed either as a real number or as a percentage. Forexample, the Miami MSA, which is
equivalent to Dade County, saw its population increase from1,626,000 in 1980 to 2,076,000 by 1996.That represents an average annual growth of 28,125 (450,000 dividedby 16); it also is equivalent to 1.7percent per year. Any local or regional growth rate above 3.0percent annually is considered to be veryrobust.Such population changes occur as a consequence of three demographicfactors: (1) natural increase, (2)net in-migration from elsewhere in Florida and other states, and(3) international immigration. The stateof Florida has consistently ranked as one of the top three or fourdestinations for people migrating withinthe U.S. over the past three decades. In fact, in-migrationaccounted for six of every seven new residents(86%) in south Florida during the 1980s. On the other side of theequation, natural increase in Palm BeachCounty supplied a mere three percent of that area's net increase inthe same decade. Over time, theimportance of natural increase is expected to gain as a demographicforce but for now, migration and thepreferences of those newcomers define most of the present urbancharacter along the Treasure Coast.Elderly Migrants and "Senior Landscapes"It is well-known that in-migration to south Florida is dominated byretirees. Even so, the proportions arenot as striking as many people would think. Approximately oneperson out of every five in the state is age65 or older. Note from the data tables that the Treasure Coastcounties have even higher proportions ofsenior citizens. Martin County leads the group with more than 27percent of its population falling withinthe senior age cohort. Also observe from the map that the seniorconcentration varies widely from onecommunity to another.At the opposite end of the age spectrum are pre-schoolers andschool-age children. Their contribution tothe regional and local age mix is included in the data set suppliedwith this exercise. You will see fromthe figures that in St. Lucie County, these youngsters actuallyoutnumber the senior residents (23.1% to21.0%) but seniors appear to be gaining proportionately.The retiree population comes to Florida from two major channels,the prominent metropolitan areas of theNortheast and secondarily, from states in the Midwest. The largestsource areas are the greater New YorkCity region, Philadelphia, and Boston. Consequently migrants fromthose places bring a tradition ofrelatively high density urban lifestyles which find theirexpression in numerous 8-10 story high riseapartments or condos rising out of the flat coastal plain ofeastern Florida. Other newcomers prefer lowdensity single family tract housing or mobile home communitiesbundled with such amenities ascommunity swimming pools, recreation centers, and golf courses.Such variations in housing styles inturn create differing patterns of housing cost and housing values.It is not uncommon to find moderately-priced or even lower cost housing close to the sand while moreexpensive luxury homes are furtherinland. The overall pattern is more akin to a patchwork quiltlacking in design rather than an easilypredictable regularity. Simply put, housing prices in this regionwill reflect housing types more thanlocation.The economic circumstances of residents along the Treasure Coastare also highly varied. Some bringconsiderable wealth and solid incomes from hearty pensions andinvestments. A far greater number havemore modest means. Indeed, even the term "retiree" is notcompletely accurate, as one recent surveyfound that one-fifth of the region's population over age 65 wasemployed either full- or part-time.Regardless of income, the newcomers to the area stimulate the localeconomy, particularly in terms of thedemand for medical services, financial services, recreation, andleisure pursuits. Even retailing enjoys ahealthy boost, no doubt, as many senior citizens have ample time toshop and resources to spend,especially when the purchases are made for their grandchildren andchildren.
Data Set & TerminologyBefore you begin to work with the evidence on this region, you needto be aware of some basicterminology and some data limitations. Most evidence is extractedfrom the 1990 U.S. Census ofPopulation and Housing. However, the state of Florida has providedestimates of the April 1997population for the counties and municipalities in each county.Those are formally incorporated placeswith clear boundaries and legal powers granted by the state; wecommonly use the terms towns and citiesas interchangeable with municipality. About one-fourth of theplaces in the data set are closely settledcommunities which may exist as post office addresses, have noformal boundaries, and no legal standingin the sense of a local government. Those are termed censusdesignated places (or CDPs). For example,Hobe Sound in Martin County is one such CDP. [These CDPs also maybe found here in California -Foothill Ranch and Coto de Caza.]A few social and economic indicators are included in the evidencepacket. Percent age 65+ and percentunder age 18 enable us to identify places which are dominated bysenior citizens or have a stronger"young family" character. Percent born in Florida or its mirrorimage (100 minus that value) provides aclue about those places that have been largely shaped by nativeFloridians or an in-migration of peoplefrom other states. Upper quartile housing value refers to themarket value of the most expensive one-fourth of the housing stock in a given community. As you can see,some of the Treasure Coast towns andcities have housing costs which are comparable to those in southernCalifornia; others are dramaticallylower in price --- even in recently developed places. Finally, themedian household income is the dollaramount which divides households into two groups, half whose incomeis above that amount and halfwhose incomes fall below that median bench-mark. We have alsoindexed household income to thestatewide level for Florida to provide a frame of reference forinterpretation. The income index of 0.69shown for Fort Pierce, for example, means that the median householdincome in that city is just 69% ofthe value for the state of Florida in general. Put another way, itsincome level is 31% below the state'saverage.QuestionsUsing only the materials provided, please answer the followingquestions. Some questions may beanswered in just a few words; others may require a paragraph.1. What was the rate of population growth for the entireregiona. during the 1970s?b. during the 1980s?c. since 1990?2. Maps are a powerful tool for visualizing spatial patterns andmonitoring the impacts of processes uponthe landscape over time. Review the map which displays the "Percentof Population Age 65+" to answerthe following questions. (a) Which places have the strongestconcentrations of older persons? (b) Arethese randomly distributed across the region or is there someclustering; where is(are) the cluster(s)?Where might you find a possible future cluster? (c) Speculate onwhat factor(s) might have led to aconcentration of senior residents in particular cities -- asidefrom the fact that they might prefer to liveclose to each other.3. Which places have been the leading destinations in this regionfor the retirement age migrants toFlorida? (No more than the top four, please) What evidence did youuse to choose those cities? What elsecan you say about the character of those retirement havens based onthe available evidence?4. A casual drive through any urban area reveals considerablevariability in housing, based on the timeperiod of construction, quality, and value. So too does a "tour" ofthe statistical evidence for an urbanregion. Offer possible explanations for the sharp differences inhousing values from place to place in the
region and provide some examples. Note: Location relative to theocean plays only a small role in thisFlorida region because virtually every place is within three orfour miles of the water. What other factorsmay have caused the differences listed in the housing values?5. You have sat in your last southern California traffic jam.Please address the following scenario:Imagine that you and your significant other plan to move to thispart of Florida and raise a family. Youwant to be a physical therapist working with gerontology; yourpartner wants to teach in a local highschool. Neither of you likes a lengthy commute. Realistically, whatwould be your top four choices oftowns or cities in which to live? Explain why you chose those.
Lake Okeechobee Above 50% Legend Percent Age 65+, 1990 0-14.9% 15 - 29.9% 30- 49.9% 0 6 Pahokee Lakewood Park Belle Glade ST. LUCIE Fort Piarce North 12 Miles Pierce Fort Pierce South A Port St. Lucie MARTIN INDIA Jesen Beach Muait! Por Salerno Hobe Sound Lake Park Palm Beach Gardens Royal Palm Beach West Palm Beach piter Westgate Betvédere Palm Springs Green Acres Villages of Oriole Lantana Kings Point Boca Del Mar. N ANPalm Beach Riviera Beach Palm Beach Lake Worth Boyton Beach Delray Beach Boca Raton
equivalent to Dade County, saw its population increase from1,626,000 in 1980 to 2,076,000 by 1996.That represents an average annual growth of 28,125 (450,000 dividedby 16); it also is equivalent to 1.7percent per year. Any local or regional growth rate above 3.0percent annually is considered to be veryrobust.Such population changes occur as a consequence of three demographicfactors: (1) natural increase, (2)net in-migration from elsewhere in Florida and other states, and(3) international immigration. The stateof Florida has consistently ranked as one of the top three or fourdestinations for people migrating withinthe U.S. over the past three decades. In fact, in-migrationaccounted for six of every seven new residents(86%) in south Florida during the 1980s. On the other side of theequation, natural increase in Palm BeachCounty supplied a mere three percent of that area's net increase inthe same decade. Over time, theimportance of natural increase is expected to gain as a demographicforce but for now, migration and thepreferences of those newcomers define most of the present urbancharacter along the Treasure Coast.Elderly Migrants and "Senior Landscapes"It is well-known that in-migration to south Florida is dominated byretirees. Even so, the proportions arenot as striking as many people would think. Approximately oneperson out of every five in the state is age65 or older. Note from the data tables that the Treasure Coastcounties have even higher proportions ofsenior citizens. Martin County leads the group with more than 27percent of its population falling withinthe senior age cohort. Also observe from the map that the seniorconcentration varies widely from onecommunity to another.At the opposite end of the age spectrum are pre-schoolers andschool-age children. Their contribution tothe regional and local age mix is included in the data set suppliedwith this exercise. You will see fromthe figures that in St. Lucie County, these youngsters actuallyoutnumber the senior residents (23.1% to21.0%) but seniors appear to be gaining proportionately.The retiree population comes to Florida from two major channels,the prominent metropolitan areas of theNortheast and secondarily, from states in the Midwest. The largestsource areas are the greater New YorkCity region, Philadelphia, and Boston. Consequently migrants fromthose places bring a tradition ofrelatively high density urban lifestyles which find theirexpression in numerous 8-10 story high riseapartments or condos rising out of the flat coastal plain ofeastern Florida. Other newcomers prefer lowdensity single family tract housing or mobile home communitiesbundled with such amenities ascommunity swimming pools, recreation centers, and golf courses.Such variations in housing styles inturn create differing patterns of housing cost and housing values.It is not uncommon to find moderately-priced or even lower cost housing close to the sand while moreexpensive luxury homes are furtherinland. The overall pattern is more akin to a patchwork quiltlacking in design rather than an easilypredictable regularity. Simply put, housing prices in this regionwill reflect housing types more thanlocation.The economic circumstances of residents along the Treasure Coastare also highly varied. Some bringconsiderable wealth and solid incomes from hearty pensions andinvestments. A far greater number havemore modest means. Indeed, even the term "retiree" is notcompletely accurate, as one recent surveyfound that one-fifth of the region's population over age 65 wasemployed either full- or part-time.Regardless of income, the newcomers to the area stimulate the localeconomy, particularly in terms of thedemand for medical services, financial services, recreation, andleisure pursuits. Even retailing enjoys ahealthy boost, no doubt, as many senior citizens have ample time toshop and resources to spend,especially when the purchases are made for their grandchildren andchildren.
Data Set & TerminologyBefore you begin to work with the evidence on this region, you needto be aware of some basicterminology and some data limitations. Most evidence is extractedfrom the 1990 U.S. Census ofPopulation and Housing. However, the state of Florida has providedestimates of the April 1997population for the counties and municipalities in each county.Those are formally incorporated placeswith clear boundaries and legal powers granted by the state; wecommonly use the terms towns and citiesas interchangeable with municipality. About one-fourth of theplaces in the data set are closely settledcommunities which may exist as post office addresses, have noformal boundaries, and no legal standingin the sense of a local government. Those are termed censusdesignated places (or CDPs). For example,Hobe Sound in Martin County is one such CDP. [These CDPs also maybe found here in California -Foothill Ranch and Coto de Caza.]A few social and economic indicators are included in the evidencepacket. Percent age 65+ and percentunder age 18 enable us to identify places which are dominated bysenior citizens or have a stronger"young family" character. Percent born in Florida or its mirrorimage (100 minus that value) provides aclue about those places that have been largely shaped by nativeFloridians or an in-migration of peoplefrom other states. Upper quartile housing value refers to themarket value of the most expensive one-fourth of the housing stock in a given community. As you can see,some of the Treasure Coast towns andcities have housing costs which are comparable to those in southernCalifornia; others are dramaticallylower in price --- even in recently developed places. Finally, themedian household income is the dollaramount which divides households into two groups, half whose incomeis above that amount and halfwhose incomes fall below that median bench-mark. We have alsoindexed household income to thestatewide level for Florida to provide a frame of reference forinterpretation. The income index of 0.69shown for Fort Pierce, for example, means that the median householdincome in that city is just 69% ofthe value for the state of Florida in general. Put another way, itsincome level is 31% below the state'saverage.QuestionsUsing only the materials provided, please answer the followingquestions. Some questions may beanswered in just a few words; others may require a paragraph.1. What was the rate of population growth for the entireregiona. during the 1970s?b. during the 1980s?c. since 1990?2. Maps are a powerful tool for visualizing spatial patterns andmonitoring the impacts of processes uponthe landscape over time. Review the map which displays the "Percentof Population Age 65+" to answerthe following questions. (a) Which places have the strongestconcentrations of older persons? (b) Arethese randomly distributed across the region or is there someclustering; where is(are) the cluster(s)?Where might you find a possible future cluster? (c) Speculate onwhat factor(s) might have led to aconcentration of senior residents in particular cities -- asidefrom the fact that they might prefer to liveclose to each other.3. Which places have been the leading destinations in this regionfor the retirement age migrants toFlorida? (No more than the top four, please) What evidence did youuse to choose those cities? What elsecan you say about the character of those retirement havens based onthe available evidence?4. A casual drive through any urban area reveals considerablevariability in housing, based on the timeperiod of construction, quality, and value. So too does a "tour" ofthe statistical evidence for an urbanregion. Offer possible explanations for the sharp differences inhousing values from place to place in the
region and provide some examples. Note: Location relative to theocean plays only a small role in thisFlorida region because virtually every place is within three orfour miles of the water. What other factorsmay have caused the differences listed in the housing values?5. You have sat in your last southern California traffic jam.Please address the following scenario:Imagine that you and your significant other plan to move to thispart of Florida and raise a family. Youwant to be a physical therapist working with gerontology; yourpartner wants to teach in a local highschool. Neither of you likes a lengthy commute. Realistically, whatwould be your top four choices oftowns or cities in which to live? Explain why you chose those.
- Analytical Exercise Population Dynamics On Florida S Treasure Coast Introduction Migration Has Always Been A Potent Forc 1 (27.82 KiB) Viewed 32 times