In 2014, a special act of the Florida Legislature combined the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization and Pinellas Planning Council into a single entity with a 13-member governing board of elected officials representing the different communities in Pinellas County.
After extensive consideration about its mission, role and responsibilities, the organization has been officially rebranded as Forward Pinellas.
As a transportation planning organization, Forward Pinellas’ identity conveys motion, with a focus on helping residents and businesses get to and from the places they need to go. As a land use planning organization, the name acknowledges the need for redevelopment to support a dynamic and resilient economy. The logo itself represents the complex and changing environment of land, water and transportation that connects everyone in the county.
“The organization we’ve created lays a solid foundation for Pinellas County to move forward with better transportation and sensible redevelopment,” said St. Petersburg City Councilmember Jim Kennedy, chair of Forward Pinellas. “That begins with our emphasis on a vision for how the U.S. 19 corridor functions in the northern and southern parts of our county, enhancing beach community access, and preparing a master plan for connectivity in the Gateway/mid-County area.”