Research and Analysis

Taking stock of current conditions, identifying emerging trends and understanding the impact they have on the existing and future population expected to reside in a community are fundamental to effective and efficient facilities and service provision. This process of comprehensive planning begins with the research of best available data and application of analytical skills.

The Planning Services Division (PSD) serves as the County's repository for the U.S. Bureau of the Census' data, and demographic and economic information from a host of other sources including the University of Florida's Bureau of Business and Economic Research and the U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In addition to maintaining electronic census data files, the PSD has prepared a number of documents that provide frequently requested information in friendly and usable formats. PSD provides this information in a number of geographic levels including: census tracts, zip codes, traffic analysis zones, and municipalities.

Research and analytical services are also provided for those agencies that can not support full-time planning staff. This service includes the use of geographic information systems as well as sophisticated modeling. Research projects also are initiated at the direction of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners generally concerning growth management issues and facilities and service provision. The most recent projects undertaken include 1) an analysis of the changing character of the County between 1990 and 2000; and 2) a study of existing and projected school enrollment for the County.

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