The Florida History Podcast

Episode 351: Cancelled Tampa Bay Area Expressways and USF Impacts

The University of South Florida was almost turned into an expressway-driven concrete jungle. Students and the USF community fought back. But those were just a few of the roads that planners envisioned in the Tampa Bay area that had to be fought by neighborhood activists in the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's.

Episode 350: Cancelled Orlando-Area Expressways

We continue our look at neighborhood activism and college rebellions against concrete highways by discussing several cancelled road projects in the Orlando area during the 1980's and early 1990's.

Episode 349: The Sawgrass Expressway and Political Fights

The Sawgrass Expressway exists today but it's merely a fragment of what was originally planned. This is a story of condo commando power, FAU student activism, knocking on from the University of Miami-related activism we talked about in the previous podcast (Sawgrass Expressway was a replacement for the "University Expressway which was to run from UM to Northwest Broward and then connect toward FAU via the "Deerfield EXpressway). It's a story of neighborhood rebellions, a poorly managed expressway project and the activism of some legends in the condo world.

Episode 348: The Cancelled Expressways of Dade and Broward

Ever wonder why power lines are in certain places in south Florida. Easy answer...the surface road the run along was meant to be an expressway. Why did all these super highways never get built? Community opposition and an environmental awakening. We discuss that this week on the podcast.

Episode 347: Blocking Ocala/Gainesville to Jacksonville roads

The 50-year struggle (ongoing) to protect the spring and horse country against expressway building in North Central Florida is discussed this week.