Selby Gardens’ Phase Two Gets the Green Light From City Planning Board – Sarasota Magazine

Project Report: Selby Gardens Master Plan Phase Two Approval and Sustainable Development Integration

1.0 Project Overview

Phase Two of the Selby Gardens’ Master Plan for its downtown Sarasota campus has received unanimous approval from the City of Sarasota’s Planning Board. This phase focuses on the expansion of the gardens’ campus, research facilities, and educational offerings. The project, a collaboration with the award-winning landscape architecture firm Olin, is scheduled to break ground by the end of 2025 and reach completion by the end of 2027.

2.0 Key Project Components

1. New Conservatory Complex: A state-of-the-art facility designed to house over 200,000 plants from the gardens’ living research collections.
2. Learning Pavilion: An indoor/outdoor facility to serve as a base for educational programs catering to over 100,000 participants annually.
3. Strategic Landscaping: Includes the removal of outdated glass houses to enhance the campus layout and ecological function.

3.0 Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The project demonstrates a significant commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals through its design, purpose, and operational strategy.

3.1 SDG 4: Quality Education

• The new Learning Pavilion will provide a dedicated home for educational programs, enhancing lifelong learning opportunities for over 100,000 children and adults each year.
• The conservatory will make the gardens’ world-class living research collections, including scientifically documented orchids and bromeliads, accessible for educational purposes.

3.2 SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• The conservatory complex is designed to be powered entirely by 100 percent renewable energy, directly contributing to the transition to clean energy sources.

3.3 SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The project enhances urban green space within downtown Sarasota.
• It safeguards significant natural and cultural heritage by protecting globally important plant collections within a resilient structure.
• The construction of hurricane-resistant infrastructure strengthens community resilience against climate-related hazards.

3.4 SDG 13: Climate Action

• The conservatory’s construction is specified to withstand major hurricanes, representing a direct measure for climate adaptation.
• The commitment to 100% renewable energy for the complex is a key climate mitigation strategy, reducing the project’s carbon footprint.

3.5 SDG 15: Life on Land

• The core mission of the expansion is to protect and showcase biodiversity, housing over 200,000 plants.
• It directly supports the conservation of threatened species by providing a secure environment for the world’s best scientifically documented collections of orchids and bromeliads.

4.0 Project Timeline and Financials

• Groundbreaking: Planned for the end of 2025.
• Expected Completion: End of 2027.
• Capital Goal: $60.9 million.
• Funds Raised to Date: $50.4 million.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on Selby Gardens’ Master Plan touches upon several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its focus on education, renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable urban development.

• SDG 4: Quality Education – The project includes a new learning pavilion to support education programs for children and adults.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – The new conservatory complex is explicitly designed to be powered by 100% renewable energy.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The Master Plan involves creating resilient infrastructure, protecting natural heritage, and contributing to sustainable urban design.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – The plan directly addresses climate adaptation by designing buildings to withstand major hurricanes.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – The core mission of the gardens, particularly the new conservatory, is to house and protect vast, scientifically documented plant collections, contributing to biodiversity conservation.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The project’s funding model, which involves a significant capital campaign and collaboration with city planning boards, exemplifies partnerships for sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the details provided, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development…” The article mentions the new “indoor/outdoor learning pavilion will act as a home base for the gardens’ education programs, which serve more than 100,000 children and adults each year,” directly contributing to education for sustainable development.
2. Target 7.2: “By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.” The plan for the conservatory complex to be “powered by 100 percent renewable energy” is a direct contribution to this target.
3. Target 11.4: “Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.” The conservatory will house “the best scientifically documented collections of orchids and bromeliads in the world,” which is a clear effort to safeguard natural heritage.
4. Target 11.5: “By 2030, significantly reduce… direct economic losses… caused by disasters…” and Target 13.1: “Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters…” Both targets are addressed by the statement that the complex “will be built to withstand major hurricanes,” which is a measure of disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation.
5. Target 15.5: “Take urgent and significant action to… halt the loss of biodiversity and… protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.” The new conservatory will protect “more than 200,000 plants from our living research collections,” serving as a crucial ex-situ conservation facility to prevent the loss of plant biodiversity.
6. Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The project’s funding, having “raised $50.4 million of its $60.9 million capital goal,” and its approval by the “City of Sarasota’s Planning Board” demonstrate a multi-stakeholder partnership to achieve its goals.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article contains several explicit and implicit indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• For Target 4.7: The number of people participating in educational programs is explicitly stated as “more than 100,000 children and adults each year.” This serves as a direct indicator of the reach of their educational offerings.
• For Target 7.2: The share of renewable energy in the new facility’s consumption is explicitly stated as “100 percent.” This is a clear indicator of progress towards clean energy use.
• For Targets 11.5 and 13.1: An implicit indicator is the implementation of disaster-resilient building standards, as evidenced by the plan to build the complex to “withstand major hurricanes.”
• For Target 15.5: The number of plants in the collection (“more than 200,000”) and the status of the collections (“best scientifically documented collections of orchids and bromeliads”) serve as indicators for the conservation of biodiversity.
• For Target 17.17: The amount of financial resources mobilized for the project is a clear indicator. The article specifies that “$50.4 million of its $60.9 million capital goal” has been raised.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: sarasotamagazine.com