- Gainesville will hold a community meeting on Sept. 16 to gather input on the future development of the Southwest Study Area, covering 913 acres.
- The study will assess housing, transportation, infrastructure, parks, and zoning to support walkable, mixed-use growth and reinvestment.
The city of Gainesville is asking residents, property owners, business operators and other community members to help shape the long-term future of an area known as the Southwest Study Area.
The first Southwest Study Area community meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, at the UF/IFAS Beef Teaching Unit South (3721 SW 23rd St., Gainesville). The meeting will include a brief presentation about the study, followed by opportunities for questions and community input.
According to a city of Gainesville release, the approximately 913-acre area is generally bordered by Archer Road to the north, Southwest 34th Street to the west, Williston Road to the south and Southwest 23rd Terrace to the east. Largely developed between the 1970s and early 2000s, the area is near the University of Florida and Butler Plaza and consists primarily of multifamily housing.
Although the Southwest Study Area accounts for about 2% of Gainesville’s land area, it is home to nearly 12% of the city’s population.
The Southwest Study Area has not had a comprehensive land use or zoning review since it was annexed into Gainesville in 2003. At a special meeting on May 8, 2025, Gainesville City Commission unanimously approved studying the area to identify ways to expand economic development opportunities.
An online survey is now available for residents and others to provide feedback on the study area.
The newly launched study will examine existing conditions and longer-term needs, including:
- Housing and affordability
- Transportation and transit
- Sidewalk and bicycle connections
- Infrastructure
- Parks and open space
- Neighborhood-serving businesses
- Opportunities for reinvestment
The study also will consider whether future land use or zoning changes could support additional housing and more walkable, mixed-use development.
“This is an important opportunity for people in southwest Gainesville to tell us what they value and what needs improvement,” said Gainesville City Commissioner Casey Willits, whose district includes the study area, in the release. “We want to hear about the quality of housing, whether people bike or walk, how they use parks and green space, if they rely on RTS bus service — essentially what changes they envision and where we should focus our attention.”
The city is seeking input from neighbors, property owners, business operators and others with an interest in the area’s future. The goal is to identify the area’s strengths, challenges and community priorities.
“Good planning starts with understanding how a place functions today and thinking carefully about how it may need to function 10 or 20 years from now,” said Interim City Manager Andrew Persons in the release. “This is an established part of Gainesville with infrastructure, transit and proximity to major employment and activity centers. The study gives us an opportunity to look at how reinvestment can make better use of those assets while improving connections, housing choices and the overall neighborhood environment.”
Residents can learn more about the study and participate in the online survey through the city’s Southwest Study Area project webpage.
