Project History

Uptown is generally described as the area in and around the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, with the area’s core flanked by the C-14 canal and McNab Road to the north, NW 57th Street to the south, Powerline Road to the west, and Interstate-95 to the east.  The initial concept for the Uptown Urban Village began with a group of landowners and business owners discussing ways to create a “live, work, and entertain” area to meet the needs of the changing workforce and add a mix of uses in the Uptown area.

In 2014 the City, in conjunction with business and land owners, engaged the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to conduct a Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) Study to come up with strategies to will help create a more livable environment in Uptown. The ULI Technical Advisory Panel report for the Uptown area was completed in August 2014 and contained specific recommendations, including the following:

• Engage study area landowners, business and civic leaders, employees and other interested parties; e.g. Envision Uptown and other stakeholders, in preparing a shared community planning vision;
• Examine opportunities to enhance existing public and private assets (e.g. extensive corporate presence, access to transit and Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport);
• Identify improvements to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to improve connectivity within Uptown;
• Provide opportunities for parks and open spaces that can be utilized by employees and residents alike;
• Evaluate the Uptown brand for potential modifications, including any possible trends, in an effort to create a unique district in the region with a strong sense of place;
• Evaluate existing development conditions and identify needed changes to the development standards to support the community planning vision, brand, and a live, work, learn, and play environment;
• Provide predictability for future growth and development; and
• Identify future plans that address changing the land use designations for Uptown, focus on corridor transit connections and multi‐modal facilities, and adopt new land regulations to achieve desired goals.

On October 6, 2015, the City Commission adopted Resolution 15-215 accepting the ULI Technical Advisory Panel Report for Uptown and in 2016, the City Commission recognized the Uptown effort as a Commission Annual Action Plan (CAAP) initiative with associated budget funds secured for the project.  Subsequently, staff began the planning process and acquired the consultant team of Tindale Oliver to help generate a master plan with form-based land regulations for the core of the Uptown area.  The Uptown Area Map is provided below.

The overall intent of the effort was to establish a planning framework to guide future growth in the area by amending the City’s Unified Land Development Regulations (ULDR) with the adoption of form-based design standards to help guide the form of buildings and design of streets, ensuring the future built environment promotes a mix of uses, improves connectivity and mobility in the area, places a higher emphasis on the pedestrian experience and results in a transit-supportive development pattern.  The Master Plan and Form-Based code standards were adopted on November 5, 2019. 

Master Plan

The Uptown Master Plan includes a framework of steps to implement the Uptown vision, including the regulatory structure and process for development review and approval, identifies incentives for redevelopment, outlines the public investment program, and includes implementation techniques.  The plan also identifies the need for future plans to address transit connectivity, land use changes, and long-term planning concepts.  The plan is designed to support the form-based code regulations by providing illustrations for the design requirements described in the code.

• Uptown Master Plan

Form-Based Code

The new form-based design standards for Uptown have been incorporated in the City’s Unified Land Development Regulations (ULDR).  The new standards will help to guide the form of buildings and the design of streets, ensuring that the future built environment promotes a high-quality public realm and a sense of place that meets the vision of the Uptown area.

• Adoption Ordinance 

Uptown Zoning Districts

The master plan divides the area into five zoning districts based on location, planned land use patterns, design characteristics, redevelopment potential, and mobility needs:

• Uptown Urban Village Northeast (UUV-NE)
• Uptown Urban Village Northwest (UUV-NW)
• Uptown Urban Village Southeast (UUV-SE)
• Uptown Urban Village Southwest (UUV-SW)
• Uptown Urban Village Southcentral (UUV-SC)

The following graphics depict the use categories permitted in each zoning district.  A complete list of permitted and conditional uses can be found in the City’s Unified Land Development Regulations (ULDR) link to municode.

Contact Information

Please schedule a preliminary meeting to discuss a potential development project.

For additional information, please contact the Urban Design and Planning Division of the Department of Development Services at 954-828-6520 or e-mail planning@fortlauderdale.gov.

Additional Background Information

Envision Uptown, Inc.

Envision Uptown is a non-profit organization consisting of civic leaders, landowners, business and officials and staffs of local, regional, state, and federal agencies that gave specific interest in the Uptown area.  The goal of the organization is to turn the current workplace-based and car-dependent development into a walkable, transit-ready urban neighborhood of offices, residences, retail, hospitality, civic buildings, large and small civic spaces and parks, and public plazas.

Envision Uptown is committed to work with all levels of government and quasi-governmental agencies that control and/or could impact the goal. The group’s focus is on securing the changes to agencies’ plans and budgets that are requisite to facilitating the implementation, maintenance, and growth of area. That includes working with the City of Fort Lauderdale to adopted code changes to the City’s Unified Land Development Regulations for the elements outlined in the goal and vision.

TriRail Cypress Creek Station

The Cypress Creek TriRail Station is located in the center of the Uptown area and provides regional commuter connections.  The station is consider a key element in the Uptown project and will serve as a catalyst in created a mixed-use, multi-modal, pedestrian environment.  To read more, go to: https://www.tri-rail.com/stations/cypress-creek

Cypress Creek Mobility Hub Study

The Cypress Creek Mobility Hub is the second largest commercial district in Broward County, and home to a Tri-Rail Station, Tri-Rail shuttles, Broward County Transit bus service, and easy access to I-95. The Broward MPO, in partnership with the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) who operate Tri-Rail, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Broward County, City of Fort Lauderdale and City of Oakland Park are looking to identify infrastructure improvements and joint development opportunities in the area of the Cypress Creek Mobility Hub. For more information, go to: https://www.browardmpo.org/current-completed-projects