From Miami’s Design District to Hollywood’s Young Circle to Delray Beach’s Atlantic Avenue, a developmental evolution is afoot across South Florida.

Smart city planners are transforming under-developed land into urban destinations designed to create mixed-use, live / work / play projects called Planned Mobility Development and livable communities designed for the future.

The result are the creation of walkable communities where residents work nearby, shop in local retailers, dine in area restaurants – much of which without need of a vehicle. The Daily Business Review recently profiled these three communities.

Not to be left behind, Boca Raton is actively and planning to pursue similar initiatives. The residents and leadership Broken Sound, one of the most innovative and progressive neighborhoods in South Florida, have embraced and promoted private-sector reinvestment with large-scale sustainability and improvement programs.

It’s similar to the plans for Boca Raton’s Northwest submarket. Hundreds of acres here lie in wait for a transformation in urban residential, retail, dining and transit – like the county’s Palm Tran system – suited to high-wage workers looking for a better and more convenient way to live.

Astute developers for years have been considering smart, mixed-use redevelopment of “infill.” These parcels of vacant or re-developable land can be transformed into a new community or nexus for a new type of living.

These designations take under-utilized or even blighted areas and bring to life live / work / play solutions. As a result, traffic is reduced, smart land use is maximized, development is reinvigorated, and the entire city’s tax base is strengthened.

To many, that’s smart development for a better tomorrow.