In 1992, Hurricane Andrew left Florida devastated. As communities began to rebuild their homes and businesses, they faced numerous challenges and delays when filing insurance claims to receive disaster relief funds. The lack of a uniform, statewide building code and the insufficient enforcement of building standards prior to the Hurricane made the reconstruction process seem insurmountable. In 1998, following the recommendations of a study conducted by the Building Code Study Commission, the Florida Governor’s Office sought the institution of statewide standards for building safety and practices. The newly created Florida Building Commission (FBC), however, was challenged by conflicting interests and was unable to create a cohesive vision to implement change. This case study tells the story of how, after a year of struggling to build consensus, the Commission enlisted the help of experienced facilitator Jeff Blair of the FCRC Consensus Center at Florida State University, who was able to bring together the non-profit, public, and private sectors to fulfill the Commission’s goal of creating a statewide building code.
✴︎ Available only with purchase from publisher “Traditional governance, even when it is functioning effectively and fairly, often produces clear winners and clear losers, leaving smoldering resentments that flare up whenever there is a shift in the balance of power. Over the past two and…
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