to the city that will add height and density in strategic areas to provide more housing and recreation opportunities,” McCue says.The reference to height and density shows that Greenacres, already operating at approximately 7,800 residents per square mile, will pursue vertical development and mixed-use projects rather than horizontal expansion constrained by its six-square-mile footprint. Dr. Harris frames the city’s posture as fundamentally receptive to innovation and business proposals. “Greenacres is open for business; we’re open for opportunities,” he states. “Don’t just drive through us; stop, ask questions, and bring your innovation to our city because we’re not quick to say no. We’re at a place where we will try to figure it out and make it happen.”This approach puts Greenacres within Palm Beach County’s broader economic ecosystem, which has attracted 2,602 hedge funds and private equity firms and earned recognition as one of the world’s top five fastest-growing wealth hubs. The city’s governance model emphasizes responsiveness over confrontation. “We’re a municipality and a council and a city manager that hears our residents’ feedback and concerns, and we address them,” Dr. Harris explains. “We’re not confrontational here. We are a city that genuinely cares, with empathy at the forefront.” As Greenacres enters its second century, leadership seeks to prove that transformation from bedroom community to destination doesn’t require abandoning the working232 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 01
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