Cities of the Future: Syd Kitson of Kitson & Partners On How to Create Cities That Are More Productive, Efficient and Sustainable
An Interview With Dina Aletras
Every now and then when things don’t go according to plan, because inevitably they won’t, it’s important to read and get inspired to pick yourself back up.
As urbanization continues to accelerate, the need for cities to become more productive, efficient, and sustainable has never been greater. Innovative approaches and technologies are essential to address challenges such as resource management, transportation, and quality of life. How can we design and implement strategies to build the cities of the future? As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Syd Kitson.
Syd Kitson is Chairman/CEO of Kitson & Partners, a Florida-based real estate company specializing in the creation and development of environmentally responsible, sustainable master-planned communities and commercial properties.
Syd is a graduate of Wake Forest University, with a notable career in the National Football League. Upon retirement, he began his career in real estate, founding Kitson & Partners in 1999. In 2006, Kitson completed the historic purchase of Babcock Ranch in Southwest Florida, encompassing an area five times the size of the island of Manhattan, with over 80% of the original land purchase set aside in the largest single land preservation agreement in the state’s history.
Syd has served on multiple civic, education and non-profit boards. He chaired the 2016–2017 Florida Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, served as Chair of the Board of Governors for the State University System of Florida in 2020 and 2021, is immediate past Chair of the Florida Council of 100, and was named TIME Magazine’s “Dreamer of the Year” in 2023.
Thank you for joining us! To start, can you share a bit about your early background and how it influenced who you are today?
As a kid, I’d spent my years hiking and camping in the woods for 3–4 weeks at a time. Always having a true love of the environment, I realized early on in my life that it’s precious, we need to preserve it and we need to do the right thing. My question was, what can we do now, so we leave the earth better today for our future generations. The answer and the dream were to become the first solar powered town in America. It took 8 years to get it done, but we did it. One of the things I’m most proud of is that 90 percent of the original ranch is preserved forever. Babcock is proof that a new city can work hand in hand with the environment. Dreaming fearlessly to me is thinking of those game-changing ideas and making them a reality.
What inspired you to pursue a career in this field, and can you share the story behind your decision?
After my NFL career, a passion for the environment and desire to create great places led me to the next chapter of my life and that was creating something that can inspire others to innovate, work with the environment and conserve invaluable resources for future generations. In the early 2000s, we believed that clean energy and sustainable development could set the standard for “the future of development” around the world. We put that belief in motion in 2006 when we purchased Babcock Ranch in Southwest Florida, an area five times the size of Manhattan.
What’s the most intriguing or memorable experience you’ve had since starting your career?
Aside from the purchase of Babcock Ranch, the most memorable experience of my career was surviving Hurricane Ian, a category four storm that passed directly over Babcock Ranch. I took a huge risk when I asked Babcock residents to trust me to not evacuate and ride out the storm from the comfort of their own homes. It was a test of everything that I had been working toward for all these years and it’s a moment I’ll never forget. All the time and effort we spent emphasizing the design of the town to withstand a 100-year storm worked. Babcock Ranch was left unscathed from the storm, while the surrounding areas had complete devastation. We became the haven for those who were without power, running water and shelter for weeks. Besides the birth of my children and grandchildren, I’m not sure I could have a prouder, more fulfilling moment.
As a successful leader in the industry, which three character traits have been key to your success? Can you provide a story or example for each?
Firstly, I’ve remained true to my passions and stayed the course. I am convinced that an unrelenting commitment to the original vision and never compromising on the original eight Babcock Ranch initiatives are the reasons we are successful.
Not being afraid to fail. My advice to future “innovators” is, if you are going to do something unprecedented, be prepared for rejection. We are measured by how we handle adversity. In today’s world, too many people are afraid to fail. The lessons we learn from rejection and failure are what teach us how to succeed.
I live apolitical and unoffended. I seek out constructive criticism and realize it is a path to personal growth. It’s a gift to receive feedback from people you respect. When it comes to doing the right thing, take politics out of it and focus on how to succeed at making this world a healthier, cleaner, safer and more reliable place.
What innovative technologies and practices do you believe will be most critical in enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of future cities?
It’s important to recognize that every city is different and so are their needs, whether building from the ground up or implementing sustainable enhancements. What we have learned through our years of development in building Babcock Ranch, and as we continue to expand, is that collaboration is inherent to sustainability. As America’s first solar powered town, having a strong utility partner is key in producing renewable energy at a utility scale and having a center to preserve that energy ensures that our city exceeds the total amount the town consumes. This also empowers residents to minimize their environmental footprint at no additional cost.
A few innovative technologies and practices we use and have seen great success with includes offering our residents high speed fiber optic technology prompting home based employment and in return, reduces the amount of cars on the road. Building hardened transmission lines that feed from solar fields, battery backup and the grid to underground power lines help prevent power outages from severe weather. We constructed our own water plant to provide water, process sewage and provide reuse water for all of our landscaping needs.
Part of a sustainable philosophy is working with nature, native landscaping and protecting the surrounding wildlife. Creating a management plan for onsite species provides protection requirements during construction and maintenance activities to safeguard wildlife. Our team at Babcock Ranch continues to monitor changing environmental demands and technology advances to continue leading the sustainability movement.
How can urban planners and architects design cities that effectively balance economic productivity with environmental sustainability?
Babcock Ranch is rooted in a philosophy that smart growth and sustainability work hand in hand. From the beginning, we analyzed the existing landscape and developed innovative designs and plans to ensure an exemplary product that encompasses a positive influence on the town, responsible stewardship of the land, and minimizes environmental impacts. Urban planners and architects should understand that green building doesn’t have to cost more for homebuyers and, in fact, can offer a competitive advantage in a marketplace of consumers who are clamoring for the opportunity to shrink their footprint.
In what ways can transportation systems be reimagined to improve mobility and reduce the environmental impact in future urban areas?
Creating a free flow of traffic to improve mobility while reducing our environmental impact is a slow but steady process. It’s important to take an innovative and thoughtful approach like designing a city with walkability and bike-ability in mind. Connect social hubs that are filled with restaurant and entertainment destinations, doctors’ offices, retail shops, co-working spaces and more through thoughtfully planned sidewalks, trails, roundabouts and roadway designs. Cities can create an on-demand bike-share program and provide access to autonomous and electric vehicles that can be streamlined through an app for residents to have easy access to the transit services. All lessening a resident’s dependence on their personal vehicles.
What role do you see public policies playing in the development of smarter, greener cities, and how can governments incentivize sustainable practices?
Public policies and standards are very important as it pertains to innovating for the future. It’s imperative to collaborate with state, county officials, environmental leaders, and state legislators to take the project to the next level. A real hurdle when working with legacy government is showing “proof of concept” and getting them to understand, believe, and trust in a vision. In order to push the envelope on innovation, we need to be thinking 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 years down the road. Most importantly, be transparent with public officials and be open and receptive to ongoing dialogue if we want to enact real, positive, sustainable change this century.
How can future cities ensure a high quality of life for all residents while managing rapid urban growth and resource constraints?
The Babcock Ranch team continues to monitor changing environmental demands and technological advances to continue leading the sustainability movement in Florida and beyond. The continued growth and success of Babcock Ranch serves as an inspiration for communities around the world seeking to leave a positive (or neutral) impact on the planet.
Currently, Babcock Ranch has partnered with 11 national and regional builders to push the envelope on innovation for sustainable, modern design. Babcock Ranch does not settle for best practices, and that is why the nation’s leading builders have agreed to work collaboratively on this constantly evolving project to redefine what sustainable living looks like.
As a leader in innovation, Babcock Ranch is a living laboratory — where entrepreneurs and forward-thinking brands can collaborate, pilot and test solutions for the future.
Thank you for all that insight. Now, let’s dive into the core of our interview: What are the “Top 5 Things Cities Need to Make Them More Productive, Efficient and Sustainable”? Please provide a story or example for each.
Understanding that every community is and will be built differently due to its specific needs, size, climate, budgets, and other variables, below are a few key innovations that developers can implement into their design plans.
Make sure all new developments are working with nature, not against it. With today’s ever-changing climate, mother nature will win every time. For instance, consider requiring native plants to be planted throughout the community to reduce water consumption; all irrigation uses reclaimed water; natural stormwater management systems that restore historic flow-ways and utilize natural and created wetlands to slow and clean surface flow; and a weir system to rehydrate wetlands and habitat enhancements for native species. In fact, Babcock Ranch sets a new standard for environmental and flood control standards — exceeding requirements of Charlotte County, Lee County, the Water Management District, and the Army Corp of Engineers.
Build and design with climate resiliency in mind. Babcock Ranch’s power system, built in collaboration with Florida Power & Light (FPL), utilizes Cat 5 hardened transmission lines to feed from our solar fields, battery backup, and the grid to underground power lines. After surviving Hurricane Ian, a category 4 storm in 2022 (without losing power and minimal damage to the town) Babcock Ranch is an example that sustainable investments are more socially and financially responsible than championing the status quo.
Don’t rely on old building models in today’s climate-forward world. Explore other innovative development and construction processes, new sustainable materials, and supply chain opportunities that could shape the industry’s future. For example, use a spray foam insulation system, in lieu of traditional forms like fiberglass or cellulose, that’s applied to exterior/interior walls, vented attics and between floors that contains zero ozone depleting blowing agents and reduces energy consumption by up to 40 percent. Additional innovations that are greatly enhancing the building industry include wall panel systems, 3D printing and requiring EV outlets in home garages for on-demand charging access.
Leverage renewable energy generation systems. Through our partnership with Florida Power & Light (FPL), Babcock Ranch was the first town to generate more renewable energy than it will ever consume and is one of the largest battery-storage technology centers in Florida. A modern-day case study that proves the predictability and reliability of solar power, today, Babcock Ranch is powered by an 870-acre solar field with over 687,000 solar panels which can generate 150 MW of clean energy to help power the town with clean, reliable and affordable energy. Producing renewable energy at utility scale empowers residents to minimize their environmental footprint at no additional cost.
Invest in modern energy-efficient appliances and amenities. Set within a neighborhood at Babcock Ranch, the development of “Innovation Way” model homes created a living laboratory for us and FPL to test cutting-edge homebuilding techniques, technologies, materials and products as the “next generation” of standards for healthy, environmentally sustainable, and reasonably priced home construction. A few of the sustainable features include high efficient low E impact windows, whole home eco-friendly water filtration, smart kitchen faucets that are voice controlled and hands free, a RHEIA HVAC delivery system that improves overall air conditioning and eliminates bulk dust systems and smart electrical panels with remote on/off capabilities that monitors the energy usage by circuit.
Do you have a favorite quote that has influenced your life? Can you share a story that illustrates its relevance to you?
I live by a few quotes and letters to fuel inspiration and to help me keep a proper perspective on the meaning of success. This includes a few that I carry in my wallet that my mother gave me that are about character and personal motivation. A favorite of mine is a list of “Lincoln failures,” which is a story of his perseverance through failure and tragedy that has inspired and reassured me during the extraordinarily challenging journey developing America’s first solar powered town.
I also wholeheartedly believe that the intersection of dreaming and doing can change the world. I believe in this saying so strongly that I have it printed and hanging in my office as the daily reminder I need to start each day.
Every now and then when things don’t go according to plan, because inevitably they won’t, it’s important to read and get inspired to pick yourself back up.
With your considerable influence, if you could start a movement to make a significant positive impact, what would it be?
Babcock Ranch is no longer just an ambitious vision. After years of hard work and perseverance, it’s an active community with a diverse and vibrant downtown, various emerging neighborhoods, 100+ miles of hiking and biking trails, nine homebuilders, and a state-of-the-art 687,000+ panels-panel solar field using one of the largest solar-plus-storage system operating in the U.S. today to power it all. We hope the continued growth and success of Babcock Ranch will inspire communities around the world who are seeking to leave a positive or neutral impact on the planet.
How can our readers stay updated with your work online?
Readers can stay updated with Babcock Ranch’s latest innovations and initiatives at https://babcockranch.com/.
Thank you for sharing these fantastic insights. We appreciate your time and wish you continued success.
About the Interviewer: Dina Aletras boasts over 20 years of expertise in the corporate media industry. She possesses an in-depth understanding of growth, strategy, and leadership, having held significant roles at some of the UK’s largest media organizations. At Reach PLC, the UK’s largest tabloid publisher, she served in various director capacities. Additionally, she held leadership roles at The Independent Magazine Group and DMGT. Her extensive knowledge spans editorial, digital, revenue, sales, and advertising.
Upon relocating to Switzerland, Dina took on the responsibility of managing and promoting the international section of Corriere del Ticino — CdT.ch pioneering the English page “onthespot.” She also was the Co-Editor of Southern Switzerland’s first official Italian and English bilingual magazine.
