2025 All-America City Finalist – Delray Beach, FL

Founded in 1895, Delray Beach, Florida, evolved from an agricultural settlement into a thriving coastal city shaped by White farmers, Black Bahamians, African Americans, and Indigenous Seminoles. Despite racial and economic challenges, the city embraced collaboration and civic engagement to promote equity and resilience. Through Vision Assemblies, Delray invested in education, infrastructure, and inclusive growth. Today, it leads with environmental justice, adopting the 2022 Green Building Ordinance, the 2024 Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, and a 10,000-tree initiative. Restoring coastal ecosystems earned Delray the 2023 Blue Flag Award, affirming its commitment to sustainability and a forward-looking vision for 2025 and beyond.

Branching Out: Delray’s Path to Environmental Justice

Delray Beach’s Environmental Equity Campaign is a collaborative initiative aimed at reducing environmental disparities in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. In partnership with Community Greening, a nonprofit founded by Delray Beach residents, the city works to mitigate pollution, improve air quality, and address food insecurity through equitable access to environmental resources and education. Ongoing civic engagement through canvassing, collaboration with community leadership groups, youth teams, and monthly planning meetings shaped the development of responsive and community-centered programs.

Guided by resident feedback, Community Greening implemented a multi-pronged strategy: large-scale tree plantings in parks and public spaces; tree giveaways that included planting education; and a drop-off program delivering larger trees directly to homes, particularly supporting residents with mobility challenges. These efforts increase urban canopy coverage and promote long-term environmental sustainability in underserved areas. In addition, Urban Orchards were established in food deserts, transforming vacant lots into vibrant green spaces where residents can harvest free, fresh fruit. A Youth Tree Team internship program offers paid, hands-on experience in environmental work, building career pathways for high school students from historically underrepresented communities.

This community-driven model has led to over 22,000 trees planted across South Florida. Honored with the “Outstanding Urban Forestry Program” award, the campaign demonstrates how inclusive environmental action fosters sustainability, resilience, and equity.

Youth Eco-Consciousness: Educating the Next Generation

Children in Delray Beach, like many across the country, are spending less time outdoors and have limited access to hands-on science education. This disconnect from nature contributes to gaps in environmental awareness, threatening the development of future environmental stewards.

To address this, Delray Beach has partnered with local organizations to create educational programs centered on youth-led environmental learning. Residents, educators, and children themselves co-designed the Delray Beach Children’s Garden—a community-built space that fosters connection to nature through gardening, creative reuse, and outdoor exploration. The Sandoway Discovery Center’s Junior Naturalist Program, developed in collaboration with public schools, parents, and students, provides equitable, standards-aligned science education. In 2024, the city also joined the Delray Beach Historical Society’s “Community Experiences” pilot program to offer field trips that explore the connection between history and nature.

These programs are making a measurable impact. The Children’s Garden welcomed over 18,000 visitors in 2024 and continues to serve as a hub for nature-based education. Sandoway’s programming reached more than 5,400 students in Delray Beach, most from low-income communities, while expanding outreach to aftercare centers and launching the Science Leadership Academy. The Historical Society introduced hundreds of high school students to heritage-based environmental learning.

These efforts reflect Delray Beach’s long-term commitment to environmental equity and youth empowerment, core values that drive the city’s broader initiatives on eco-consciousness and climate justice.

Looking Towards the Future: Climate Action Planning

As climate change intensifies, Delray Beach is experiencing rising temperatures, increased flooding, and more severe storms—threats that disproportionately impact historically underserved communities. To better understand these challenges and shape locally informed solutions, the city launched an inclusive community engagement effort in April 2024. Kicking off during Earth Month, staff introduced the Climate Action Survey through public presentations designed to raise awareness and gather input on climate priorities. Outreach efforts focused on lower-income neighborhoods, with staff attending gatherings like the Elders Table and partnering with trusted community groups to ensure that those most affected by climate change had a voice in the process.

To reach a wide and diverse audience, the city distributed the survey both digitally and in person. QR codes were posted in more than 20 locations, shared through local email lists, and featured in social media posts and transportation ads. The Office of Sustainability and Resilience also promoted the survey at events like the Delray Beach Green Market. These efforts resulted in more than 350 responses—more than any other local municipality had received for a similar initiative. Insights from the survey were further refined through interactive “Climate and Conversations” events and five stakeholder brainstorming sessions held in January 2025.

Next, the city is compiling all feedback into a draft Climate Action Plan aligned with the Always Delray Comprehensive Plan. Set for City Commission review in April 2025, the CAP will mark a key milestone in building a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future.

Return to the complete list of the 2025 All-America City Award Finalists.