Editing Sanibel, Florida (section)

===Development===
The main town is on the island's eastern end. The city was formed in 1974,<ref name="City of Sanibel Florida Website"/> as a direct result of the main causeway being built in 1963 to replace the ferry, and the rampant construction and development that followed. Developers sued over the new restrictions, but the city and citizens prevailed in their quest to protect the island. The only buildings above two to three stories on the island were built during that period.

A short bridge over [[Blind Pass]] links Sanibel to [[Captiva Island]]. More than half of the two islands are preserved in its natural state as wildlife refuges. Visitors can drive, walk, bike, or kayak through the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fws.gov/dingdarling/ |title=Home - J.N. Ding Darling - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |publisher=Fws.gov |date=2015-12-15 |access-date=2017-01-23}}</ref> The island's most famous landmark, the [[Sanibel Island Light|Sanibel Lighthouse]], is at its eastern end, adjacent to the fishing pier. The main thoroughfare, Periwinkle Way, is where most of Sanibel's stores and restaurants are, while the Gulf Drives (East, Middle and West) have most of the accommodations.

The [[Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation]], a nonprofit organization, has been a key player in curbing commercial growth and development on the island. Since 1967, SCCF has been dedicated to preserving natural resources on and around Sanibel and Captiva and has led efforts to acquire and preserve environmentally sensitive land on the islands, including critical wildlife habitats, rare and unique subtropical plant communities, tidal wetlands, and freshwater wetlands along the Sanibel River.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sccf.org/content/57/Our-History.aspx|title="Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation"|access-date=July 7, 2009|archive-date=July 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705192015/http://sccf.org/content/57/Our-History.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="SanibelRiver">{{cite web|title=The Sanibel River Past, Present and Future
|url=https://www.mysanibel.com/content/download/22914/file/The%20Sanibel%20Slough%20Water%20Quality%20Restoration%20Article%206-13-16.pdf |access-date=2023-03-22
|publisher=City of Sanibel |website=mysanibel.com |date=June 13, 2016}}
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[[The Wall Street Journal]] selected Sanibel and Captiva Islands as one of the 10 Best Places for Second Homes in 2010.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704869304575109461496208030?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read|title=10 Best Places for Second Homes|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=8 March 2010}}
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