Pine Hills is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated subdivision in Orange County, Florida, United States, west of Orlando.
As a result of residential demographic shifts, the area has been described as one of Central Florida's most prominent minority-majority communities, showcasing a highly diverse cultural tapestry, featuring significant Haitian, Jamaican, Spanish, and Asian population centers.
Eventually, as Orlando's growth surrounded Pine Hills, many of the original families moved into newer neighborhoods in nearby Ocoee, Winter Garden and MetroWest.
As of 2013, Pine Hills' perception as a high-crime area has begun to shift in a positive direction, by virtue of community-wide initiatives and efforts led by residents.
The Orlando Police Department has collaborated with the Orange County Sheriff's Office to prevent crime by increasing patrols through the neighborhoods.
The government of Orange County is also increasing code enforcement and issuing citations to property owners who neglect to maintain their home's appearance.
Recent developments in Pine Hills included the reconstruction of Evans High School main campus on Silver Star Road; completed in 2012.
Additional development includes Orlando's newest "Chinatown", located along west Colonial Drive across from the Pine Hills Marketplace.
[6] Lynx, the local transportation agency, is constructing a SuperStop transit connection for multiple bus routes to provide easy access for workers.
It is a group of neighborhood residents who collaborate with the Orange County Government and local law enforcement agencies in an effort to keep the area safe.
Since this study was released, the neighborhood has continued to focus on revitalization initiatives by holding community forums, establishing partnerships with private developers and public agencies.
Additionally, in October 2009, Mayor Richard Crotty established the Pine Hills Business Redevelopment Task Force.
This diversity is evident along Pine Hills Road where many immigration offices, Caribbean and Asian restaurants, and West Indian grocery stores abound.
Subdivisions close to Pine Hills with expensive single-family homes are found in the nearby Rosemont neighborhood, which was the first planned development created within the City of Orlando.
A near-replica of Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion, constructed in 1981, is located off North Hiawassee Road in the Hyland Oaks subdivision.
The industrial sector located along east Silver Star Road in Orlando's city limits includes a Frito-Lay and Coca-Cola manufacturing and distribution facilities.
In recent years, this pattern of unfavorable media coverage of Pine Hills has resulted in passionate discourse regarding the true causes and nature of the current state of the area, exacerbated by the generational divide of residents that lived in Pine Hills during its most economically prosperous time, and more recent generations of residents.
Negative psychological impacts of this online discourse, manifest tangibly in a significant decrease in homeownership, and the increase of non-residential property ownership in Pine Hills, Florida.
In most cases, former residents, and their descendants, react to unfavorable coverage with backlash, echoing negative stereotypes and discrediting successes of community-led efforts to address poverty-related crimes, and general insecurity.
In October 2020, local news reports indicated the area suffered a six-month gang war that had killed five people, including a three-year-old child.