Upzonings in working class neighborhoods usually provoke political opposition based on concerns about gentrification and displacement. But the new Wynwood Norte Neighborhood Revitalization District in Miami might have worked for a solution.
"Residents and property owners who banded together in the newly rechristened working-class neighborhood of Wynwood Norte have won Miami commissioners’ enthusiastic approval for an innovative plan that would tame looming gentrification by spurring development," reports Andre Viglucci.
"The Wynwood Norte Neighborhood Revitalization District, a special zoning plan approved on first reading by a 5-0 vote on Thursday, arose from a grassroots effort to reverse the historic residential enclave’s declining fortunes," adds Viglucci.
The NRD-2, as the district is also called, was created by Miami city planners based on earlier work by Wynwood Community Enhancement Association, PlusUrbia Design, and others to create the Wynwood North Community Vision Plan. The Miami City Council recognized the vision plan in November 2019, passing a resolution instructing city staff to study implementation—enter the Wynwood Norte Neighborhood Revitalization District.
The zoning changes included in the revitalization district "would allow Miami-Dade County’s housing agency, which owns several acres of underused land in the neighborhood, to expand its local stock of affordable and workforce housing," explains Viglucci.
To protect the community, "the plan aims to preserve the core and character of the neighborhood by placing stricter limits on demolitions and maintaining a low scale in residential areas," adds Viglucci.
More details on the community-led process that produced the vision plan and the revitalization district, the goals of the vision plan and revitalization district, as well as the history of planning and development in the area are included in the source article.
FULL STORY: To fight gentrification, a working-class Miami enclave wins plan to spur development

Planetizen’s Top Planning Books of 2023
The world is changing, and planning with it.

Chicago Red Line Extension Could Transform the South Side
The city’s transit agency is undertaking its biggest expansion ever to finally bring rail to the South Side.

How ‘Daylighting’ Intersections Can Save Lives
Eliminating visual obstructions can make intersections safer for all users.

Upcycling a Landfill into a Regional Park
Los Angeles County is working with a consultant team led by Studio-MLA to transform 142 acres of the Puente Hills Landfill into parkland, creating the first new regional park in the county in over 35 years.

NYC Launches Daylighting Plan
The city will install visibility improvements at over 1,000 intersections to improve traffic safety.

FTA Announces Accessibility Funding for ‘Legacy Stations’
The 2024 budget includes close to $350 million for accessibility improvements at transit stations.
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Morganton
San Joaquin County
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Park City Municipal Corporation
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.