While mega-condo developments are enlivening districts in and around Miami's urban core, a long moribund downtown business district struggles to keep up. Many hope that small improvements will make a big difference in the area's quest for vitality.
"A year ago, a top Macy's executive ripped the condition of downtown Miami in front of a shocked Chamber of Commerce audience, describing the city's urban core as a place of 'broken curbs, collapsed sidewalks and garbage-strewn empty lots.'
The stinging speech served as something of a wake-up call to community leaders. In the year since, many sidewalks have been repaired. Six uniformed downtown ''ambassadors'' have been hired to deter crime and guide visitors. And new residents have steadily trickled in, attracted by shiny high-rises and short commutes.
The city's central business district, where thousands make the daily trek to work in the office towers and government centers, still has a ways to go. 'What people need to understand is that that place was derelict and in decay for decades,' Miami Mayor Manny Diaz said. 'You can't flip on a switch and change it overnight.'"
FULL STORY: Small changes help downtown Miami clean up its image
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
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World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
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U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
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City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.