Last minute changes allowed the $1.5 billion Worldcenter development to move forward into the planning stage.
"The Miami City Commission unanimously voted in favor of zoning changes and a development agreement for the $1.5 billion Miami Worldcenter project," reports David Smiley. The vote will allow developers to submit their plans for the site to the west of downtown.
Worldcenter developers "needed the commission approvals Monday for a special zoning plan and new development agreement after sitting for nearly a decade on the land, located in a blighted neighborhood to the west of downtown. Worldcenter has been planned as a massive retail, hotel and residential complex stretching from 11th Street to Sixth Street, and from North Miami Avenue to Second Avenue.
Smiley also describes the public controversy that surrounded the development plans—on one side are residential and business interests who hope the project will be a catalyst for the area; on the other side are critics with concerns about the terms of the deal that "would allow the developer to privatize public streets for free, cluster bars into an intense nightlife district and erect gaudy billboards."
At the last moment, the development agreement for the project was adjusted "to clarify that any signage on site has to comply with Miami’s new zoning code, and to require that Worldcenter pay a fee should it build over or under any public street."
FULL STORY: Miami commission approves Worldcenter agreement
$4 Billion Mixed-Use Development Opens in Miami
The Miami Worldcenter mega-development is entering the delivery phase.
Honolulu's Iwilei Center Plans for Redevelopment Into Mixed-Use Space
Striving to expand affordable housing options for Oahu residents, Honolulu's Department of Land Management requests to redevelop the Iwilei Center into a mixed-use space.
NYC Zoning Reform: Where Will It Have an Impact?
The zoning reform package dubbed ‘City of Yes’ will likely yield uneven results, with many of the lowest-density neighborhoods exempted from new regulations.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.
Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.
Can Progressive Planners Appeal to Conservative Principles?
Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.
Oak Park Plans Earth Month Events
Join Oak Park, Illinois, for a series of Earth Month events highlighting the importance of community engagement and education, integrating sustainability into local plans, and planning for the most vulnerable, such as birds, bees and butterflies.
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.
Florida Atlantic University
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland