Event: Donald Shoup-The Godfather of Eliminating Required Parking

Written by & filed in Community, Events, Quality of Life, Urbanism.

Donald Shoup, author of The High Cost of Free Parking and distinguished professor of urban planning at UCLA, will give a talk on Monday, April 21 from 8 to 10 AM at AIA’s Miami Center for Architecture & Design, 100 NE 1 Ave, Miami, FL 33132.

Shoup is the godfather of the scientific study of parking, and has spoken widely about the benefits of eliminating required parking for mobility and urbanism.  Shoup writes: “This doesn’t mean, however, that developers won’t provide off-street parking. It simply means that urban planners won’t tell developers exactly how many parking spaces they must provide before they can get a building permit. Developers will provide the parking spaces they think buyers demand.”

Capacity is limited, RSVP at shoupmiami.eventbrite.com and send to all your contacts, followers, members, students, etc.  Continental breakfast will be served.  Supported by the Knight Foundation, AIA Miami, APA Gold Coast Section, and Townhouse Center.

Shoup Flyer

 

This is Why Miami-Dade County is Dominated by the Automobile

Written by & filed in Cyclists & Pedestrians, Mixed-Use, Transit, Urbanism.

Here’s another great map from Matt Toro over at Transit Miami.  This map pretty much sums up why Miami-Dade County is so dependent on the automobile-lack of mixed-use zoning.

Source: Matt Toro-Transit Miami

Source: Matt Toro-Transit Miami

Notice that mixed-use zoning is found only in small pockets throughout the county.  Not surprisingly, the very same pockets that have mixed-use zoning are some of the wealthiest clusters with the highest tax base- i.e. Miami Beach, Downtown Miami, Brickell, Coral Way, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove.

Let’s give credit where credit is due-Miami Beach and Miami deserve honorable mention for enlightened zoning; the rest of the county is simply perpetuating the use of the automobile by separating uses; the rest of the county gets and F-.

Combine terrible zoning, with dismal public transit and zero vision by elected officials to provide safe and proper infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists and its no wonder that Miami-Dade County is the third most dangerous metropolitan area in the country for pedestrians and cyclists.

‘Mixed’ Land-Use in Miami-Dade County, Florida with Streets Removed — 2013. Source: Matthew Toro

‘Mixed’ Land-Use in Miami-Dade County, Florida with Streets Removed — 2013. Source: Matthew Toro

The Developers Guide to Land-Use in Miami-Dade County

Written by & filed in Commercial, Condo, Land, Mixed-Use, Multifamily, Rental, Residential, Retail, Urbanism.

Matt Toro over at Transit Miami released these awesome maps last week on Transit Miami.  Matt is somewhat of a GIS ninja and these maps give us an excellent macro view of land-use throughout the county.

Here are the 5 land-use maps:

  • Residential (single & multi-family)
  • Commercial
  • Industrial
  • Agricultural
  • Parks
Source: Matt Toro

Source: Matt Toro

industrial_20140325-791x1024

Source: Matt Toro

agricultural_20140326-791x1024

Source: Matt Toro

parks_20140327-791x1024

Source: Matt Toro

 

Map: The Not-So-Many Parks of Miami-Dade County

Written by & filed in Community, Land, Quality of Life, Urbanism.

parks_20140327-791x1024

This comes to us via Matt Toro at Transit Miami…

I kept it simple: only beaches, municipal-operated, and county-operated parks were included. These criteria effectively excluded the following uses, which are part of Miami-Dade County’s default “Park” category:

  • Recreational Vehicle Parks/Camps
  • Private Recreational Facilities Associated with Private Residential Developments
  • Private Recreational Camps/Areas
  • Cemeteries
  • Golf courses
  • Other Nature Preserves and Protected Areas, which, for the most part, are completely inaccessible for public recreation/leisure
  • Marinas

And, significantly, this map doesn’t show Biscayne National Park, our local, primarily aquatic national park covering the bulk of central and southern Biscayne Bay.

What do you think? Where are more parks needed in our community? “

 

Metro 1 Launches Wynwood Gateway Complex with DucatiMiami Opening

Written by & filed in Commercial, Community, Events, Retail.

Stacey Glassman Mizener, Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, Tony Cho, Mayor Tomas Regalado, Andrew Frey

Stacey Glassman Mizener, Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, Tony Cho, Mayor Tomas Regalado, Andrew Frey

The urban core just got trendier with the opening of DucatiMiami at the Wynwood Gateway Complex located at the corner of NW 2nd Ave and 29th St. The retail complex is the first development from Metro 1 which is led by neighborhood visionary Tony Cho. A recent ribbon cutting ceremony for Phase I of the retail complex brought together political and community leaders who were pleased to welcome the neighborhood’s first international luxury brand, Ducati, to its new showroom and service center. During the event, Metro 1 also announced they are partnering with DawnTown and AIAMiami to launch an idea and design/build competition for a public park that will be implemented on the property as part of Phase II.

Some Like it Hot at HistoryMiami

Written by & filed in Arts, Community, Events.

The Some Like it Hot exhibit runs until April 27 at HistoryMiami

The Some Like it Hot exhibit runs until April 27 at HistoryMiami

The Some Like It Hot exhibit on display at History Miami until April 27 recognizes Miami’s flourishing art scene, and emphasizes the “hot” phenomenon of art in the streets, a recent development that has redefined the local art community. Continually inspired by Miami’s climate, sandy beaches, nightlife, history, and distinct blend of Latin American, Caribbean, and American cultures, Miami-based artists often transform their experiences of the city’s complex and offbeat identity into individualized visual languages. Their often site-specific, public pieces have long acted as a local tourist attraction, and have increased their prominence while simultaneously stimulating the gentrification of the communities in which they create. This exhibition highlights examples of their work, which showcase a variety of mediums and genres found within the eclectic, constantly evolving mural art tradition. The pieces reflect a wide range of art practices, including studio art, visual design, and graffiti, and represent an indigenous expression of public art.

HistoryMiami’s young professional organization, the Flagler Street Society, recently hosted a pop-up party for members and the artists responsible for the museum’s current paint job. The next opportunity to join the conversation about the evolution surrounding street art in Miami will be a a panel discussion titled ‘Miami Graffiti’ that will take place at HistoryMiami (101 West Flagler Street) on April 19 at 2:00 p.m. Panelists will include artist Alex Vahan from Cushy Gigs and Rosa Lowinger, curator of Concrete Paradise: Miami Marine Stadium. The cost is free with museum admission.