The following are some videos I took of the successful test run.  The videos were taken from the area where the proposed park will be.  Currently the site is occupied by a parking lot, but that will soon change.  The projectors where also mounted on temporary scaffolding.  Officials hope that when this project is completed, this important corner of Miami Beach will become a new world class public space for residents and visitors. 

As one can see, the test run shows a wide variety of videos, graphics and content that are sure to keep park and theatre goers happy (Officials also promise no advertising).  With this test, one can begin to imagine what a wonderful experience walking through the park will be like.   The NWS is creating a whole set of videos and content for the huge wall that will create a unique visitor experience.  From stunning (in house) computer generated graphics and live concert feeds from around the world to NWS content and movies, the projection wall will become a new public attraction for Miami Beach.  Best of all, it will all be free.

The wall is also another sign of the emphasis on technology.  As executives at the showing said, while many many of the important theatres from around the world let you feel history inside their walls, this new theatre represents the future.  Everything about the new NWS facility, from the integration of technology into studies to the design of the building, screams technology.  The projection wall is no different, it will serve not only as another media in which to communicate, but also as an avenue to the public at large and a platform to promote the NWS to the outside world.

I personally cannot wait to see the whole project come together.  When the park and theatre and completed, the experience of watching a concert or a movie in this new park will surely be amazing.  Hopefully West 8 will deliver a park that will rival if not supersede the original yet now defunct park design by Frank Gehry.  Keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

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Florida Trend is now reporting that Downtown Miami restaurants are staying open later.  Whereas at night no one stayed open, the magazine is reporting that seven business are now staying open at night in Flagler and while that might not be enough to pick up the entire areas, some long ago established businesses are starting to notice. From Florida Trend:

While seven may be a small number, it’s enough to create a critical mass of patrons that other businesses are noticing.  La Epoca, a high-end department store that has been downtown for 44 years, now stays open until 7 p.m. for weekly “Mojito Tuesdays.” With sales up 20% this year, owner Tony Alonso says he will soon try staying open until 8 or 9 on Friday nights.

It’s good that someone has finally noticed.  It has been interesting observing these small changes take effect over the last year or so.  It was not long ago that I remember walking to Flagler on a weekend and seeing a ghost town.  Today, many parts remain dark, nevertheless the small incremental changes are starting to create a small street life at night. 

As more residents continue to move in and more tourists continue to come to a growing downtown, these changes should continue.  As Javier Betancourt at the DDA told me the other day, downtown retail is one of the few recessionary bright spots in Miami.  Downtown Miami is one of the few areas where sales are up from last year.

While the change has been encouraging,  I would personally like to see more downtown businesses open at night.  Many of  the established  franchises in downtown continue to give the area a cold shoulder. Near the courthouse, many businesses and restaurants that would do well at night or on weekends continue to shutter their doors when office workers leave. 

Relatively newer establishments, such as Jimmy John’s subs or Mario the Baker remain decidedly aimed at daytime workers.  Other established names, such as Macy’s, remain a detriment to the neighborhood as well.  Ecco Pizzateca, a new spot, does open at night but not on weekends.  Even during Bike Miami  (the monthly event bringing bikers and pedestrians on sunday to the streets of Downtown) many of these places did not open.

I call on a sustained group effort by area establishments to revive Flagler Street and surrounding streets. More business open will mean more people, more people will mean more business.  Downtown stores need to stop looking at downtown as a 9-5 work center, but rather as a growing residential/mixed-use area with a massive untapped tourist market directly across the bay.  Let us also remember that Miami gets more that 10 million tourists a year, most of which stay in South Beach.  Pull in 10% of those into Downtown Miami, and now you got some real change.

For those interested you can find a list of new Downtown Miami retail establishments here and here.

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The building is being designed by Miami based Zyscovich Architects, who recently designed the new proposed downtown synagogue for Brickell.  The building is set to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards with a focus on sustainability and pedestrians.  The building is to house amenities that include a food court and eating area, a student life office, an archival library, a wellness center and classroom space.

Sounds like great news for downtown!  Hopefully Miami Dade College will build student housing one day to ensure more lively and active streets at night and a more active downtown student community.  Stay tuned for news and images when they become available.

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The Online Student Design Exhibit hopes to become a local repository of work by local design students here in the South Florida region.  Every month or so, when the best or most interesting student projects submitted are selected, winners will receive a free copy of the latest issue of this wonderful regional architecture/design magazine.  

So please go ahead and submit your best and most interesting student design work or project to us here on the site,   get your name out on the Internet, and win a free magazine as well!  Email us at studentwork@urbancityarch.com with your work or if you have any questions.  Don’t be shy, whether you designed a bench, a townhouse, or a skyscraper, share your work with us today! 

About the Online South Florida Student Exhibit:

Urban City Architecture is looking to start an online repository of architecture/design work produced by students in the South Florida area. This new series, entitled ‘Student Exhibit’ will highlight some of the most interesting and creative projects submitted by architecture students in South Florida. This will be a monthly series documenting innovative, interesting, or cool ideas by South Florida’s aspiring designers.

Every month we will choose the best work submitted to be added to our virtual gallery of interesting student work. Do not by shy about your work and get your name out there! Whether your have a model, rendering, or written paper we are looking to hear from you. With the architecture industry in shambles, this new student exhibit could serve as a spring-board to your next job. Go ahead and email us your completed student project at studentwork@urbancityarch.com. We look forward to seeing your work and the comments by everyone!

About submitting your work:

We ask that all submissions come in either .jpg or .pdf format and that files do not exceed 9 MB.  Please be sure to include at least one image, but the more images the better.  There is no limit to the number of images you can submit, but we do reserve the right to choose which ones will be displayed.  Please include a grammatically correct brief and description of the project as well, we do not have time to correct simple grammar mistakes for student submittals.  Size of the description does not matter, but it should be at least 200 words and no more than 1,000 words.  For written papers, there is not limit.  If you submit your work, you should hear back from us.  If not, please contact us again. Thanks!

About the South Florida Design Book (Click here to check their latest issue online):

South Florida Design Book is a semi-annual publication that focuses on the architecture and design sectors. Published by Liquid Design Architects, Inc., Design Book delivers thought-provoking, industry-specific editorials and content to designers and developers in South Florida. Our readership includes creative design professionals who view Design Book as a valuable resource for products and services that are useful in their day-to-day operations.

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Every city/county in Florida (except perhaps Key West because of its physical boundaries) is dominated by oceans and oceans of autocentric suburbs — rivers of concrete divide the cities.  Orlando might have cool theme parks, but the rest of the city is an embarrassment to logical living.   Dozens of tolled highways (that are almost mandatory at this point) do not only affect the pocketbook, but rip the city into isolated and disconnected suburban pieces.  

Miami-Dade, Broward-Fort Lauderdale, West Palm, Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, and pretty much every area of Florida is unwalkable — to be navigated only by car.   Florida is dominated by unlivable streets and sprawling suburbs that make any type of efficient and sustainable mass transit impossible in the cities.

FLORIDA:  THOSE WITH CARS WELCOMED, EVERYONE ELSE GET OUT!

Decades of shortsighted for profit only planning and design have made Florida a place that only those with cars can enjoy.  In essence, those here in Florida are slaves to their automobiles.  This is a rather expensive/impossible proposition for the elderly, poor, immigrant, young, and any of those who cannot or do not want/ like to drive.    Somehow, over the last fifty or so years, living in Florida comes with a mandatory requirement to own an automobile.  For anyone else who cannot, good luck! 

For those like my mother, who was disabled when alive, living in Florida is comparable to life in a giant prison.  I still vividly remember how her inability to drive created many impediments to finding jobs or enjoying the city – this situation even contributed to her depression.  My mother, who was not well, could hardly leave her house to enjoy the landscape of Miami.  An autocentric landscape made her feel as if she was not a part of the city.  She was sadly, a prisoner in her own home — dependant on a good neighbor or family to go grocery shopping or to the mall.  In many ways, the autocentric urban landscape took away her freedom to go places — an equal democracy for pedestrians does not exist in the ‘car-only’ streets of Florida.  Unable to go outside, for people like her, the American Dream does not apply. 

Let me make this clear one more time, in Florida the automobile has become as important as air.  Floridians are slaves to their automobiles, bound by the shackles of gasoline, lease payments, and tolls.  Floridians are not free to live their lives as they see fit, they must carry with them an expensive car everywhere they go — there is no other option.  This is not freedom.  People might as well be born with an automobile attached to them because legs are pretty much useless in this state.

Considering this, it is perhaps no surprise that Florida was just ranked as the worst state in the country for pedestrian safety.  The top four most dangerous cities in the entire country are all in the state of Florida.  According to Dangerous By Design, Orlando-Kissimmee, Tampa, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, and Jacksonville took the top four spots respectively in this study. 

Let’s face it, in all honesty, this is just pathetic…

FALLING BEHIND EVERYONE.  YES, EVERYONE!

Meanwhile, while Florida stares at the blinding sun, Atlanta, Seattle, and Houston are moving ahead with aggressive changes to their transit systems.  California is first in line to build a high-speed rail throughout the state  — one day even Las Vegas and Los Angeles will be connected.  New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and many other places around the world continue to do the same to expand already considerable systems.  Oh yes, even Dubai, Bangkok, Istanbul, and tons of other ‘third world’ cities around the world world are spending the billions of dollars required to build sustainable and efficient mass transit systems.  To build the cities of the future.

In Phoenix, a New York Times article reports that a new rail projected to attract 26,000 riders per day  is closer to 33,000, boosted in large part by weekend riders.  In some part thanks to the new system, downtown Phoenix appears to be one of the few bright spots in an otherwise economically pummeled city. In the first quarter of 2009, downtown Phoenix saw its revenues increase 13 percent, while the rest of the city saw a fall of 16 percent, according to Eric Johnson, a redevelopment program manager for the city’s Community and Economic Development Department.

In Miami-Dade, one of the few bright spots in the state, no real expansion of the Metrorail is in sight .  We are getting one extra stop added at the airport but many of the promised expansions are years and years away.  The Metrorail continues to offer only one line of service after almost 30 years in operation, Los Angeles on the other hand offers more than six.  In Miami, there is no real plan in sight to fund, operate, or build proposed systems.  No real expansion of transit seems to be materializing any time soon.

What is worst, is that a new study (which joins dozens of others) has revealed that the ocean is now projected to rise up to six feet in the next hundred years. Yet here, we continue to live inefficient, highly polluting lives that contribute to this global problem.  Apathy is rampant in Miami, many argue that Miami alone changing will not fix global environmental problems.   This might be true, but Miami and Florida will be the first to sink.  We must not sit at the back of the line, Florida must be at the forefront of change to convince others to change as well.  Florida cannot only talk the walk, it must actually walk the walk.  The livelihood the entire state is at stake.

Unfortunately for Floridians, the  importance of sustainable transit system in the big scheme of things cannot be underestimated, an AIA Transportation Forum recently Placed Transit as the Foundation of Sustainable Communities.

A diverse group of infrastructure and planning officials came together at the AIA national headquarters in Washington, D.C., this week to come to some common conclusions about the nation’s transportation needs. At the top of the list: a unified and collaborative approach that reaches across levels of government and state and municipal lines and a recognition that a 21st century sustainable transit system must act as a building block towards more sustainable and livable communities.

LACK OF DEDICATION

As if a self fulfilling prophecy was in effect, the few transits systems in Florida that do exist have been designed to fail.  The Tri-rail in South Florida is a perfect example of the lack of serious effort and real dedication in creating a reliable mass transit system. The rail, built on existing CSX tracks,  goes to few places people need, and years after it’s implementation, still has to receive a dedicated funding source.   

The system continues to cut service, has no long term plan that riders can count on (system could be killed at any time), and people (such as my friend  have to wait 1+ hour for a train sometimes.   Considering that transit has to build ridership and confidence over time, the Tri-rail offers the perfect recipe for failure.  The fact that it has survived and grown over years with so many obstacles in its way, is actually a testament to the need of transit in the region — some people have no other option. 

Even worst, the Tri-Rail has no cohesive transportation system to get a passenger from home to the destination.  The Tri-rail services suburban areas that really are not conducive to mass transit — the urban landscape is 100% autocentric and when passengers arrive at their destination, they must hop on a car to actually get home.  This is of course is counter intuitive because unfortunately, destinations when planning transit do matter. 

As a new study titled “Destinations Matter” :

It may be more cost-effective to build a line down an existing railroad right of way. But these corridors often skirt residential neighborhoods and high-density employment centers, and can result in disappointing ridership. It’s also more cost-effective to build lines down the middle of freeways, but again, lack of a pleasant walking environment and easy pedestrian access to stations makes taking transit a far less appealing alternative.

In Miami, the Metrorail shares a similar study.  Although the Metrorail does go to some important destinations, it fails to reach an effective number of important places in the city.  Florida International University, most stadiums, Miami Beach, and most importantly, a majority of residential areas are completely ignored by the system.  After 20 years in service, the Metrorail still offers only one line of service, making it a rather limited option.  Promised expansions of the system are no where in sight.

A planned streetcar for Miami and Miami Beach  is also no where in sight – nothing has happened.  Typical of Miami politics, millions of dollars have been spent in consultants — yet not one nail has been put in the ground.  

The rest of the state is a mess as well.  There is no cohesive plan to build a true public transportation system.  In fact, outside of Miami and South Florida, the state does not really have any additional mass transit.  The few systems that do exist, such as the streetcar in Tampa, are very limited and disconnected.  The proposed Sun-Rail in Orlando does not only threaten to mirror many of the same mistakes that Tri-Rail committed a decade before, it  is also moving at a snail’s pace. 

Throughout the state, no other cities seem to be serious about promoting new transportation systems.  Florida is now talking about a high-speed rail, but where would it go and what complementary systems will complete the route once one arrives into the cities?  How is the building of more autocentric and suburban development going to help this effort?

Keep in mind that this is all happening as the state continues to pour billions of dollars into highways, byways, feeder ramps, bridges, roads, and plethora of other autocentric initiatives.

WHAT WE NEED

Transit must deliver people from point A to point B, from home to destination.  One cannot expect people to ride a train to only have to drive the rest of the way home.  For transit to be successful, it must complete the entire journey and service everywhere one might want to go.  Anything else means a failure of  the system, which is exactly what has happened with fragmented transportation systems in South Florida.

Transit systems in Florida are comparable to a one legged table– unable to fulfill their duty due to obvious flaws in the design.  No one legged table will stand just as no disconnected transit system will ever be successful.  If Florida ever hopes to change the autocentric lifestyle of its residents, they must build transit systems with complementary intersecting lines that cover a wide range of destinations, regions and distances.   New York City, Madrid, London, Paris, and tons of other cities around the world do not have dozens of intersecting inner-city and complementary regional transit lines because they look pretty on paper, but because they are essential to a successful system. Every new service line makes the whole system better as a whole by bringing more people into the system. 

Just as with a table, transit must provide all four legs on which to stand on, anything else will mean failure.  Inner-city, suburban, regional, and high-speed long distance trains are all needed legs to connect the cities with the rest of the state.  Just as the network of roads and highways takes a drivers anywhere they want to go, public transportation must to the same.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unless transit is approached with a holistic view, expansion to transit will fail.  This will lead to political and economic ramifications that will make transit less popular and unsuccessful.  Plans for high-speed rail in Florida will hit a wall if trains do not deliver people into complementary regional/inner city systems that complete the destination.  What is the point in hoping on a train from Miami to Orlando, if I have to rent a car once I get over there.  I might as well just drive up there. 

Similar stories will continue to play out over and over again, making the system a failure.  Transit systems in London, Tokyo, or Berlin are successful because they provide an array of complementary services that can take someone anywhere their heart desires, from the smallest town to the largest city.

The truth is Florida needs a new generation of urban planners and leaders — of transit specialists and environmentalists.  Planners at every level have proven to be unable to handle the change needed.  The billions that the state continues to pour into highways are proof enough that those in charge have their priorities wrong.  Reroute the money into sustainable and more economically efficient services that actually contribute to the quality of life in the state.

Every day I meet new, young people who represent this new future.  Those who pushed initiatives such as Miami 21 and the new Bicycle Master Plan in Miami represent the future of a sustainable Florida.  Young minds who think outside the box and walk or bike to work must replace those who cannot see past the windshield of their automobiles. 

I say to Florida, build a complete sustainable and efficient mass transit system.  Spend 10, 20, or 30 billion, whatever is needed to make it happen, such a system will reverberate through our social and urban fabric for decades if not centuries to come.  Investment is needed that will change the lifestyle in Florida — driving everywhere every time is rather ludicrous, expensive, and unsustainable.  A comprehensive mass transit will lay the foundation for a new urbanistically responsive, walkable, and connected future.  It will mobilize a transformation of our buildings into transit oriented development that could revitalize our economy.

Even more importantly, we must change because Mother Nature is mandating it — as the oceans rise it is ordering a change at the helm.  It is saying to us, change or sink! 

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Over the last few weeks, Urban City Architecture has been shedding light on some of the issues affecting pedestrian safety on the streets of Downtown Miami.  Crosswalks in particular have come up lately.  Last week,   the discussion centered on the lack of visibility of marked crosswalks across important intersections and just recently on the inconsistent use of crosswalks throughout downtown.  In autocentric Miami, inconsistent and poorly visible crosswalks create unsafe conditions on city streets — many drivers are just not used to or aware of pedestrians on the street.  Downtown Miami needs clearly visible marking to ensure respect of pedestrian rights.

Fortunately, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has plans to address some of these issues.  The other day I was forwarded the new and approved crosswalk design/pattern for the Brickell Avenue streetscape remake that is scheduled soon.  According to Javier Betancourt at the DDA, the DDA also believes that Downtown Miami needs highly visible, colorful markings to ensure drivers see crosswalk from farther away and stop as required. (Bravo to the DDA!!!)

Interestingly, when this daring and colorful design was first submitted to the Florida Dept of Transportation (FDOT), who owns Brickell Avenue, traffic planners initially balked at the proposal.  Considering it too distracting to pedestrians, traffic planners worried that this crosswalk pattern proposed by the DDA would ‘distract’ drivers and create more traffic. 

I do not know about ‘distract’, maybe ‘alert” is more appropriate.  Regardless, this of course is exactly the point of a clearly visible crosswalk pattern like the one above, and this situation highlights many of the problems with autocentric planners at the state level.  Brickell Avenue and the streets of downtown must not be a fast moving vehicular streets, but rather the heart of a world renown pedestrian destination.  Interstate 95 is only a few blocks down and more than sufficient to handle any automotive fast moving north-south traffic.

With a growing pedestrian base of residents and visitors, slowing down automotive traffic unaccustomed to pedestrians with a highly visible crosswalk is exactly what Brickell Avenue needs.  The crosswalk will clearly outline pedestrian circulation at a distance and as benefit, also serve to provide ‘warmth’ and color to the wide, inhospitable, and ‘cold’ concrete streets.  I applaud the DDA effort to create more livable streets in Brickell!  I look forward to seeing this plan implemented.

Those who choose to drive through downtown, must respect the growing pedestrian landscape of the city.  Those who live in downtown and do not want to deal with slower moving streets should get out of their car, walk, ride the Metromover, and enjoy the wonderful weather outside.

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As Downtown Miami continues to attract more residents and visitors, it is important to ensure that intersections and streets have properly designed and highly visible crosswalks, as well as complementary traffic calming devices.  Unfortunately, current conditions across many of the intersections in downtown show a very different situation.  

Intersections with high levels of pedestrian traffic lack a consistent use of marked crosswalks or other safety features. An Intersection might have a crosswalk across one side of the street, but not on the opposing side — in many cases four way intersections do not have crosswalks on all four streets.  In other intersections, crosswalks are completely non existent, fading, or incomplete across both lanes of traffic.

This situation leads to a condition I call the crosswalk zig-zag.  From street to street, pedestrians walking through the city must alternate sides over and over again to use marked crosswalks.  At one intersection, a person might be required to cross on the south side of a street only to have to cross through the north side at the next. 

For those who like to use crosswalks this is a dangerous, annoying and unnecessary situation.  It forces pedestrians who use marked crosswalks to constantly cut across more streets (back and forth) as they move through the city.  Those who chose not to do so, face a changing and inconsistent pattern of danger across different streets in the city.  In downtown, where streets can reach in upward of five lanes and suburban drivers abound, this is a dangerous proposition — especially along important Biscayne Boulevard (US1).

Such is the case at the intersection of SE 1st St and Biscayne Blvd (US1), where pedestrians crossing US1 are faced by an incomplete crosswalk that creates a crosswalk zig-zag.  The south side of the street (B) is missing a crosswalk on west side of US1 and the north side (A) is missing it on the east side.  In essence, this important intersection does not have a complete crosswalk across both sides of US1.  Pedestrians are therefore given a two unfortunate choice – cross an additional street to get to a crosswalk or dash across a fast moving four lane street. 

Considering that this is right outside both Bayfront Park and Bayfront Metromover Station this is unacceptable.  Any pedestrian exiting the station who walks north and west to the intersection of SE 1st St and the west side of Biscayne Blvd is faced by a missing crosswalk across four lanes of fast moving traffic on US1 (C).  Wanting to go west I have seen people run across this dangerous intersection as traffic approaches after being baffled by the lack of signage.  I have also seen others who actually cross over to the north side of the street to get across US1, only to have to cross back to the south side to continue on.  

One block north at the important and historic intersection of Flagler St and US1 a similar situation happens.  While the south side ofthe street brings you across both lanes of traffic, those crossing through the north side of the street face an incomplete crosswalk (D).  This forces one to dash across the street through an unmarked crosswalk or to cross to the south side of the street (E).  Considering that this street leads into the main entrance and focal point of pedestrian Bayfront Park, this condition shows a disregard for pedestrian traffic and safety.

This intersection also highlights how incomplete pedestrian networks, such as these,  create dangerous problems for a pedestrian on a wheelchair, with a stroller, or someone on a  bicycle.  In many cases, a missing crosswalk also means a missing ramp.  Such is the case at the same intersection of Flagler St and the east side of US1 (Image above).  Any ’wheeled’ pedestrian coming from the west side of US1 (left) is left stranded as the crosswalk and corresponding ramps are missing on the east side.  (D) This means that a mother pushing a baby or an diabled person on a wheelchair  must now cut across an additional unmarked street to get across (E).

Yet again, one can see disregard for pedestrians at the intersection of NE 1st Stand US1.  In this sitaution, the north side has a complete crosswalk (F), and the south side of the street has none at all (G).   

In fact, much of US1 is plagued by this problem. NE 5th St at US1 is a mess and a safety hazard.  So are the streets in and near the American Airlines Arena along the avenue.  The massive river of concrete has few and inconsistent pedestrian crossings.  To make matter worse, even those that are marked, are painted with simple parallel lines that are insufficient to create the visual clarity necessary to slow down fast moving Miami traffic.  In fact, US1 along pedestrian downtown has the same types of markings as US1 along the suburban and autocentric City of Aventura further north.

Time after time, from the south to the north end of Downtown Miami along US1 , crosswalks lack the visibility and consistency to slow down fast moving traffic to ensure a livable street.  Especially in autocentric Miami, where few people are used to pedestrians, this disregard for pedestrians creates an unsafe condition for pedestrians and drivers. 

Unfortunately, as currently designed, the important thoroughfare serves to disconnect city from many pedestrian attractions and the bay, just as the highway in St. Louis serves to disconnect the Gateway Arch and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial from the rest of the city.

Some argue that much of this problem comes from the dissected ownership of city streets throughout downtown Miami.  Some streets are owned by the city, others by the county, and others even by the state.  While agencies like the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the City of Miami are more in tune with the importance of walkable streets, the state and county have a mandate that almost always puts the automobile first. 

In many cases, one can see what the Florida Dept of Transportation was thinking when designing circulation of US1.  It is obvious that missing crosswalks that contribute to the crosswalk zig-zag are a result of facilitating right on red or facilitating turning traffic across intersections.  Such is obviously the case at the intersection of SE 1st St and US1 in the map above.

Still, it is important to understand that a lack of leadership at a local level on this issue has probably contributed to the lack of communication on the streets of downtown.  No group and few activists, like those responsible for the recent resurgent bicycle movement, exist here in Miami — no group exists to ensure the safety of pedestrians on city streets.  A unified approach would be very beneficial to the ‘connected’ streets of downtown – a common goal to rebalance the streets of downtown to accommodate a growing pedestrian base is imperative.  More importantly, an authority is needed that will take up the cause and consolidate plans for circulation downtown.  One that pushes for more balanced streets and a safer and more livable pedestrian landscape. 

Downtown Miami must not be a thoroughfare for fast moving traffic, but rather, a destination and a place to live.  That is why years ago we built damaging and destructive highways through the city, to ensure that fast moving traffic continues unabated.  Interstate 95, 195, and 395, and corresponding interchanges are the proper place for fast moving traffic.  The streets of downtown and US1, the front lawn of the city, are not.  They must be reworked we a focus primarily on pedestrian safety and circulation — to accommodate a growing number of residents.

Fortunately, the DDA is now on top of this issue.  The new Dowtown Developent Authority 2025 Masterplan focuses a lot of attention on the pedestrian realm.  Rebalancing the streets towards the pedestrians after years of autocenteric plan is high on the list.   Biscayne Blvd (US1) would definitely be a good place to start.

Related posts:

1. Walk Miami – More Visible Crosswalk Markings In a previous post I wrote about the disregard for crosswalks by...
2. Walk Miami – Cars and the Crosswalk One of the most frustrating and perhaps dangerous aspects about crossing a...
3. Crosswalk Pattern For Brickell Avenue The other day I was forwarded the new and approved crosswalk design/pattern...

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“We are honored to receive such a prestigious award,” says Don Wolfe, Vice President of NBWW. “The Eden Roc is an iconic and marvelous structure; it was a privilege to be able to provide our own interpretations for the hotel, putting it in top shape for the 21st century and beyond, while preserving its original Miami Modernist style.”

In addition to balancing the demands of modern construction with the renovation and preservation of the Eden Roc’s historic structure, NBWW also added a new 200-room tower that provides guestrooms with magnificent ocean views and gracefully fits in with its neighbor, the Fontainebleau.

Known for renovation work on a number of South Florida’s most legendary hotels, particularly those originally designed by the infamous Morris Lapidus, NBWW continues to create South Florida’s architectural future while honoring its past. In addition to Eden Roc, the Loews, DiLido (now Ritz-Carlton South Beach) and Fontainebleau hotels have all undergone a sensitive historic restoration, with major additions designed with a contemporary/moderne style by NBWW.

Recognized as one of the world’s leading hotel design firms, NBWW has been acclaimed for its work on luxurious five-star resorts. Founded in 1967, the firm has been involved in the design and planning of more than three billion dollars in new construction and renovations encompassing more than 35,000 hotel rooms. NBWW is internationally recognized for its architectural design and planning of luxury hotels and resorts, luxury spas, multi-family residential, mixed-use centers, and high-end office building and retail projects throughout the world.

For more information on NBWW call (305) 443-5206 or visit the website at www.nbww.com.

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Airport City hopes to become an easily accessible shopping and business destination — “to transform the airport not only into a point of transition, but a destination”.  It hopes to create a more sustainable, efficient, and walkable landscape in and around the airport, as well as bring complementary uses that create greater synergy with existing services --  it creates a greater diversity of uses in an around the airport.

Some of the interesting features include a Clean Energy Center, a spacious Cruise Lounge for those connecting to cruise lines, a hotel (Pullman Hotels and Suites), an expansive green roof on existing parking garages, conference business centers, and expanded shopping / boutiques.  Health and wellness centers also offer an interesting opportunity to create synergy with a local educational institution (FIU) and attract national and international health companies.

The following is an amazing video of the project:

About MIA Development Partnership:

In response to the MIA Request, MIA DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP lead by Odebrecht in collaboration with its associates: the Bank of Montreal, Dundee Wealth, Aurion Capital, IMG Aurion Infrastructure, Zyscovich Architects, TYLINN, and the FIU College of Medicine is proud to present a proposal to the Miami Dade Aviation Department for consideration. Airport City @ MIA.

The FIU College of Medicine will lead the creation of a health care center of excellence called FIU Medical City. On this site a complex of concierge specialized health services will be developed. FIU is confident that they can draw to this complex a qualified talent pool of renowned practitioners, who due to their expertise and reputations will draw a national and international patient base. The configuration of planned services will be focused on the following business modules: 1) an International medical center with regular and after hour Primary Multispecialty Care Facility, 2) a Womans Health Center, 3) a Sports Medicine Center, 4) an Ambulatory Surgery Center, and 5) a Diagnostic Imaging Service Center. 

The following are some select images from the video showing the new Intermodal Center and proposed Airport City: 

[[Show as slideshow]]

Overall, the project is quite an interesting idea!  Bringing more uses in and around the airport along new transportation infrastructure will be a huge benefit to this area, the new Intermodal Center, and the transit system as a whole.  Transit will benefit from another tourist / employment center along existing transit lines.  Any expansion of the system, will benefit both parties. 

It is good to see that many unnecessary autocentric surface lots and sprawling buildings will be consolidated into a denser, more livable, and walkable urban environment around the airport.  While the development itself is still disconnected from the rest of the city by highways and the airport itself, this development goes a long way towards creating a diverse transit center that is more livable from within.  This is a noble approach, the development is not an isolated component, it seeks to create synergy with the entire airport — bringing together existing buildings, upgrades, and new buildings / uses to transform autocentric MIA into an “Airport City” within. 

From FIU News:

The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine has been invited by Odebrecht USA to participate in the development and design of an Airport City at Miami International Airport.

The vision for the project is to create a landmark urban center at MIA. For FIU this partnership is consistent with our commitment to community engagement, as it puts our Wertheim College of Medicine at the center of a project that promises to help attract patients to Miami from throughout the world and increase access to health care for local residents. The central location of MIA will become even more attractive as a healthcare hub in the coming years as our community develops a more robust public transportation infrastructure.

Odebrecht USA has completed the Request for Proposal requirements and expects to make a presentation to the Miami-Dade Aviation Department’s Advisory Team on November 13, 2009. On that same day, the Advisory Team will rank the proposals and announce their recommendation. The top-ranked proposer will be invited to begin negotiations with the County in December.  The proposed multi-million dollar project, to be built on several open acres just east of the main terminal, would be privately funded.  This project ultimately would have to go before the Miami-Dade County Commission for final review.

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