Miami Parks and Public Spaces Master Plan

The system of public spaces and parks is relatively small for a city of such a great population. The original concept of connected parks from neighborhood to neighborhood that was in place since the start of the city has been proven to be beneficial when done correctly, but the low number of parks does not allow the system to function properly. The connections between the parks are much too far apart to operate together in a physical system. The city currently faces issues with wanting to focus on and develop more of its signature bay front parks but feels the need to focus more of its attention on families in less affluent parts of Miami. [1]

Although the number of parks is not at its optimum number, the city still tries to emphasize accessibility. The two key aspects to access is location and ease of mobility to the park, through safer streets for walking and biking and more accessible modes of transit. Of even greater importance is accessibility of parks for children and seniors specifically. Children use parks for organized sports and active pastime and seniors are able to maintain health through healthy exercising and recreation. Also, they demand a higher standard of safety en route to these parks. [1]

Figure 1. Private building along Brickell Ave. with public plaza to follow zoning ordinance of area

Figure 2. Latin Quarter Plaza between residential areas and bigger public parks and areas

Aside from recreational parks, the city also has a number of open areas for public use, like plazas. There are zoning ordinances along some streets in Miami that require an area of public access. For example, code 5.8.1 in the Miami 21 Zoning Ordinance says that buildings in zone CI-HD must have a public plaza and walkways to provide pedestrians a way between two parallel public streets. In downtown, there are many private business buildings and institutions that, by the zoning ordinance, must have a public plaza or widened sidewalks for the public. Figure 1 shows a private building on Brickell Avenue that has a large area for public use. These plazas downtown often are used as rest or lunchtime places for workers or any pedestrians. With proper planning of these spaces, being safe, visually appealing, and well designed, they become a popular attraction to those walking by and working in the area. Some of these plazas may be much bigger, running between buildings, serving as a public leisure areas and a connection between different areas of the city. Figure 2 shows the Latin Quarter Plaza, a large public area connecting neighborhoods to other parks. [1] [2]

In planning for the future of parks and public spaces, the plan focuses on nine specific key points [1]:

Balancing Acreage and Access

One of the goals in this section is to have a park at most half of a mile away from any residential area. Parks provide residents with the opportunity to be around green space on a daily basis and also promotes physical wellbeing. It also wants to balance the number of passive and active parks based on the demographic and preference of the area, where some families are more interested in unorganized activities such as walking or playing in fields, while others prefer organized sports and recreational events

Preserving and Enhancing Existing Parks and Open Spaces

The existing system of parks in Miami is not very extensive; however, there are many parks that have been undermanaged due to a lack of operational funding over the past several years. These parks must be revitalized and restored before acquiring new land for parks because the city also values environmental protection. A handful of parks are zoned as “conservation” where any development is quite restricted, but the rest of the parks are zoned as “parks, recreation and open space” which can essentially be used for any number of public spaces, such as recreation, entertainment, community facilities, and more.

Expanding Resources Without Acquiring More Land

The idea here is to have specific areas of the city to serve more than one purpose for its residents. For example, Miami’s Woodlawn Park Cemetery also is used as an open green space for the surrounding neighborhood. The plan also discusses the potential for church and schools to allow public access to their land for recreation and green space.

Acquiring Land for New Parks and Open Spaces in Underserved Areas

In order to meet the long-term future goal of having a park at most a quarter mile away from every neighborhood, new land has to be acquired to be turned into parks. The city can address the acquisition of land in a number of different ways. One of the more feasible options is to convert public lands that have no current use into parks. There are small patches of land that overlook Biscayne Bay with space for benches and railings to complement the water and landscape. Another interesting idea is to acquire the lands of unused parking lots, as underground parking becomes more accessible and popular, and to convert them into larger parks. In the end, the city has to find economic ways to acquire land to meet their goals.

Figure 3. Woodlawn Park Cemetery with a walkway for public access to greenspace and nature

Making Access Real Through Strong Connections

As previously address, the city values the public spaces working collaboratively as a system; however, even after meeting the goal of the greater number of parks, it would still not be a system without connectivity. Two larger projects are the Baywalk and the Riverwalk, which are pedestrian friendly walkways that embrace the natural beauty surrounding the city. The city also wants to implement more “greenways” which essentially is planting more trees along sidewalks to provide shade for pedestrians.

Make Miami’s Park System the Country’s Greenest and Most Sustainable

One way to keep the park system environmentally friendly is to conserve resources and energy, reduce greenhouse gases, and eliminate toxins during the development and maintenance of new and existing parks: the installation of turf fields can decrease maintenance costs and water usage; the use of herbicides and pesticides on real plants and grass will help green spaces stay in better condition; using sustainable materials during construction will minimize the environmental impact of projects. In addition to the city’s goals of sustainability, Miami also has an abundance of plants and birds throughout the entirety of the city. Greenways, addressed in the previous section, is a way that the city thinks can help the infrastructure of the sidewalks but also promote and benefit the native birds by providing them with a canopy and inhabitable space. The city, of course, wants to embrace the wildlife throughout and avoid harm any way possible.

Every Park System Needs Many Friends

In order for projects and plans to be carried out, community boards, community members, and public and private organizations must partner together for support and for funding of these improvements. The park system is in development to support and serve the residents, so without their partnership, there would be no direction in terms of necessities and preferences in a given area. Most importantly, the park system needs a partner to assist in drawing in the public and raising funds. Although the city has several public organizations that help with the development of specific parks, they have yet to partner with one who assists in overseeing the entirety of Miami’s park system. Strong partnerships have proven to be extremely successful throughout the country, with the Central Park Conservancy in New York, the San Diego Friends of Parks and Recreation Foundation, and many more.

Improving Management and Operations

During the development of this master plan for the parks and public spaces of Miami, the Parks and Recreation Department also set a long-term vision: “to serve all of the residents of the City of Miami by providing safe, clean, and wholesome recreational, educational and cultural activities in order to promote a sense of community” (97). The department is to figure out what kinds of services it can offer to the community and to individuals, whether it be safety, increasing property values, recreational activities, and more.

Diversifying Funding for Capital Operations and Program Improvements

The funds that the Parks and Recreation Department receives from the city, the county, and other grants and donations shall be budgeted in two fields: the addition of new parks, and the maintenance, operation, and programming of existing parks. Raising money to create new parks is easier than for improving existing parks, but as stated earlier, Miami must focus on improving existing public spaces. These hard to acquire funds can come from taxes, fees for facility use and special events, donations, and grants. In the end, the city must focus more of its money into areas in public space planning that is not sufficiently funded. Portland, Oregon dedicates almost 10% of its money to the park system while Miami, in 2005, dedicated just over 3%.

Sources:
[1] The City of Miami Parks & Recreation Department and Planning Department. Miami Parks and Public Spaces Master Plan. http://www.miamigov.com/planning/docs/plans/MP/Parks_Master_Plan.pdf. May 2007.
[2] http://www.miami21.org/PDFs/May2015-VolumeI.pdf

Images:
Figure 1: The City of Miami Parks & Recreation Department and Planning Department. Miami Parks and Public Spaces Master Plan. pg. 41. http://www.miamigov.com/planning/docs/plans/MP/Parks_Master_Plan.pdf. May 2007.
Figure 2: The City of Miami Parks & Recreation Department and Planning Department. Miami Parks and Public Spaces Master Plan. pg. 42. http://www.miamigov.com/planning/docs/plans/MP/Parks_Master_Plan.pdf. May 2007.
Figure 3: The City of Miami Parks & Recreation Department and Planning Department. Miami Parks and Public Spaces Master Plan. pg. 71. http://www.miamigov.com/planning/docs/plans/MP/Parks_Master_Plan.pdf. May 2007.