Presentation on the environmental impact of Miami's urban sprawl and some ideas to improve

1. Unsustainable Miami

2. Intro
• Miami suffers from urban sprawl and
unsustainable growth
• Current growth threatens three unique
habitats
– Pine rockland
– Everglades
– Coral reef
• Some ideas for future sustainable
development

3. Current Environmental Issues
• Miami and the rest of South Florida continues
to expand and push further into the
Everglades
• Remaining Pine rockland forest inside city
boarders are cut down for new development
• The coral reef off the coast is dredged to
accommodate larger ships

4. The Everglades
• The Everglades boarders Miami on the West
• A large portion of Everglades is protected by
The Everglades National Park and other parks
including Big Cyprus National Preserve
• Remaining Everglades is unprotected and
open to development

5. The Everglades
• Between Everglades National Park and Miami
is a buffer zone
• Buffer created by Miami’s Urban Development
Boundary which defines Miami’s outer city
limits
– Urban Development Boundary can be extended by
vote
– Since 1973 Miami has expanded 36,000 acres

6. The Everglades
• Everglades is important habitat and valuable
resource
• Everglades is home to many threaten and
endangered animals including:
– Florida Panther
– American Crocodile
– Wood Stork
• Everglades is source of fresh water for South
Florida

7. The Everglades
UDB seen from space – image from Google Maps

8. Pine Rockland
• Pine rockland is a rare forest type existing only
in South Florida and the Caribbean
• Only two percent of original forest remains
• Forest outside of protect parks under threat
by developers
• Recent development plan to cut down 140
acres of Pine rockland to build Wal-Mart and
other stores

9. Pine Rockland
• Pine rockland is home to a number of
threaten species found in no other habitat
• Threaten species include:
– Bonneted Bat
– Atala Hairstreak butterfly
• Atala Hairstreak butterfly will be on
endangered species list by end of 2014

10. Pine Rockland
Atala Hairstreak Butterfly – taken at Porter-Russell Pineland

11. Coral Reef
• Off Miami’s East coast is coral reef
• A portion of reef is currently being dredged to
accommodate larger ships into Port of Miami
• Scientist have recently discovered very
resilient corals living in dredging zone which
may hold clues to saving coral world wide
from global warmining

12. Coral Reef
Dredging at Port of Miami – seen from Google Maps

13. Coral Reef
Dredging at Port of Miami – seen from Google Maps

14. Environmental Impact of
Unsustainable Development
• Loss of rare coral that could be important to
saving coral reefs that are dying around the
world
• Loss of rare pine rockland habitat and the
animals unique to the habitat
• Continued loss of Everglades habitat and the
animals unique to the habitat
• Pollution from vehicles

15. Economic Impact of Unsustainable
Development
• Traffic congestion reduces productivity
• Ruin habitat that is valuable for tourism
(scuba diving in the coral reefs, visitors to
Everglades)
• Costs of health impacts from air pollution
• Loss of jobs / business from companies that
don’t want to locate in a city with urban
sprawl and inadequate infrastructure

16. Ideas for Sustainable Development
• Stop expanding Miami’s Urban Development
Boundary
• Continue to develop existing spaces / build up
instead of building out
• Fill in massive open air parking lots with
parking garages and additional buildings
• Zone more areas for more multi-use
development instead of single use

17. Ideas for Sustainable Development
Example of open air ground parking in Miami – seen from Google Maps

18. Ideas for Sustainable Development
• Improve current bus system making dedicate
bus roads
• Expand current rail system
• Integrate bus and rail system