Turning Miami-Dade Green

Miami-Dade

Scraggly canal banks transformed into scenic public pathways. Tree-shaded, pedestrian-friendly ‘’greenways’’ replacing barren streetscapes. Bikeways and walkways linking far-flung neighborhoods to local, state and national parks. An inviting public space — park, natural area, cultural or recreational facility — within a safe, five-minute walk of every resident.

Miami-Dade County will roll out an extraordinarily ambitious parks and open-space master plan that aims over the next half-century to re-green and reconnect a community that has spent much of the previous 50 years carving up and paving the natural landscape.

‘’This is probably the single most important thing that Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation has been involved in in decades,’’ said County Parks Director Jack Kardys. “It really is about leaving a legacy for the community.’’

The plan, approved last month by the County Commission, lays out new principles to guide development not only of parks and public places, but also streets and sidewalks to encourage more people to walk and bicycle.

‘’The idea is to create a community in a garden,’’ said Maria Nardi, special projects administrator for the parks department. “The moment you step out of your house, you’re in the parks system.’’

Among its most ambitious elements: a 40-mile-plus bike-able loop along Southwest 328th and 344th streets in far South Miami-Dade, connecting Biscayne and Everglades national parks, and a vast north-to-south recreational and ecological zone along the eastern edge of the Everglades.

The plan will be the focus of a county parks summit Friday at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, in which national experts will discuss how parks and public spaces act as catalysts for community revitalization.

Will Rogers, president of The Trust for Public Land, which has worked with Miami and Miami-Dade on greenways and access plans along the Miami River and Biscayne Bay, said communities across the country have seen similar park initiatives improve the quality of life for residents—and the local economy.

Source: Miami Herald