Goal 5: Promote adaptive neighborhoods and buildings

Miami Forever Climate Ready Goal 5

City of Miami’s population is expected to grow 4% annually and with that comes billions of dollars in private investment to grow the City and support new residents. This development can bring great opportunities to the City, especially if the City has a clear vision for its future growth. The establishment of Miami 21 in 2008 laid a strong foundation, guiding the City’s evolution with the tenants of New Urbanism and Smart Growth. However, now the code and other policies that helped shape our diverse neighborhoods need to be updated to reduce environmental impacts and risks, and to meet current and future changes in how people seek to live, move, work, and play. In order to thrive in the face of climate change, a growing population, and a rapidly evolving economy, we must proactively regulate and incentivize development that will allow all Miamians to thrive, and to effectively and creatively achieve our resilience and sustainability goals.

OBJECTIVES

  • Objective 5.1: Develop policies and regulations to reduce impacts of extreme heat, flooding, and storms as well as promote sustainability Citywide.
  • Objective 5.2: Incentivize development that allows residents and businesses to adapt and thrive under changing environmental, political, and social conditions.
  • Objective 5.3: Integrate resilience, sustainability, and equity considerations into large development projects.
Plan icon
 
PLAN

development of a document or gathering of information intended to inform future initiatives

Policy.png

POLICY

update or addition to a City policy or standard

Program.png

PROGRAM

creation or refinement of an on-going initiative that typically serves external stakeholders

Project icon

PROJECT

a one-time initiative to develop a specific deliverable

Protocol icon

PROTOCOL

revision or addition to the standard operating procedure, practices, or operations of a City department

Type

Action

Lead(s)

Partners

Plan

In the Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) process, update the Miami Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan (MCNP) to take into account updated Peril of Flood data and analysis, population projections, and address mobility and housing affordability. Updates should include promoting moderate to high density development along transit corridors in areas less susceptible to flooding, protection of natural systems that attenuate coastal hazards, and provisions for housing at all income levels. Draft adaptation elements to reduce risk exposure.

Planning

DERM, ORS

Program

Develop and begin implementation of a plan to reduce City’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) Score below a 5, which will further decrease flood insurance rates for City property owners.

Building

OCI, ORS, RPW

Protocol

Increase enforcement of existing requirement for buildings over 50,000 sq. ft. to be LEED certified or equivalent.

Building

ORS, Planning

Refine application and review process for Special Area Plans (SAP) and development on City-owned property to mandate engagement with surrounding community, evaluation of impacts on community and public infrastructure, and negotiation of public benefits.

Planning

OCI, ORS, Parks

Type

Action

Lead(s)

Partners

Plan

Conduct a pilot adaptation action area planning study in Little River andShorecrestarea. This would synthesize drainage study, resilient redesign and other previous studies, coordinate with multiple agencies in the development of a comprehensive adaptation plan for the area that would include a timeline of infrastructure improvements, land use policy updates, and programs for assisting property owners with their adaptation plans.

Planning

ORS

Policy

Work with County to update on-site drainage requirements and enforcement procedures to reflect increasing flood risks and diminished drainage capacity with sea level rise.

RPW

Building,ORS, Planning,RPW

Review the Bounce Forward 305 - Resilient Urban Land Use Essential Guide and develop recommendations and timelines for new policies and updates to the Miami Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan and Miami21.

Planning

ORS

Codify Adaptation Action Areas (AAAs) in Miami 21. AAAs are areas that experience coastal flooding that are specially designated to help cities creatively adapt, which can include financing options such as transfer of development rights or implementation of impact fees.

Planning

OCI,ORS,RPW

Advocate for changes to the Florida Building Code and participate in the voting process to further strengthen flood risk mitigation and energy and water efficiency measures.

Building

Government Affairs, ORS

Update City code to increase penalties for illegal dumping and littering. Improve capacity for surveillance and code enforcement.

CityAttorney

CC,DoIT, SW

Conduct an analysis of existing and potential impact fees (e.g. stormwater and multi-modal transportation) to ensure that it accurately reflects increasing costs due to climate change.

Planning

CFO, OCI, RPW

Expand Miami 21’s sustainability requirements in Article 3 and add-in resilience concepts.

Planning

Building,ORS,RPW

Project

Work with regional partners to develop private property assessment tools and inventory of adaptation financing options for different existing building types such as affordable multifamily, large commercial, small commercial, single family, and historic homes.

ORS

Building,CBOs,HCD,MDC, Miami Beach,Planning,universities

Protocol

Develop a 5 year re-inspection program for all on-site drainage systems to ensure systems are still functional and prepared for future sea level rise. Establish contingency mechanisms for when a site can no longer handle on-site drainage.

Building

RPW

Type

Action

Lead(s)

Partners

Policy

Update requirements for green space and permeable materials in Miami21 for various building types and locations to meet needs for increasing drainage capacity on-site.

Planning

CC,ORS

Type

Action

Lead(s)

Partners

Plan

Ensure every resident is able to access a park within a 10 minute walk by preserving and enhancing existing natural areas and expanding Miami's overall park space from 7% to 15%. Use Trust for Public Lands' analysis to inform and prioritize locations for new park acquisition.

Parks

DREAM,OCI, RPW