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In Miami-Dade, our beloved natural environment is the cornerstone of our present and future prosperity. Our environment drives our thriving tourism economy, and the health of Biscayne Bay and the Everglades is inextricably linked to our community’s health and wellbeing and our ability to ensure future generations can live and thrive here[1].
We know that the health of Biscayne Bay, which contributes $64 billion to our economy annually, has reached a critical tipping point due largely to aging infrastructure and pollution. The incredible lifestyle we enjoy – and the reason millions of visitors from around the world travel here every year – marked by afternoons on the beach, respite from urban life in the Redland, boating in Biscayne Bay, and unmatched natural beauty, is threatened by these stressors. The fragility of our lifestyle – and our access to clean water through the precious Biscayne aquifer – is often laid bare during storm events or even sunny day flooding.
At the same time, as our population has grown, our infrastructure has not kept pace with this growth. Miami-Dade is considered to be the most rent-burdened community in the U.S. and approximately 60% of residents spend more than 30% of their income on housing. 20% of family budgets goes toward transportation costs, the highest in the nation[2].
As our County continues to grow and to attract new residents, visitors, and investment, it is essential that we protect our environment while ensuring smart growth. What do we mean by smart growth? We need growth that is sustainable and ensures our long-term quality of life. The impacts of uncoordinated growth include worse traffic gridlock, decreased water quality across our bay and drinking water supply, the loss of agricultural and sensitive environmental land, and the shifting of public dollars to support undeveloped areas where building new infrastructure is cost-prohibitive, rather than investing in neighborhoods already fostering jobs and experiencing growth.
As developable land becomes more and more scarce, it’s increasingly important that we make strategic choices that safeguard our unique environment and irreplaceable natural resources while investing in the housing, transit and infrastructure our neighborhoods need to thrive, creating good-paying jobs, and supporting economic growth.
For nearly 50 years, the Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP) has served as our County’s guiding document for guiding growth, including transportation, housing, land use, and more. The CDMP also establishes the Urban Development Boundary, or UDB.
While the UDB may seem like an arbitrary or invisible line, it serves an important role in maintaining the delicate balance that allows us to continue living and prospering in paradise. It ensures that we can weather the storms, both literal and figurative, by protecting our fragile ecosystems and ensuring that new housing is built close to transportation infrastructure. It also directs jobs to areas that are well supported by infrastructure, near existing population centers – creating opportunities that our residents can access.
The County is now preparing to undertake a seven-year update to the Comprehensive Development Master Plan as required by state law. This process will go deeper than in years past as we address critical questions regarding housing affordability and availability of land, a comprehensive review of the existing Urban Expansion Aera (UEA) and Urban Development Boundary, and how best to further protect our vulnerable environment from uncontrollable development. As I do often, I believe in engaging directly with the public and bringing stakeholders from across sectors to study the issue, and offer concrete recommendations.
This is a pivotal opportunity to engage with the public about how to continue growing Miami-Dade sustainably for the future – and I am committed, as always, to engaging directly with the public and bringing stakeholders from across sectors to study the issue and offer concrete recommendations. To gather input from across our community, I will be convening a Task Force, which will be charged with conducting a public outreach initiative including an series of community town hall workshops.
The stakes for how Miami-Dade grows have never been higher and the decisions we make today will have lasting impacts for generations to come. Your vision and your voice can help us to chart the future together. You can learn more and find upcoming meetings in your area here.
[1] 2023 SFWMD Biscayne Bay Economic Study
[2]https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article309945955.html#campaignName=miami_morning_newsletter
