Eyes on the Rise: Reimagining Miami with Higher Sea Levels

Despite the scientific consensus and the evidence released in IPCC reports on climate change, I was overwhelmed by the number of Miami residents I encountered (in the university classroom!) last summer, who are unaware or in denial that sea level rise will alter their lifestyles in the foreseeable future. But who can blame them when the skyline has nearly doubled in size in the last few years, mostly paid for by South American wealth! It doesn't help either that the state governor, Rick Scott (R), forbids the use of the term 'climate change' in government legislation or that environmental impact assessments to build new nuclear energy infrastructure along the South Florida coastline does not account for flooding related to sea level rise.

While glaciers melt, the ocean threatens the city's infrastructure, not only from the eastern and southern sides of the peninsula, but also from below. Saltwater 'intrudes' into the aquifer, threatening the city's sole source of ever depleting drinking water, at least until we figure out a way to bring down the costs of desalinization.  It also bubbles up from below, preventing the city's stormwater from being flushed out. The South Miami Mayor, Phil Stoddard, had me over for an early dinner one rainy summer afternoon. He took me out to his yard (see Jack Black's video) to show me what this looks like. He has a small well in his yard, and you can see the saltwater is just a meter below the surface. The water table rises with each major rain event. He told me he's even seen fish swimming in the lawn when the water table gets really high.

Meanwhile, every King Tide or heavy storm, the pumps overflow and the streets of Miami Beach and Downtown become an urban saltwater swamp. Miami Beach's residents know what is up; that's why Mayor Levine of Miami Beach, has managed to garner political support to invest in road raising and sewage pumps to buy the city time, perhaps 20-30 years? He also has close ties to real estate interests-- Levine's friends would hate to see million dollar investments lost in the form 'stranded assets'. This, in addition to a relatively strong tax base, given that Miami Beach is advantaged by being one of more densely populated areas of the city, propel Levine to engage in cautious climate change adaptation.

Road raising on Miami Beach 

The Mayor of Miami Dade County, Carlos Gimenez, is faced with an obvious decision of upgrading the city's basic infrastructure to enable a decent quality of life. But he has yet to give the green light to the water and sewer department to upgrade infrastructure. Considering the last mayor lost the election due to his plan to raise tariffs (yes, most Floridians despise paying taxes, even if it's to guarantee even a basic quality of life), Mayor Gimenez is concerned about taking a bold step for his city. He could choose to reallocate funding  (which is currently being used irresponsibly) towards upgrading the county's network of sewage pumps run by the County's Water and Sewer Department (WASD). This infrastructure does not meet the Army Corps of Engineer's standards of adequate infrastructure, leading to illegal  discharge of sewage into the ocean well above the EPA's clean water limits. Environmental NGOs like Miami Waterkeeper have been among the few to challenge the WASD on this matter through recent lawsuits.

Gimenez might even consider moving the most vulnerable sewage treatment plants further inland, a highly costly investment. I personally would place priority on the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant on Virginia Key, a barrier island which is very visibly experiencing erosion and is prone to severe storm surge flooding. You can see below in the GIS analysis how it is fully submerged in the case of a 100 year flood. A local geologist, Hal Wanless, doesn't even believe this site could withstand a medium strength hurricane, let alone a 5 ft. projection of sea level rise.

A GIS analysis some team mates I conducted to resemble the impacts of sea level rise on Miami Dade County's infrastructure, including the core infrastructure (sewage pumps) and institutions that support economic vitality in the city 

Based on a site visitation and analysis, the Sea Level Rise Toolbox App, provided by Florida International University's GIS Department, and a local area contour map, a few classmates and I built this model of sea level rise on Virginia Key. We had to reimagine how people would experience the island in 2075 (assuming a 6 ft. sea level rise scenario). This involves thinking about new modes of transport as current modes of access to the island (i.e., the Rickenbacker Causeway) become obsolete. Perhaps we will finally begin using ferry transportation? Maybe, instead of walking through the island on boardwalks and along the sandy dune paths, people will have to use canoes and kayaks to experience the heritage and natural aspects of the island. Perhaps, viewing towers on stilts will become the new attraction?

An art piece displaying Virginia Key in 2075   

The land surface on which the Central Wastewater Treatment sits becomes an island

This thought experiment got me thinking of how communities around the world live with water, from the coastal areas that have adapted post-Sandy to the stilt villages in Borneo and Venezuela. The concept of low impact design sounds warm and fuzzy, but considering what I am about to express next, we may also have to consider large-scale technological innovation spurred by water management consultants like Arcadis and technical universities at home and abroad. Some ideas circulating include sprays that act as a water-resistant membrane to form a protective layer between new constructions and the ground. We might also follow the example of the Dutch, who have engineered their way out of flooding and are always experimenting with novel construction mechanisms that might enable us to 'colonize' the ocean and enjoy a floating utopia lifestyle. Perhaps Miami can just copy Dubai. While I don't agree with these quick fix solutions, they are something to think about, especially since coastal cities around the world will all be dealing with similar threats. But we can't forget that South Florida's unique topography and geology makes it particularly vulnerable.

Sketches of low impact design observation towers for a flooded Virginia Key

3D models of designs for a flooded Virginia Key - a ferry terminal? an observation tower? 

For the rest of the city, which is zoned for relatively low density, 'village governments' don't have enough of a tax base to justify infrastructure upgrades. Now imagine that insurance companies stop insuring homes-- is there such a thing as climate change insurance? When a major event hits, who will pay to restore these neighborhoods? After that (assuming the rate of sea level rise is rapid and no infrastructure upgrades have been made to the rest of this stormwater infrastructure), Greater Miami, a region of 4-5 million, becomes unlivable. Our city is maybe the second or third city in the continent with the most other languages spoken other than English-- it is a city of immigrants, many of whom came here very recently. What happens when you have to depopulate an area of people who have already experienced exile or displacement in the last 50 years, either from Haiti, Cuba, or Venezuela?  Where will they go? These might be the first North American climate refugees. These are the cultural considerations of climate change; Miami will become the frontline.

Disclaimer: the photos featured above display a mix of individual and/or collaborative work

The Role of Impact Assessment for Infrastructure Planning

After hearing from Dr. Michelle Angeles, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) expert at TU Delft and the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, I was reminded of the complexity and importance of mitigating adverse social and ecological effects of infrastructural improvement projects while taking advantage of the positive ones. Even a bicycle path project, which may seem to have good intentions, can produce negative impacts. Through impact assessment, these effects can be controlled so that noise pollution and other impacts from construction and waste are held to a tolerable level. The decision on where to place infrastructure can also produce hostility from those using or living nearby the site, especially if their daily life patterns are suddenly changed; for instance, through a traffic detour, expropriation of certain land parcels, or disturbance of wildlife and plant habitat.

Project managers must realize that effects from a project are not only direct, but also indirect, and often cumulative. Interactions occur, and uncertain consequences ensue. Thus, the process of impact assessment amounts to valuing not only economic outcomes and other predictable outcomes and impacts but also positive and negative social and ecological ones. Developing a problem tree, often used in the evaluation phase of development projects, can be a helpful exercise. Mediation and negotiation with involved or impacted stakeholders also enhance the planning and construction process to ensure more desired outcomes. Although this incremental process can be slow, repeating stakeholders' concerns to stakeholders who disagree with a project due to its impacts can clarify underlying fears by those stakeholders about the project. This could lead them to reconsider their negative opinions on a project to avoid excessive NIMBYISM. In addition, the impact assessment process requires one to value not only monetary outcomes, but also consider the positive social and ecological ones. For example, a project that may have an unquantifiable social benefit of health and wellbeing or an overall cost reduction in health-related expenditures.

Sustainable Safety and the Dutch 'Just Do It' Attitude

The Dutch are well-known for having one of the safest roadway systems, especially for cyclists. After hearing from various professionals in road safety planning and engineering at the Rotterdam Hoge School and SPOV (Institute for Roadway Safety) in the Hague, I learned that the application of a systems approach to road safety has helped the Netherlands bring down its road accident-caused casualties to a more acceptable level. What stands out with this approach, is that attention is heeded to the mistakes road users can make, an approach that has evolved in the last few decades of traffic analysis and planning. Instead of 'blaming the victim' in a traffic accident, by assuming them to have somewhat deviant behavior, roadways are made as safe as possible through infrastructure and maintenance. In addition, we heard from some roadway psychologists, who emphasize behavioral studies as necessary in order to create an environment where people are less prone to getting into accidents.

In Holland, in order to make roadways safer, particularly for cyclists, experimentation the credo the ultimate way to find out what works and what doesn't. "Just do it" is the credo the planners go by in Rotterdam and the Hague. In order to see if a street could become safer to cyclists and to slow traffic, Dutch traffic facility planners might go ahead and eliminate a portion of the road (without planning too far and advance) and witness the outcome. If the results are good, then the change could become permanent. 

Neighborhood Design around Delft: Visits to Oost Tanthof and Delfgauw

Today we had the chance to get acquainted with Dutch urban form at a neighborhood scale while visiting Oost Tanthof and Delfgauw, residential areas of Delft, by bike. The Oost Tanthof neighborhood dates back to the 1980s, while Delfgauw, an area developed in the 90s which continues to functionally serve the Delft municipality. The latter consists of a higher-income demographic and more modern architecture. Unlike most of the residential areas of the United States and Canada, these Duch neighborhoods do not privilege sprawling development and autocentrism. Oost Tanthof enables circulation throughout the neighborhood and connectivity to the rest of Delft by supporting multi-modal mobility through walking, cycling, and bus transit. Delfgauw displays half automobile/ half bicycle infrastructure.

Lack of side friction in a typical American residential street encourages speeding. In addition, few sidewalks and bike paths and few services/ places within close proximity to go limit walking or cycling. 

 Tanthof applies the slow streets concept through speed bumps and the narrowing of streets, also known as 'road dieting'

Tanthof resembles the village-like built environment upheld by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and works as an admirable example of a 'walkable, sustainable community'. Notice through the photos how much attention is paid to diversity of housing types, mixed- use development, greenery, and modest density to accomodate families and senior citizens alike. Schools, shops, and recreational facilities exist within close proximity (1-10 minute walking distance) from homes. Although the central shopping strip did not contain much variety, with only a Jumbo supermarket, bakery, and hair dresser in sight, to name a few, it surely fulfills the basic needs for those living nearby. For more choices, residents can easily bike to central Delft.

Clearly, planners tried fitting in multi-family housing into as small land parcels as possible, without overwhelming the area with density and threatening its tranquil, residential character. Blocks are kept short and permeable through narrow walkways between housing developments. Traffic calming techniques are also applied through small speed bumps and road narrowing. Roads rarely impede connectivity, as leveled walkways connect buildings to each other-- for instance, at a school and an apartment building.

 Duplexes enable land use efficiency but the private entrances and backyards resemble those of a detached home. Privacy and density increases are reconciled by enabling a bit of room for backyard space with good access to natural green space. 

Shopping trips can be made most conveniently by bike, as few car parking spots are available and travel distances are kept to a minimum.

Narrow walkways enable pedestrian flexibility across the neighborhood and adhere to human scale 

The Emerald development in Delfgauw harbors more modern housing and a shopping mall-like center, with a few essential stores, like a bakery, large grocery store, hair salon, and some other specialty shops. The community felt less mixed use, as the shopping center was centralized, perhaps explaining why the neighborhood lacked some vibrancy. Nonetheless, the neighborhood still ensures walkability and bikability. Although the parking lot size and form resembled that of a typical American supermarket's, Emerald's lot could be accessed by bikes through ramps and contained sufficient bike racks.


The development contains a range of housing typologies. Some blocks had large enough lots for semi-detached duplexes and row housing with room for parking in front and back gardens. These 'houses' had their own entrances and could be accessed from both the front from the street and back from a narrow walking path. In this sense, it resembled a hybrid of an American suburb with the density of an old English suburb. Apartment complexes also existed nearby. The mixed demographic mirrors the diverse housing types: children, older couples, and young teenagers and students all frequented the streets of this neighborhood. In terms of traffic patterns, this neighborhood, although slightly less bike friendly and more car friendly, felt safe to cycle around and drivers were always cautious and yielded to us as we crossed roads on our bikes. Thank the speed bumps and narrow streets, which slow vehicle speeds, as well as Dutch laws which hold drivers fully accountable for any accidents.

For more information on cycling and traffic culture in the Netherlands, read here

The Emerald shopping center parking lot resembles that of an expansive American parking lot, with the exception of bicycle transport accommodation

The Emerald's mid rise development with rather green frontages and car parking offset further from homes to make room for a sidewalk at the entrance.

Sustainable Community Systems in the Netherlands: First Impressions from Delft

I attended a Critical Mass communal bike ride a few years ago. The event called "Go Dutch" ended with volunteers handing out t-shirts with the slogan "Get in touch with your inner Dutch". This all makes sense after visiting Holland, especially for the second time. The Netherlands boasts one of the most advanced cycling, water transport, and rail infrastructure systems, worthy of admiration by European municipalities and world cities alike.

Upon entering the Netherlands this time around, I was surprised by the proximity between cities. In fact, these cities make up an urban agglomeration comparable to Paris and other major European metropoles. Amsterdam, the Hague, Delft, Leiden, and Rotterdam can all be reached within an hour and half train ride of each other. When I went to Delft, what stood out most for me was how human-scale the neighborhood is; biking and walking comprise the dominant forms of transport.  As a planning and urbanism student, I noticed how the small scale architecture fits well with the small scale (although expansiveness) of the road network, but I wonder how much had to be adapted to the cycling. Each municipality is connected to others through the waterways and rapid bus and cycling transportation infrastructure.

One of my primary interests in the field of planning is gender mainstreaming within urban landscapes through design. Many cities, especially North American ones, do not consider the needs of women and children, especially with regards to safety and well being. Through Holland's bike system, engaging in risky behavior like riding a bike on a busy road full of cars isn't necessary. Thus, Delft's infrastructure does not limit women and children's mobility in the city. In addition, other safety considerations are taken into account, for example, the strong surveillance of bike parking facilities and separated bike paths (differentiable by pavement surface type and color). Delft offers a sound model of feminist planning in practice. 

Below are some highlights from today's bike tour of Delft: 

An advisory path that enables cyclists, pedestrians, and vehicles to share the road, but cyclists are still given preference. This ensures that cyclists remain the dominant form of transport and  These road networks are part of a larger regional network across the northern-eastern Netherlands and Germany. 

A woonerf, the Dutch word for "living street" creates a car-free residential zone and fosters a pleasant neighborhood experience. It is quiet, surrounded by greenery, and safe for play and recreational activities for families and individuals from all age backgrounds. At the same time, it is accessible to commercial use areas and transportation hubs like the Delft Central Station. 

A well-designed covered bicycle parking facility at the Delft Central station ensures that bikes can be parked safely and conveniently. It alleviates messy bike parking and cluttering of bikes on the streets, which would otherwise inconvenience other cyclists and pedestrian. Electronic monitoring helps keep track of how many bike parking spaces are available. To save space, bikes can be 'parked' on two levels. The facility is video-monitored and well-lit to ensure "eyes on the street".