NEW URBANISM AND SMART GROWTH AS A FRAMEWORK FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN HIALEAH, FL
By
GUILLERMO DE NACIMIENTO III
A TERMINAL PROJECT PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
2015
© 2015 Guillermo De Nacimiento III
I dedicate this to my family.
A special feeling of gratitude to my loving parents, Guillermo and Maria De Nacimiento, Who have always supported my education, And inspired me to strive for my goals. Your words of encouragement and push for tenacity ring in my ears. Thank you for being my number one supporters, My advocates and my confidants through this lengthy journey … I love you FOREVER!
To my sister and grandmother, Herlinda Lombardi and Herlinda Viera, My second mothers, my guiding light, And a shining example of how to live my life. Thank you for your support and guidance!
Last but not least, To my brilliant, outrageously loving and supportive wife, Heidrys De Nacimiento. And our exuberant, sweet, and kind-hearted little boys, Guillermo and Giovanni De Nacimiento And the apple of my eye, my sweet baby girl Giuliana De Nacimiento. Thank you for the inspiration, Just know that I did it all for you!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to thank my committee members who were more than generous with their expertise and precious time. A special thanks to Professor Stanley Latimer, my committee chairman for his countless hours of reflecting, reading, encouraging, and most of all patience throughout the entire process. A big thank you to Dr. Kathryn Frank for agreeing to serve on my committee and for taking time during her travels to read through my draft and provide her much appreciated feedback. Another special thanks to
Dr. Ferdinand Lewis for his guidance and words of encouragement during my toughest times in this “marathon” of a degree. I would like to acknowledge and thank the
Department of Urban and Regional Planning for allowing me to conduct my research and providing any assistance requested. Finally I would like to thank all of my professors, mentor-teachers and administrators in my program that assisted me with this project. Their excitement and willingness to provide feedback made the completion of this research an enjoyable experience.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...... 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... 5
LIST OF TABLES ...... 7
LIST OF FIGURES ...... 8
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...... 10
ABSTRACT ...... 11
INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE ...... 13
Historical Overview ...... 14 An Immigrant Enclave ...... 17 The City of Progress ...... 19 Problem Statement ...... 20 Description of Study Area ...... 21 Existing Conditions ...... 23 Street Network and Walkability ...... 26 Planning and Zoning ...... 28 Civic Capacity and Engagement ...... 30 Why Revitalize Downtown Hialeah? ...... 30 Smart Growth and New Urbanism ...... 32
LITERATURE REVIEW ...... 36
Importance of Downtown ...... 36 Sprawl: Cause and Effect ...... 37 Revitalization through the Years ...... 38 Downtown Revitalization Strategies ...... 39 Effects of Redevelopment ...... 41 Pedestrians, Transit & Equity ...... 43 Criticisms of Smart Growth and New Urbanism ...... 44 What is SWOT? ...... 46
METHODOLOGY ...... 47
Overview ...... 47 Case Studies ...... 47 City of Asheville, North Carolina ...... 48 City of Greenville, South Carolina ...... 49 City of Lakewood, Colorado ...... 50
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City of Guelph, Ontario ...... 51 City of San Antonio, Texas ...... 52
FINDINGS ...... 55
The Overlap: Smart-Urbanism? ...... 55 SWOT Analysis of Downtown Hialeah ...... 59 Strengths ...... 59 Weaknesses ...... 60 Opportunities ...... 61 Threats ...... 62 Findings from Case Studies ...... 65 Benefits to the Community ...... 67
CONCLUSION ...... 70
Recommendations ...... 71 Funding Options ...... 72 Develop for Mixed-Uses ...... 74 Attract Employers ...... 77 Expand Access to Transit ...... 79 Improve Pedestrian Safety ...... 84 Enhance Public Perception ...... 89 Remediate Brownfield Sites ...... 91 Citizen Participation ...... 93 A Framework for Urban Planning ...... 94 A Compact Walkable Urban Center ...... 95 A New Urbanist Community ...... 96
LIST OF REFERENCES ...... 99
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ...... 106
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LIST OF TABLES
Table page
Table 1- Historical Population ...... 19
Table 2 –Ten Principles of Smart Growth & New Urbanism ...... 35
Table 3- Overlap in New Urbanist & Smart Growth Principles ...... 58
Table 4- Ten Most Densely Populated Cities with a Population over 200,000 ...... 63
Table 5 - Population comparison of Hialeah and 3 other major cities ...... 64
Table 6. Criteria and Fundamental Components for Success ...... 71
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure page
Figure 1- Projection of the town of Hialeah (1922) ...... 14
Figure 2- Hialeah Park Race Track photo (1925) ...... 15
Figure 3- Image of Downtown Hialeah & Miami River (1920) ...... 17
Figure 4-Miami Dade County Showing Hialeah, Miami & Highways ...... 21
Figure 5-Map of Study Area ...... 21
Figure 6- Image of Two Tallest Building in Downtown Hialeah ...... 22
Figure 7- Image of Typical Commercial Strip in Downtown Hialeah ...... 23
Figure 8- Images of Several Abandon Lots in Downtown ...... 25
Figure 9- A Faded Crosswalk in Downtown ...... 26
Figure 10- -Image of Narrow Sidewalk in Downtown ...... 26
Figure 11- Images of a Super Market and a Shopping Center in Downtown ...... 27
Figure 12-Land Use Map of Study Area ...... 28
Figure 13- Images of the CBD before & after proposed developments ...... 75
Figure 14. Rendering of a Mixed-Use Development proposed for Miami ...... 76
Figure 15. Rendering of a Mixed-Use Development ...... 77
Figure 16- Available Lots showing CBD & Deer Park Neighborhood ...... 78
Figure 17- Rendering of central terminal using Google Earth & Sketch Up...... 81
Figure 18- Aerial View of Park and Proposed Location of central terminal...... 82
Figure 19- Proposed Trolley Routes & Stops ...... 83
Figure 20 .Proposed Express Routes from Transit Stations ...... 84
Figure 21.Complete Street Design ...... 85
Figure 22-Recommended Sidewalk Width ...... 86
Figure 23-Recommended Crosswalk Width ...... 86
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Figure 24- Recommended Lane Width...... 87
Figure 25- Example of Curb Extension...... 87
Figure 26- Rendering of Pedestrian Bridges Connecting Hialeah to Miami Springs ..... 89
Figure 27- Streetscape Improvements ...... 89
Figure 28- Artwork for Branding ...... 90
Figure 29. Brownfield Area Map showing Study Area ...... 93
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
BRT Bus Rapid Transit
CAC Citizen Advisory Committee
CBD Central Business District
CDBG Community Development Block Grant
CRA Community Redevelopment Agency
EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency
FDOT Florida Department of Transportation
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
FRA Florida Redevelopment Association
GIS Geographic Information Systems
HTA Hialeah Transit Authority
HUD United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
LIHTC Low Income Housing Tax Credit
MIA Miami International Airport
MDT Miami Dade Transit
NMTC New Market Tax Credits
SFRTA South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
SSBCI State Small Business Credit Initiative
SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
TEA Transportation Economic Assistance
TIF Tax Increment Financing
TND Traditional Neighborhood Development
TOD Transit-Oriented Development
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ABSTRACT
A Terminal Project Presented to The Graduate School of the University of Florida In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Urban and Regional Planning
NEW URBANISM AND SMART GROWTH AS A FRAMEWORK FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN HIALEAH, FL
By
Guillermo De Nacimiento
August 2015
Chair: Stanley Latimer Co-chair: Kathryn Frank Major: Urban and Regional Planning
According to the United States Census Bureau, the City of Hialeah is the fifth- largest city in Florida and the tenth most densely populated city in the country among cities with a total population of greater than two-hundred thousand. On paper, the city has the makings of a major city –population density, geographic advantage, a successful industrial sector, etc. –with the exception that it lives in the shadow of another major city. The City of Hialeah is in the Miami Metropolitan Area, and therefore barely exists as an independent city nationally in the eyes of many people.
Due to this national anonymity, the city’s downtown area faces competitive challenges and disadvantages. Economically, the downtown Hialeah area has struggled to capture the growing market of a hard-working and diverse community. Physically, the downtown area has never had the attributes of a typical downtown. It doesn’t have any skyscrapers, no convention center, no large parks, no memorable skyline; this is in large part due to the fact that the City has had to contend with the magnetism of Miami.
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Essentially, most of the City’s urban fabric is made up of an auto-oriented landscape (favoring cars over pedestrians), with large parking-lots, wide avenues and narrow sidewalks, dominating the scenery. Despite its deficiencies the City has the opportunity to redevelop its downtown. This goal is not at all far-fetched; in fact it’s only exacerbated by the area’s potential. Many communities across the country have successfully redeveloped or revitalized their downtowns, in cities with much less potential and social capital than Hialeah. As such, these communities have transformed their blighted downtown area into vital centers of economic growth and social interaction.
This paper focuses on the strategies of both New Urbanism and Smart Growth that can be used to revitalize Hialeah’s downtown area into prosperous business district and a vibrant civic center, bustling with activity and investment. This paper examines case studies of cities that have successfully revitalized their downtown area while implementing Smart Growth and New Urbanist principles. The methodology used for this study consists of existing case studies, GIS data collected from government websites, U.S. census data, and field visits by the author. A SWOT analysis is used to identify the advantages and deficiencies in the study area. The findings and recommendations developed in this research will serve to inform and enhance policies aimed at the successful revitalization of Hialeah’s urban core.
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INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE
The downtown, of any city, is the area of greatest concentration of urban activities, reflected in the region’s greatest land value and tallest buildings – the focal point of the city and regional transit systems; an area where large numbers of people gather to work, transact business, exchange ideas and products, shop, and enjoy first- class entertainment. Basically, this is a potential area, which is the most accessible to a large population, attracting establishments and offering specialized products as well as services. Equally, it is the center of a wide variety of activities and leadership within the city – the economic health of the city and region significantly depends on the strength of this area. Currently, it acts as an image by which the entire region may be judged, hence its future, attributes, and amenities should be equally important to the city, the metropolitan area, and the region (Katz and Lang, 2005).
The continued decline of many downtown activities has stimulated an interest in revitalization by both the public and private sectors – especially the business community with an economic stake in the downtown. This decline in the downtown’s living also afforded much prosperity and growth for suburban areas. Indeed, this decay of urban life began around the 1960s, exacerbated by the rise of the affordable automobile and the constant construction of new commercial and residential developments in suburban areas. Subsequently, many of the often neglected urban centers lay in ruins due to the level of decentralization, which created a high-rate of urban and office sprawl. This urban/office sprawl facilitated the relocation of residential and professional developments across the nation, from the traditional urban centers to newly established suburban areas – this ultimately resulted in a sharp decline in property values and cost of tax revenue within the downtown areas.
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Historical Overview
The City of Hialeah was incorporated in 1925, touted as the “Gateway to the
Everglades,” it had the distinction of being the first town west of the City of Miami, as well as the first town in the north-west area of Miami-Dade county (then Dade County).
The native-Americans living in the area gave the city its name which translates to
"High Prairie", which conjures-up an image of serene grassy plains that seem to be never ending. In fact, for the native-
Americans the area served as a marketplace, as they returned from the
Everglades they would set-up shop on the banks of the Miami River and “display their wares for the new comers of Miami” Figure 1- Projection of the town of Hialeah (1922) – Source: Florida Photographic Collection (Bramson, 2008). This “High Prairie” on the edge of the Everglades eventually caught the eye of two investors Glenn H. Curtiss and James H. Bright, who saw great potential for the area as a commerce center – due to its location on the Miami River (Bramson,
2008). Glenn Hammond Curtiss, considered the “Father of Naval Aviation”, saw great potential in the high-flat lands for establishing airstrips for aviation research and activity.
James H Bright was a wealthy cattle rancher from Missouri, who saw the area’s potential for diary faming (Bramson, 2008). The foresight of both of these pioneers greatly impacted Hialeah, as Bright’s dairy farms brought commerce and industry into the area. Curtiss’ airfields brought the attention of many aviation companies, including the United States government, to Hialeah and eventually giving the area national
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attention from investors (Bramson, 2008). Their legacy has left an indelible mark on the city, today the city boasts a thriving aviation sector – as Hialeah is located between
Miami International Airport & Opa-Locka Executive Airport – and dairy farming continues to be a major industry for the city (Bramson, 2008). Even in the early 1920’s
Hialeah was a popular place to be, due to its location near the Everglades, as well as the available sports betting venues, such as: Jai-alai, greyhound races and eventually
(and most notoriously) horse racing (Bramson, 2008).
In 1925, the Hialeah Park Race Track (see figure 2) opened its doors and ushered in an era of national attention for Hialeah. Nicknamed the "Grand Dame.", the park’s architecture, tropical setting and resident pink Flamingoes, in addition to the thrill and excitement of horse racing, brought visitors from all corners of the nation and the world to Hialeah (Bramson, 2008). The park was a national sensation from the very start, considered one of the elite thoroughbred racing parks in the nation, the park quickly became the “Jewel of Hialeah” (Bramson, 2008). The park attracted millions of tourists, including several U.S. Presidents, International dignitaries and a plethora of “A- list” Hollywood celebrities – some of the reputed names to be spotted attending races include: the Kennedys, Harry Truman, General Omar Bradley, Winston Churchill, and
J.P. Morgan (Bramson, 2008).
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Figure 2- Hialeah Park Race Track photo (1925) – Source: Florida Photographic Collection Today, the park has the dual distinction of being “an Audubon Bird Sanctuary due to its famous pink flamingoes and being listed on the National Register of Historic
Places” (Bramson, 2008).
The image of Hialeah as a playground for the elite was transformed into that of a working-class community with the arrival of two groups: World War II veterans and
Cuban exiles (Bramson, 2008). From 1946-1950 many of the veterans that were stationed in Hialeah during the war, for training, found their way back to Hialeah after the war ended. Their arrival added 15,718 new residents, this represented a 397% population increase from the previous census in 1940. The arrival of these new residents to the area, also signaled a shift in the demographics of the area; the town went from a sleepy, mostly seasonal, upper-class population of 4,000 to a predominantly middle-class city of over 19,000 (US Census Bureau, 2012).
The next group of arrivals that greatly impacted Hialeah was Cubans fleeing
Fidel Castro’s revolution in Cuba. Cuban exiles came in several waves of immigration throughout spanning four decades. The first wave lasted three years from 1959-1962, during which time the city’s population spiked to 66,972 – a 240% increase (US Census
Bureau, 2012). This wave of Cuban exiles was dubbed the “Golden Exiles” due to the
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large number of wealthy and highly professional individuals (i.e. doctors, lawyers, businessmen, educators, scientists, etc.) (Engfer, 2005). Three more waves of Cuban refugees followed in the coming decades: the Freedom Flights from 1965–1970 (53% population increase), the Mariel Boatlifts in 1980 (41% population increase), and the
“Balseros” or raft-people of 1990 (29% population increase) (US Census Bureau, 2012).
Figure 3- Image of Downtown Hialeah & Miami River (1920) – Source: Florida Photographic Collection An Immigrant Enclave
The “Golden Exiles” formed an immigrant enclave of ethnic solidarity, based less on social status and more on language and exile status, which facilitated assimilation to
American life. This first wave of Cuban exiles essentially absorbed the arrival of subsequent waves of immigrants not only from Cuba, but from across Latin America.
The immigrant enclave made it possible for newly arriving Hispanics to gain access to the physical and the cultural capital necessary to prosper in U.S. (Grenier and Perez,
2003). In particular, there were three economic components of this enclave were crucial to the success of Hispanic immigrants; the first was rotating credit associations that provided loans based on informal associations and reputation rather than requiring collateral. The second component were informal benefits versus lower wages, as many workers were trained on the job, received rapid promotions and later were helped in
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establishing their own businesses; the third component was the ethnic solidarity amongst immigrants, which transcended economic and contractual ties (Grenier and
Perez, 2003). Hispanic immigrants looking for work, benefited from the geographic concentration of Cuban businesses, as they did not need to speak English in order to get a job. The geographic concentration of Hispanics in Hialeah also benefited the business owners as they were close to their ethnic clients and a Spanish-speaking labor pool (Grenier and Perez, 2003). This was a formula for success, as Hialeah’s Hispanic
–owned businesses were not limited to the periphery but entered the mainstream of the
American economy and were in direct competition with Anglo-American businesses.
Ultimately the enclave economy that came to dominate Hialeah created what is considered to be the most economically successful immigrant enclave in U.S. history.
Today Hialeah is the only American industrial city that continues to grow (Bramson,
2008). Essentially, it was the arrival of two very different populations –WWII veterans and waves of Cuban refugees –that ultimately changed the social fabric of Hialeah.
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The City of Progress
The city grew at a faster rate than most of the ten largest cities in Florida since the 1960s (see table 1) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). Today, Hialeah is a major city within Miami-Dade County and the South Florida region. It is the second biggest city in the County, the fifth-largest city in the state, and the tenth-largest city in the country in terms of population density (U.S. Census
Bureau, 2013). The city is also ranked as the tenth-largest public employer in the
County for 2014, providing over eighteen- hundred jobs (The Beacon Council, 2014).
Just to add an interesting fact to the overall story, according to Forbes magazine,
“Hialeah it is the densest American city in terms of population not to feature a skyscraper” (2010). Table 1- Historical Population - Source: U.S. Census Bureau
The City of Hialeah is a significant commercial center in Miami-Dade County. The city’s economic prowess is more evident on Forty-Ninth Street, the geographic center of the city, also called “Palm Springs Mile”, this shopping district is host to number of national retailers, such as: Starbucks, Target, Best Buy, Kohl's, Walmart, Lowe's, and
Home Depot. Furthermore, there are several businesses that were established in
Hialeah and are wildly successful in the region, such as: Navarro Pharmacy, Sedano's
Supermarkets, Pollo Tropical, and Miami Subs (Cusack, 2012).
In terms of transportation, Hialeah is served by Hialeah Transit Authority (HTA),
Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) – with several bus routes and three Metro Rail stations (an
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elevated heavy-rail rapid transit system) – and the South Florida Regional
Transportation Authority’s Tri-Rail System ( a tri-county a commuter rail line linking
Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties) with two stations in Hialeah.
Problem Statement
Hialeah, the fifth-largest city in Florida (by population), and the tenth-largest city in the United States in terms of total population and relative population density (US
Census Bureau, 2010), has all the makings of a major city with the exception that it lives in the shadow of another major city. Indeed, this city is in the Miami Metropolitan Area, and therefore barely exists as an independent city nationally in the eyes of many people. Due to this national anonymity, Hialeah faces competitive disadvantages and challenges. Economically, downtown Hialeah struggles to capture the growing market of a hard-working and diverse community. There was once a time when the city was considered a significant commercial space, which offered shopping centers where many people once went out of their way to shop. However, today many of the remaining businesses in the city are small retail stores, with little to no foot traffic. In this connection, this research examines and evaluates the downtown area of the city
(Hialeah) and details regarding how New Urbanist design and Smart Growth policies can help to revitalize the area, based on best practices taken from case studies involving towns of similar size cities, whose populations mirror those of this location.
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Description of Study Area
Regionally, Hialeah is located in the Northwest Suburbs, approximately 8 miles northwest of Miami – just north of Miami International Airport. Basically, U.S. Highway
27 (Okeechobee Road) travels along the south–southwest side of the city, with Florida
State Road 112 (Airport
Expressway) to the Southeast, and Florida State Road 826
(Palmetto Expressway), on the west (see Figure 4). As such, the city has a geographic advantage, in that it has direct access to all major highways in Miami Dade County –truly living up to one of its original slogans: “All Ways Lead to
Hialeah" (Bramson, 2008).
Figure 4-Miami Dade County Showing Hialeah, Miami & Highways –Map by Guillermo De Nacimiento The downtown Hialeah area is bounded by Ninth Street to the north, East Fourth
Avenue to the east, Hialeah Drive to the south, and Okeechobee Road to the southwest
– with Palm Avenue its main road, dividing east from west Hialeah (see figure 5).
Importantly, the Central Business District (CBD) is an enclave district located within the downtown area, consisting of 11 blocks. Additionally, the site benefits from excellent
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access from two major roadways – the northwest/southwest U.S. 27 corridor and the
Hialeah Drive east/west corridor. Both of these roads provide high exposure to local motorists and to even a greater extent, a high flow of traffic from Miami.
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Figure 5-Map of Study Area – Map by: Guillermo De Nacimiento Existing Conditions
The existing land-use of the area is primarily low-density commercial, mostly mom-and-pop shops, and medium density residential. Fundamentally, most buildings in the area are two to three stories in height, built in the 50’s and 60’s, with Figure 6- Image of Two Tallest Building in Downtown Hialeah - by: Guillermo De Nacimiento
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the exception of four relatively newer buildings, which range from 10 to 14 stories tall
(see figure 6). The architectural styles are similar throughout the area; Palm Avenue and Hialeah Drive (the two main commercial business districts in the downtown area) are lined with typical commercial strips (see figure 7) with a parking in the front and the building set towards the back of the lot. Moreover, the area is free of any memorable features, and is only active during business hours –as there is insufficient lighting, which makes for desolate streets at night; which gives the impression that the area is not safe, despite the fact that the area has a low-crime rate in relation to neighboring communities.
Figure 7- Image of Typical Commercial Strip in Downtown Hialeah -by Guillermo De Nacimiento Generally, the study area consists of a group of small businesses and several out dated shopping centers – the area lacks cohesion amongst building types and styles.
Pedestrian are separated from storefronts by a parking lot-dominated landscape.
Additionally, a lack of maintenance to the exterior of most buildings, in combination with a supply of vacant lots (see figure 8), makes the area look more run-down than it actually is; Moreover, the buildings are set back from the property line and are not defined by cohesive building facades. Ultimately all these factors only serve to lower
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property values and diminish the public’s perception of the area, which in turn, drives away possible investors.
Figure 8- Images of Several Abandon Lots in Downtown - by Guillermo De Nacimiento
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Street Network and Walkability
The street layout in Hialeah is grid-like and has its own numeration separate from that of the rest of the county. In addition, the street- use is primarily vehicular and extremely auto-oriented
– although the city has attempted to create bike lanes, they are excessively inconsistent and there is a lack of bike awareness and safety signage.
Essentially, Downtown’s street network lacks both pedestrian and bike path connectivity hence walking through the area is a difficult task. Also, lighting is Figure 9- -Image of Narrow Sidewalk in Downtown -by: Guillermo De Nacimiento placed to serve motorists, not pedestrians. Although there is on-street parking, but it does little to safeguard pedestrians from traffic and only serves to truncate the width of the sidewalks. Moreover, the area lacks the pedestrian amenities that other successful downtowns have, such as: street furniture, adequate lighting, complete sidewalk network, public space, and parks. Sidewalks and crosswalks
are inadequate in many places; most
sidewalks are too narrow (see figure 10);
crosswalks are few and far between, and
many times are faded to the point of being
indistinguishable (see figure 9). Further,
cyclists, similar to pedestrians, are Figure 10- A Faded Crosswalk in Downtown – by Guillermo De Nacimiento underserved by a lack of bicycle parking and marked routes through the area and into surrounding areas.
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In this regard, the mostly vacant, large parking lots of the area’s shopping centers have come to dominate landscape in downtown. The existing parking lot layouts encourage automobile use above all else, as vast parking lots cut pedestrians off from the store’s main entrance and are grossly underutilized most of the day (see figure 11).
Figure 11- Images of a Super Market and a Shopping Center in Downtown -Source: Google
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Planning and Zoning
The City of Hialeah Planning and Zoning Department is in charge of keeping an updated Comprehensive Plan, setting out policies and recommendations for future growth and development of the city. In regards to zoning, the area is not currently zoned for mixed-uses; the downtown, and CBD, are mainly zoned residential with few commercial zones (see figure 12).
In terms of revitalization, the planning department has realized that there is indeed a problem with the downtown area and that some changes would have to be made in order to successfully revitalize the area. The changes included designating the downtown/CBD area an Enterprise Zone, meaning that the downtown/CBD is an impoverished area, which offers incentives such as tax concessions to encourage business investment and job creation for residents. The planning department has also designated the same area as a brownfield area, which is defined as a contiguous area of one or more brownfield sites; this designation also incentivizes development and investment in the area. Another change includes a switch in the directional flow of traffic for two of its major streets, from one-way to two-way streets. One-way streets are great if only want to channel traffic through downtown, but they are bad for pedestrian activity and retail opportunities. Palm Avenue and East First Avenue, the major north-south thoroughfares in the downtown area were switched to two-way streets, to create a more comfortable pedestrian environment and subsequently increase property values. These are all positive steps in revitalizing the area; however, the department stopped there and focused its attention on other projects on the fringe of the city. These projects include annexation of unincorporated land north-west of the city and the redevelopment of an industrial park near an underutilized commuter train station in south-east Hialeah.
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Figure 12-Land Use Map of Study Area – Map by: Guillermo De Nacimiento Civic Capacity and Engagement
According to the Encyclopedia of Governance, civic capacity is defined as the
“capacity of residents in a community to become active citizens and to work together to solve collective problems and of communities to encourage such participation in their members” (Letki, 2007). In light of this, there is currently an established Citizen
Advisory Committee (CAC) in Hialeah that includes the downtown area, however, this committee is not exclusively for the downtown area; it includes a much larger area and many times downtown issues are looked over or underrepresented. Also, public meetings are held on a monthly basis, on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at
City Hall, which is great as public meetings encourage citizen participation. However, if we were to use Sherry Arnstein’s, Ladder of Citizen Participation (1969) –an eight rung ladder with each rung corresponding to the extent of the citizen's power in influencing a final outcome – to gauge the current level of participation, despite the CAC and public meetings, the participation level would be placed at the fifth rung. This rung is described as Placation, in which citizens are not actually given any kind of authoritative power, and although citizen participation is occurring at a higher level, it is still not completely genuine in terms of engagement. The citizens are provided access to one-way communication, given surveys or have opportunities to attend hearings, or perhaps even sit on planning boards, but their collective authority is limited.
Why Revitalize Downtown Hialeah?
As previously stated, the downtown Hialeah area was once considered a significant business and retail district, which people went out of their way to visit. The entire area is in dire need of redevelopment and has the potential to be the vibrant and
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lively as it once was – creating a CBD befitting the fifth largest city, in the fourth most populous state of the nation. For many years, downtown Hialeah had a special place in the minds of “Hialeahans” – Fond memories of colorful Veteran’s Day parades down
Palm Avenue to Veteran’s Park. Equally, there were lively days at the Flamingo Art
Street Festival on Palm and festive nights at the Hialeah Fair in Hialeah Park; the countless shopping trips spent gazing at storefront displays, and pleasant strolls along bustling pedestrian-crowded avenues. However, throughout the years, those traditions have disappeared from this area and relocated to areas on the fringe of the city.
This is not a scenario unique to Hialeah, throughout, America downtowns have drastically declined while development has flourished and thrived in suburban areas.
The urban decay that maligned countless urban centers throughout the 1960s and
1970s was exacerbated by the constant construction of commercial development on the fringe of major urban centers and the dominance of the automobile (Bright, 2000). This level of decentralization created a high growth of residential and professional relocation into the suburbs – something which has increased the decline in property value and cost of tax revenue within urban areas. Other common indicators of urban decay such as abandoned dilapidated buildings, vacant lots, and an underwhelming presence of pedestrian activity are easy to spot. Equally, urban decay is typified by statistical indications such as increased crime rates, high unemployment, poverty concentration, and job relocation.
The Hialeah downtown district represents an “opportunity area” because it is strategically located at a prominent place in Miami Dade County, adjacent to Miami
International Airport (MIA) and near every major highway in the region. Furthermore, the
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area is already served by basic urban infrastructure and has a significant city-wide population with 242,749 residents with nineteen percent of the population living within a one-mile radius of downtown (US Census Bureau, 2013). Despite a strong population density and strategic location, the area has been gradually declining in its benefit to the neighborhood and community at large. As such, revitalizing this city would be renewing the sense of civic pride that was once instilled in all residents of the area. Equally, revitalization will renew the community by increasing community involvement and citizen participation. With a healthy downtown and CBD, the area could spur new business developments and stimulate the housing market, which would increase the local tax base, create much needed jobs, and increase occupancy rates. Ultimately, this would equate to new investment opportunities that will rehabilitate empty buildings and drastically reduce the rate of sprawl. As previously mentioned, Hialeah’s urban center had been considered a significant commercial space which offered shopping centers where many people once went out of their way to shop. But today many of the businesses in the town remain failing small retail stores. However, through Smart
Growth policies and New Urbanist design, the downtown area can be revitalized to the urban center it once was.
Smart Growth and New Urbanism
Essentially, Smart Growth is a policy-based and incentive-based movement that appeared in the 1990s. The aim of this movement includes the need to boost wiser infrastructure investments, widening reinvestment opportunities, and to protect open space in central cities. Many of the policies in Smart Growth give emphasis to the location, population density, and inter-relationships of the intended land-uses, for instance developing affordable housing around transit. Additionally, Smart Growth
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strategies provide useful guidelines for preparing municipal plans, establishing policy and incentives for necessary development and/or reviewing development projects. The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), defines Smart Growth as a combination of development practices that support national environmental goals by protecting critical habitat and preserving open spaces as well as parkland. Equally, these combination of development practices assist in promoting brown field redevelopment; improving transportation choices, including bicycling, walking, and transit, which decreases emissions from automobiles; and decreasing impervious cover, which increases water quality and reduces storm water runoff. In this connection, states and regions across the
United States, Maryland, the Atlanta region, and South Florida area are experimenting with Smart Growth policies as a way of bringing urban sprawl to an end (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 2006).
New Urbanism is mainly a set of principles for urban design that recommends ways of organizing and designing the plan of a community –encompassing the design of buildings and surrounding spaces as well as transport networks that serve them.
Basically, a number of New Urbanism principles incorporate Smart Growth guidelines and principles of sustainability. However, urbanism obtains its roots from the lineage of
American city planning, including the regionalism of Lewis Mumford and the Progressive
Era town planning. The concept of urbanism started as a more design-focused model called neo-traditionalism since much of the design called upon historic town plans and architecture – lately, much emphasis on New Urbanism has been put on form-based codes that signify the ways of achieving New Urbanism. Essentially, New Urbanism
“draws upon strong graphic images that visualize the future appearance of town plans,
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streets, and buildings, in which case many New Urbanism principles are implemented
through zoning ordinances, form-based codes and new development plans, and have
influenced overall community plans” (Kushner, 2002).
There are basic principles of Smart Growth and New Urbanism that can be used
as guidelines when planning the revitalization of an area (see table 2).
Smart Growth Principles New Urbanism Principles
Mix land uses Walkability Developments offer a mix of uses and Most needs within a 10-minute walk; Street services: Housing, Retail, Employment, design is narrow with lots of trees, on-street Schools, Government offices, etc. parking/ parking garages. Compact building design Connectivity Buildings should be clustered and the amount An interconnected street grid disperses traffic impervious surfaces reduced and encourages walking. Mixed-Income Housing opportunities Mixed-Use and Diversity Creates more stable, diverse, and equitable Neighborhoods offer a mix of shops, offices, & mixed-income neighborhoods housing, for a mix of incomes, cultures & races Walkable neighborhoods Mixed Housing Encourages healthy lifestyles, social Zoning allows the close proximity of a wide range interaction, and intermodal transportation of housing types, sizes, and prices. Foster communities with a strong Quality Architecture and Urban Design sense of place Buildings emphasize beauty, aesthetics, and A way of enhancing identity, growing property comfort and establish a sense of place; public values, enhancing civic capacity spaces function as civic art. Preserve open spaces Traditional Neighborhood Structure Provides recreational opportunities & protects Neighborhoods with definite centers and edges, bio-diversity with public spaces near the center.
Reinvest/ Strengthen existing areas Increased Density a means of controlling urban sprawl, Buildings, residences & services are close revitalizing older communities together to make walking more convenient. Provide various forms of transportation Smart Transportation Increase the mobility of residents and it A network of high-quality public transit connects reduces the number of cars on the street the city center to the region Fair & cost-effective development Sustainability A means of attracting quality developers in The use of eco-friendly technologies to minimize any economy effects on the environment.
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Citizen/ stakeholder Participation Quality of Life Encourages citizen participation & helps Providing places that enrich, uplift, and inspire provide political stability the human spirit.
Table 2 –Ten Principles of Smart Growth & New Urbanism - Table by: Guillermo De Nacimeinto Through a review of New Urbanism and Smart Growth principles, this paper
discusses the various strategies that are important in revitalization of a downtown and
those that are adverse to growth. Based on existing research, case studies, and the
discussion of various findings, the paper concludes with recommendations on how to
revitalize downtown Hialeah, while employing New Urbanist & Smart Growth principles.
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LITERATURE REVIEW
The literature review begins with an emphasis on the importance of downtown areas to their city as a whole before providing a brief history of how downtowns have deteriorated throughout the years, as well as how they have been revitalized. Equally, the review continues with an examination of how redevelopment has affected the revitalized areas and the new urbanist and Smart Growth initiatives considered pertinent to stimulating social equity, neighborhood improvement, and citizen satisfaction. In the
Findings chapter of this paper a SWOT analysis will be conducted, therefore, a brief review of what a SWOT analysis is and how it’s conducted will conclude the literature review.
Importance of Downtown
Downtowns play a critical role in the health of most freestanding small cities in the United States and constitute a sizable share of a city's tax base – often more than any other district in the city – as well as the site for major public investments over the years (Bright, 2000). Because downtowns are generally the oldest area of a city, much of the community’s history is also there; subsequently, downtowns tend to embody the heritage of a community. For generations, the downtown of countless cities across the nation, serve as the “traditional gathering place for parades, festivals, celebrations, and other community events” (Bright, 2000). Perhaps most importantly, the image projected by the downtown area is intertwined with the area’s identity. As such, taken together, these factors clearly demonstrate that the downtown represents the heart and soul of most small cities (Bright, 2000).
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Many cities have seen the downtown area affected by commercial and residential developments throughout the suburbs, which have resulted in the rise of abandoned properties, poverty, and segregation. Given the cultural and historical value of downtown areas, certain cities have started to engage in revitalization programs, which will gentrify the region. Additionally, many people want to know the best approach for this process but it must be noted that every city is unique and therefore every potential process used in vitalizing an urban area is unique.
Sprawl: Cause and Effect
Throughout the twentieth century, blue-collar employees lived in or near downtowns in order to walk to industrial jobs; whereas wealthier families relocated to the railroad suburbs to avoid the increasing pollution and noise. Essentially, Levittown, found on the Long Island, set the model of postwar suburbs with curved streets and cul- de-sacs, necessitating the use of automobiles so as to reach amenities (Cooper 2004).
Equally, zoning regulations from the1960s secluded retail and businesses from residences and were highly useful in the course of the period since staying near manufacturing jobs was harmful to health. Nevertheless, recent technologies to lessen noise and pollution have rendered this split-up quite needless. Present-day policies that encourage sprawl include transportation planning, prohibitive zoning codes, and mortgage loaning practices that pay no attention to high costs of transportation from edge cities (Litman, 2005). Prohibitive policies make it hard to reuse or infill space in present neighborhoods – making it more lucrative for developers to construct new neighborhoods in suburban areas (Cooper 2004).
The problem of sprawl is getting more attention around the United States and “is characterized by low density development that rigorously separates residential uses
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from other land uses – is also dependent on automobile transportation to connect the separate uses” (McElfish, 2007). Additionally, the sprawl problem downgrades urban neighborhoods and urban school districts, contributing to the decline of the urban core.
Ultimately sprawl perpetuates economic segregation, as poverty becomes isolated in inner cities, and better schools and employment opportunities created in the fringe of urban areas (McElfish, 2007).
Essentially, the flourishing economy of the late 1990s led to the rise in home prices more than twice the proportion of price increase, this created an affordable housing crisis for low and medium income people (Arigoni, 2001). Similarly, in the year
“2000, the National-Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) reported that there was not a locale in the United States where a full-time minimum-wage earner could afford fair- market rent for a two-bedroom apartment” (Arigoni, 2001). On top of housing problems, there are many environmental problems that are a direct result of sprawl, such as: increased traffic congestion, air pollution, and flooding due to the removal of run-off absorbing elements that are natural (Cooper 2004). Moreover, the development of open spaces also decreases biological diversity and high quality farmland (McElfish 2007).
Revitalization through the Years
From the 1960s, the federal government began to develop programs whose purpose was to solve the problems of downtown areas, and although some programs were successful, many created adversely affected urban centers by indiscriminately demolishing older (historic) structures and entire neighborhoods in some cases, displacing many families and forcing them to move out of the area. This left behind a population of disadvantaged individuals, those who could not move out, primarily the elderly, the disabled, and the poor (Bright, 2000; Faulke, 2006). Consequently, these
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renewal programs were considered to be a failure in many cities where neighborhoods were removed and families displaced. In essence, the failed efforts by the federal government renewal programs cultivated an atmosphere of hostility and discouragement among private and public sectors – with whom were now turning away from the traditional city center (Kemp, 2001).
It was not until between 1970 and 1980 that certain cities began to take on revitalization programs on a local level. After two decades of displacement and migration out of the city, community participation in local government began to implement revitalization programs. In addition to improving conditions, these projects are aimed at encouraging economic development in the affected regions. Hence, downtowns are supposed to be centers of business and culture but the growth of residential and commercial suburban areas has contributed to their decline of downtown areas. Similarly, revitalization programs can improve business in touristic level attraction to downtown areas, restore and improve infrastructure within downtown areas, improve the entertainment and properties, and retain businesses (International Economic
Development council, n. d.). In this regard, it is apparent that these initiatives are designed to create a more attractive environment in the downtown area to enhance the return of businesses and residents.
Downtown Revitalization Strategies
Leinberger (2005) explains that revitalization programs are meant to bring more residents and employment to an area by attracting more businesses, which in turn increases the money flow into the region. Basically, low business activity has often stressed out downtown areas; but with full participation from municipal services in the downtown areas, businesses, and residences can thrive. Due to the economic, social,
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and physical problems of a neglected downtown area, gentrification programs such as the aforementioned, act as an asset by improving community development (Persky &
Wiewel, 2000). Besides, the economic potential associated with revitalization programs for downtown areas will not only bring the region back to life, but will also restore the cultural and economic aspect of the community (Tyler, 2000). In the “Downtown
Improvement Manual’, Berk (1976) makes it clear that prior to setting up a plan, it is imperative that a location perform an assessment of their problems and their potential.
This is because redevelopment strategy for a downtown community relies upon the existing economy of the region and economic goals of the region.
Every region is different with unique physical conditions, assets, and characteristics; all of which require a customized approach (Kemp, 2001). As such, building upon the assets, which a downtown region already possess, is the best way to create a successful strategy. Clearly, revitalization projects have enjoyed more success when officials are creative and innovative – looking for something, which will distinguish their area from other areas. According to Norquist (1998), this endeavor is critical as it attracts new people and new investment back where they once existed.
There are two important characteristics a downtown region must have in order to be competitive. First, it must provide a physical environment that makes urban living an appealing and comfortable option. Second, it must be an investment that is appealing for homeownership (Moulton, 1999). On this basis, whenever a downtown region has been revitalized, literature states that abandoned and vacant properties are two key problems that present a barrier to all revitalization efforts. In this case, problems are very serious and can bring about social and economic cost to the city – the longer they
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are vacant, the more they become an eyesore for the community hence the faster they deteriorate. Consequently, since buildings are vacant and dilapidated, they can become a focal point for crime and drugs, which can bring down the value of nearby properties
(Persky & Wiewel, 2000). Fundamentally, literature indicates that reusing vacant lands is a great opportunity for recovering the region and improving economic growth
(Accordino & Johnson, 2000). In this connection, vacant land is actually a competitive asset for urban areas that provides them with the ability to implement multiple economic strategies (Pagano & Bowman, 2000). On the same note, urban centers are economically viable because of their proximity to communication and transportation; as such, cities that put economic development strategies into place can create new jobs, increase the tax revenue for the area, and improve the transportation infrastructure – entirely necessary to attract more people to the region (Kemp, 2001).
Effects of Redevelopment
The revitalization process of downtown areas also strengthens the budget of the local government because it converts vacant land in to taxable real estate (Municipal
Research and Services Center, 1997). Gentrifying vacant lots ensures that municipal governments can increase the number of residents in their commercial center through the use of code enforcement, tax foreclosures, and grants that help encourage aesthetic improvements (Accordino &Johnson, 2000). However, it should not be assumed that the management of abandoned properties is an easy under taking – it can be incredibly difficult to navigate the public authority involved in developing and acquiring vacant property. As such, it is imperative that a land-record database, which offers inventory for better decision-making, be created. This is vital as it will encourage organization within the government and facilitate the restoration of vacant lots (Kromer, 2002).
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The revitalization process of an area is in the hands of the community as well – public and private investments are collaborative measures necessary for success. As
Faulk (2006) asserts, community participation is the only way to help a revitalized and distressed community to succeed. Also, it is argued that projects must be tailored to the needs of the community, and that community participation is really the only way to get results that actually meet community desires. In this connection, people who are going to get an opportunity to live with the results of every project should be the ones involved from the very beginning. It is also important that public and private partnerships exist so as to accomplish mutual objectives. In order for this type of project to be successful, every entity must be involved and cooperate with one another, including citizen advocacy groups, financial institutions, local and state governments, and private investors/ developer (Hyra, 2008).
The general side effects of revitalization programs typically include gentrification and unaffordability. In light of these effects, these projects create a debate among leaders in the community as to how they will improve the attractiveness of downtown locations, but at the same time ensure that they do not become unaffordable for low- income people who currently reside in the area. Faulk (2006) observes that certain cities are able to provide lower commercial housing prices; although as demand increases so too will prices to enhance equilibrium. Further, affordability is a critical issue for housing, particularly because of low income workers whose jobs are currently located in the downtown areas. Indeed, these are the same workers who will be unable to afford the new residential locations after construction has taken place. Of importance,
Smith and LaFaivre (1984) established that gentrification would help in an endeavor that
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restructures urban areas, to attract a skilled workforce and provide affordable housing.
Pedestrians, Transit & Equity
Meredith (2003) mentions the concept of the New Urbanist Neighborhood, which attempts to solve the issues of sprawl before they even have a chance to be witnessed, by observing four guiding principles: diversity, community institutions-pedestrian orientation, accessible public spaces, and a celebration of unique local elements. In this regard, the notion of mixed-use dictates the majority of the New Urbanism philosophy – developments are particularly monocentric and give people the opportunity to shop and work within the community without the need of automobiles (Meredith 2003).
Additionally, the New Urbanist community pays due thoughtfulness to pedestrian and transit-oriented design, as it revolves around a five minute walk by making use of the “critical limiting factor” of a quarter-mile from the community center to any part of its edge (Meredith 2003). Kushner (2002), in his article, talks about the impact of New
Urbanism and Smart Growth planning on poor populations and the minority ethnic populations. These two concepts, as he says, will be of great benefit to the population in low-density suburban divisions because major cities in the United States are characterized by slum housing and a collection of hardly habitable shelters where the poor and low income individuals, especially new immigrants find shelter.
If New Urbanism were to integrate economic classes through a mixture of housing types and costs, and if this stock of housing could be designed around pedestrian-oriented transit, then this could dramatically improve access to jobs as well as other necessary services, and at the same time offering more diverse neighborhoods.
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In “The History of Pedestrianization”, the author points out that substandard street network and blight are most common in the downtown of most major cities
(1992). The author goes on to state that the role of the downtown area in most of the cities has been almost solely commercial-oriented, lacking any social and cultural diversity (Melick, 1992). This brings about the need for the introduction of New
Urbanism and Smart Growth concepts and strategies. Although the benefits of urbanism and Smart Growth policies are extensively known by cities and developers, execution can be challenging due to public perceptions, lack of support, and worries about displacement of present residences.
Criticisms of Smart Growth and New Urbanism
Some people have criticized smart growth and its counterparts. One complaint is that smart growth policies are normally only created through the city government and those developers who are resistant to smart growth decide to use cheaper land outside the city, which leads to leapfrog developments (Downs 2005). Leapfrog developments are discontinuous developments that skip over land, leaving empty land between the two developments (Weitz and Moore 1998). The leapfrogging contributes to more urban sprawl because they are building outside city limits in areas that were previously rural and adding more infrastructures: this is the exact opposite of smart growth's goal. A study by Rebecca Lewis found that despite the encouragement to develop inside
Maryland’s Priority Funding Areas (areas that local municipalities want the state to invest in for future growth) development inside the zones went down while it increased outside the zone (Lewis, Knaap and Sohn, 2009).
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Another criticism of smart growth is that a majority of people have a “not in my backyard” attitude because they do not want increased development and population near them (Beste 2010).
People also have a perception that higher density areas are not as safe (Lovejoy, et al. 2010). One more criticism about smart growth is that the policies can be expensive to implement. It was found that the city of Long Beach, Mississippi, did not have the tax base to buy out lots from the owners in order to change the zoning
(Griffioen 2009). Another complaint is that smart growth actually leads to higher housing prices even though it is supposed to create housing prices that are affordable for all income levels (Downs 2005). According to an interview conducted by USA Today with
Davis, the creator of Seaside, the reason that the housing prices in Seaside increased so much is because Seaside became desirable and ‘people who are rich were able to outbid the others’. This price increase is contrary to the original vision which focuses on a diverse community that even school teachers could afford (Yancey 2012).
One of the biggest selling points about smart growth is that it has a variety of housing prices so that everybody has a chance to live in these mixed development areas. However, if the prices are driven higher due to demand then people with a lower income will have a decreased opportunity to live in these types of areas.
These criticisms are very important because it helps to understand some of the issues that Hialeah may come across, while trying to revitalize downtown. Taking all criticism into account, the benefits of Smart Growth and New Urbanism far outweigh any criticism.
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What is SWOT?
A SWOT analysis, originated from the business sector used by company management, is an assessment of an area’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Today, SWOT is widely used many different field of strategic planning, including
Urban Planning (Holla, 2007).
SWOT is very helpful in describing the benefits of the downtown area and can also be used to underline any deficiency that requires attention. SWOT analysis can be used to support different stages of the revitalization planning process. It can provide a rapid, up-to-date picture of a local situation and can help the city administration to determine its ability to act. The use of SWOT analysis allows a note of realism to be quickly injected into strategic thinking (Holla, 2007).
As such, the results derived from a SWOT analysis create a platform for formulating any future recommendations for the revitalization plan. Any strategy developed from the SWOT analysis findings, could help to capitalize on the area’s strengths and opportunities, while avoid any threats and address weaknesses (Holla,
2007).
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METHODOLOGY
Overview
A review of the area was conducted to identify its advantages and constraints, for this a SWOT analysis was performed. This type of analysis helps to pin-point key success factors and factors that may hinder the downtown from achieving the criteria required to successfully revitalize the area. Also, a research of pertinent case studies was conducted for successful strategies involved in revitalization programs. This method was used in order to develop the most appropriate strategies for Hialeah and to identify policies that would be most useful in the downtown area. The essence of reviewing case studies is to provide a deeper and valuable understanding of the successful components of revitalization efforts of cities from across North America.
Subsequently, best practices were derived from case studies and compared to measures that have already been implemented by the region. Finally, large-scale downtown challenges were considered, such that they could be scaled to meet the size of this area – the research conducted came from existing sources and incentive programs that were used by different cities to help revitalize; as such, the downtown areas were analyzed.
Case Studies
It is imperative, once again, to note that there is no single solution for a revitalization program – every city is different as are the inhabitants, assets available, and the potential for success. Essentially, case studies were evaluated based on their applicability to the issues that would most likely fit Hialeah; moreover, case studies of cities that shared certain characteristics with area (population, vacancy rates, low income neighborhood characteristics, etc.) were reviewed. In order to understand how
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potential policies have been successful and how they could possibly be successful in
Hialeah, other North American cities were reviewed to find the best practice models that could be applied. Subsequently, recommendations were made as to which of these measures should be implemented in Hialeah and practices that are best for achieving these goals.
City of Asheville, North Carolina
In Asheville, North Carolina, revitalization took place with much success. The downtown area served as the main business and shopping district until the 1970s after which time suburban expansion caused many companies to leave and set up shop elsewhere (City of Asheville, 2011). The initial revitalization plans took place in 1977, with a project called “A Revitalized Downtown”, whose main purpose was to make the area a more comfortable and livable space. In this regard, a private developer who proposed that a shopping mall be built was selected in 1979. In 1987, the Asheville
Downtown Association (ADA) was created to oversee the revitalization plans and act as a liaison between the community and the city (Anderson, 2006).
This particular plan aimed at transforming the city center into an economic focal point for retail development, employment, and offices – it wanted the downtown region to be a safe environed housing area, which offered multiple housing options and diverse populations. Finally, it wanted the downtown area to be accessible through a safe and efficient method of transportation (City of Asheville, 2011). Additionally, the ADA was responsible for studying publications and visiting other cities that have used similar models so as to develop a process that would best serve this city.
Moreover, they started to market a campaign with the tourism office that encourages people to come and see the revitalization program in action (Anderson,
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2013). Just as important, the city decided to relocate all of its offices downtown, which not only confirmed the city’s support for the revitalization of downtown, but also added much needed jobs to downtown. Although the shift into revitalization was gradual, it eventually transformed the location to the point of receiving recognition for being able to motivate their community and succeed in terms of impacting the city. As a result, new businesses opened their doors while new housing properties were opened in which case citizens participated in these efforts, leading to multiple years of commitment and organization.
City of Greenville, South Carolina
Another case study was the revitalization of downtown Greenville, South
Carolina. One of the largest cities in South Carolina, today the city stands out for its job opportunities and quality of life. However, this wasn’t always the case, as prior to revitalization the area had been in a gradual decline since the 1960s. A comprehensive plan was adopted in 1999, including a revised Land-Use Development Ordinance
(LUDO), with the goal of preserving existing neighborhoods and making the downtown area more attractive for business and housing developments (City of Greenville, 2009).
The city was able to construct a hotel on Main Street that was nationally recognized as being state-of-the-art (City of Greenville, 2011a). Essentially, the goal of the revitalization plan was to create better developments, reinforce the downtown area as a catalyst for economic growth, and create a fully functioning urban environment that was sustainable and mixed use (City of Greenville, 2010). The overarching focus of the revitalization plan was to improve transportation to the downtown area. Revitalization efforts focused on restructuring sidewalks, adding bike lanes, improving public transit stations and accessibility, and paving the way for future transportation development.
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Of particular interest to this research is Greenville’s implementation of a Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) route, which enhanced the connectivity with other communities throughout the Greenville area. The route linked the downtown area with the most important corridors in the area, which allowed development and economic growth to be integrated into the entire area. Another area of interest was Greenville’s inclusionary stance with the community throughout the revitalization process. Planning leaders sought feedback from community through every stage of revitalization; as a result the city was able to integrate citizen concern into each stage by maintaining open communication with neighborhood associations. The City of Greenville even formed a citizen education/outreach program that was developed specifically for the project, through the use of grant money awarded to the city.
City of Lakewood, Colorado
Lakewood is a Denver-area suburb with about 150,000 residents and in 2002 the city – through a public-private-partnership – embarked in a complicated project to redevelop a 104 acre plot of land, on the site of defunct Villa Italia Mall into a mixed-use city center called Belmar. This case study exemplifies how a city can redevelop and repurpose abandoned commercial sites into revenue-generating developments.
In this case study, the city of Lakewood and a local private developer along with funding from the EPA, undertook a project to revamp an abandoned mall so as to make their community a better environment and bring businesses back. Ultimately, the City of
Lakewood and Continuum Partners, a local developer, redeveloped a failing mall into a mixed-use district consisting of 22 pedestrian-friendly city blocks with retail, restaurants, office, and housing space, all while integrating many of the principles of
Smart Growth and New Urbanism. Some of these principles “include mixed land uses,
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the site exhibits compact building design, providing a range of housing types, while promoting a walkable neighborhood with a sense of place and preserving open space – all while promoting stakeholder participation” (Smart Growth Network, 2007).
Similarly, the city has created a huge investment for its town; hence this project will earn more revenue by bringing in new residents and tourist – the project has been a great success so far. Finally, the project adds an additional $952 million annually to the local economy and directly created over seven thousand permanent jobs (Smart Growth
Network, 2007).
City of Guelph, Ontario
The “Royal City” of Guelph is a historic city of 125,000 located between the regions of Toronto and Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The city developed a redevelopment plan that aimed at implementing Smart Growth and new urbanist strategies. Of importance to this research is the plan’s requirement for maintaining a sense of place by capitalizing on the downtown’s assets, which include a rich heritage, cultural attractions, the Speed River, as well as a new intermodal transit station. Its policies cover economic development, mobility, the public realm, community facilities, heritage, energy, water and the natural environment, as well as land use and built form (Guelph Mercury, 2011).
The urban center was split into three zones in March 2010, the Lower Town, the Upper
Town, and the East Bank; these zones demonstrate three diverse land use tactics to guide downtown intensification and revitalization. As such, the Upper Town is the historic commercial and cultural city center, which will seek to attract more residents, businesses, and institutions while protecting its reputable character; the communal transportation network meets here as well. On its part, the Lower Town is an underdeveloped portion of the city, with a low-density, fast food strip, and plaza.
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Though including a diversity of residential units, its appearance is a stark contrast to the much-used parks in the surrounding area – a high density urban land-use overlooking the river is anticipated, supplementing the conversion of a strip mall to a waterfront park. The East Bank is presently occupied by older manufacturing sites or brownfields in the middle of a distinct community with a great number of heritage buildings, commercial, industrial, and institutional units, as well as a combination of detached duplexes, single detached houses, and apartment buildings up to eleven stories. In this regard, the fragment of the neighborhood is envisioned as a zone for redevelopment (Guelph Mercury, 2010). Moreover, the plan promotes overall downtown expansion in a fashion that would permit it to “evolve from a civic and business/commercial center to a more diverse and complete community” (Guelph
Mercury, 2010). The plan respects the character of the historic core and surrounding neighborhoods. New riverfront greenspace and trails have been created to encourage pedestrian activity; working closely with the community resulted in a broad consensus around the final plan.
City of San Antonio, Texas
The city of San Antonio was known in the past as a sleepy community that relied heavily on its military installations and tourism (Birch, 2005). As such, perceptions of the city being a mid-sized and sleepy community have transformed over the last few decades after the relocation of the AT&T headquarters. Equally, the city been characterized by extreme sprawling over the years due to the dilemma, regarding how to incorporate the ever increasing population into the city without intensifying urban sprawl and contributing to situations of urban decay in its downtown and older areas
(Birch, 2005).
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In this case study, the City of San Antonio has put into practice principles of both
Smart Growth & New Urbanism in its revitalization efforts. On the Smart Growth side, the city has focused on revitalizing existing neighborhoods, in order to promote a strong sense of place through its development of a Neighborhood Conservation District (NCD).
The NCD was created through the use of zoning, to protect and preserve the many unique and distinctive neighborhoods in San Antonio, which may not essentially fall under the protection criteria of architectural, historical, or cultural significance
(Schacherl, 2008). In regards to New Urbanism the city has put an emphasis on the aesthetics of the built environment to create a more attractive and appealing public space, through a program called “Operation Facelift”. This program is primarily geared towards revitalizing the commercial sector and is funded through the City of San
Antonio and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (US-
HUD). The program was designed to reverse “the deterioration of commercial structures, promote consistency in design, and create aesthetically pleasing environments while assisting property owners with the appropriate exterior rehabilitation of their buildings and bring them up to City Code” (Schacherl, 2008).
The San Antonio downtown area has constantly depended on its walkability and accessibility for tourists and residents alike, whereas the southern neighborhoods of the city have a very detailed set of procedures and plans to focus development. In these neighborhoods the city has introduced the concept of Traditional Neighborhood
Development (TND), which is essentially New Urbanism at a smaller scale. Just as New
Urbanism and Smart Growth, TND promotes compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented and transit-oriented development; however, TND has very specific requirements for the
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physical layout of neighborhoods. All the requirements essentially focus on the walkability of the neighborhood, for example, TND requires a park to be located every one-eighth of a mile, a school every mile and accessible transit within a quarter-mile of any neighborhood (Schacherl, 2008). As such, TND’s guiding philosophies have established transit-oriented development, mixed-use housing, and walkable township centered neighborhoods, while preserving 25% of the region’s green space (Birch,
2005). In this regard, it is the model for compact design that encourages a sense of community and emphases on being pedestrian friendly.
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FINDINGS
This chapter organizes and presents the findings of the research. The first section details information about Smart Growth and New Urbanism derived from the literature review. This section also presents the overlapping principles of the two concepts. These overlapping principles will later be used as guidelines for the recommendations made in the Conclusion chapter. The second section presents the findings about the CBD and downtown area in Hialeah; highlighting certain aspects of the area that make it a good candidate for revitalization. The third section presents the findings from the Case Studies section, in the Methodology chapter, with an emphasis on the aspects of revitalization that pertain to Smart Growth and New Urbanism. The fourth section presents the findings from the S.W.O.T. Analysis of the downtown
Hialeah area. The fifth and final section discusses the results derived from the previous three sections of the Findings chapter and how they pertain to the revitalization of downtown Hialeah.
The Overlap: Smart-Urbanism?
When reviewing the literature about Smart Growth and New Urbanism, it became evident that there is clearly an overlap between the two concepts. This section will identify where the two concepts overlap, however, it is of importance to first highlight what was learned about each concept individually and to identify the small practical differences between the two.
Smart Growth strives for a reduction in low-density suburban subdivisions as the predominant pattern of development. It is based on the recognition that sprawl can no longer deliver either affordable or accessible housing without terrible traffic congestion and that cities failing to adopt Smart Growth systems will miss out on economic
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development and the opportunities that come with growth. According to Smart Growth, neighborhoods should be located near transit in order to dramatically improve access to jobs and other services while offering more diverse neighborhoods, all while encouraging increased citizen participation in planning (Kushner, 2002).
New Urbanism reflects a more pedestrian-oriented style of urban life, with housing above street-level shops, sidewalk cafes and restaurants, with attractive public spaces. New Urbanist theory is directed toward building a physical design that improves the quality of life in a community (Kushner, 2002).
Though much is being done in order to restrain growth, the reality is that some growth is unavoidable. As such, to deal with the pressures of emerging growth in population, New Urbanist planners have established what is being referred to as the new Urbanist Neighborhood, which concentrates largely on pedestrian and transit- orientation (Daniels, 2001). Further, in order to ease the creation and development of the New Urbanist neighborhood model, proponents of New Urbanism will promote a
TND Ordinance –which seeks to remedy the most pressing problems associated with sprawl, such as low-density, auto-oriented development and single-use developments that lack context and distinctiveness. A TND can be developed either as infill in an existing developed area or as a new large scale project and although there is no single model that befits a TND, a number of principles guide Urbanist planners in achieving a model that works for their project or area. Some of these guiding principles include a variety of housing types, a mixture of land uses, an active center, a walkable design and often a transit option within a compact neighborhood scale area (Daniels, 2001).
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The goals of Smart Growth and New Urbanism are often lofty, and in most
American urban areas, might be unattainable, but given the right circumstances (i.e. population density and vacant lots for infill) they can reverse much of what ails modern downtown areas. The opportunity to create an attractive mixed-housing development, designed around transit with great walkability in an efficient, higher density pattern along transit corridors may be the only rational model to accommodate anticipated population growth; as well as improve access affordable housing, and allow for an increasingly popular lifestyle.
When thinking of Smart Growth and New Urbanism, the combined objective is to make an urban area more appealing and attractive to residents and visitors alike. As
Schmidt (2004) simply puts it, New Urbanism and Smart Growth seek to transform existing communities to more meaningful places in which people would want to live.
Schmidt points out that in order attract people into the urban core, housing must be affordable and attractive, and near employment centers, shopping districts and transit stations (2004). In terms of transportation, Smart Growth and New Urbanism agree that accessibility to public transportation is of utmost importance. Besides walking and biking, the two concepts urge cities to expand their public transportation systems and make them as attractive and accessible as possible within their core and throughout the entire community.
After studying the concepts of Smart Growth and New Urbanism individually, ten guiding principles for each concept were extrapolated from the literature (see table 2).
When both lists of principles are compared, side-by-side, it becomes evident that there are overlapping principles shared by the two concepts (see table 3). Identifying these
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principles allows the researcher to compile a list, which will later be used as a set of guidelines for the recommendations section of the Conclusion chapter in this paper.
This research identified seven recurring and overlapping principles, which the author categorized as “Smart-Urbanism” in table 3. Generally, both schools of thought promote mixed-land uses in dense, compact, walkable neighborhoods with mixed- income housing in sustainable developments. Diversity is a key component for both concepts, providing a range of housing choices to serve people of diverse ages and income levels are high- priority. A compact neighborhood is also of great importance to both concepts, as schools, stores and other destinations should be reachable by walking, bicycling or transit service.
Table 3- Overlap in New Urbanist & Smart Growth Principles – Diagram by: Guillermo De Nacimiento
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SWOT Analysis of Downtown Hialeah
The most important advantages and constraints were identified, using the seven overlapping principles of “Smart-Urbanism” identified in the previous section. A total of two strength factors and two opportunity factors were identified as advantages, and three weaknesses and two threats were identified as constraints.
Strengths
Densely Populated Core
The population density within walking distance of the downtown area is one of the strengths to be taken into account. There is a critical mass of over 20,351 residents within the downtown area and that the number more than doubles to over 46,000 residents within a one-mile radius (US Census Bureau, 2013). Fundamentally, this is the type of population density that allows for high pedestrian activity and a solid customer base for local businesses.
High Daily Average Traffic
Downtown Hialeah greatly benefits from a high daily average traffic count – high traffic counts mean businesses merely need to entice customers to stop, much easier than enticing them to drive to a less traveled location. With daily traffic counts on
Okeechobee Road of over 55000, this area is highly visible to a substantial population
(Florida Department of Transportation, 2013). According to FDOT, traffic counts are also high along Palm Avenue with 29,500 and Hialeah Drive, with 19,200 in annual average daily traffic. This high traffic count gives the area the potential to attract and capture both over 100,000 travelers per day, which really boost local business and interest in the downtown Hialeah area.
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Weaknesses
Generally, weaknesses established during the SWOT analysis have out-stripped any of the strengths that were identified in the previous section.
Auto-Oriented
The auto-oriented environment that has come to dominate downtown Hialeah is one of the, if not the main, impedance to the area’s revitalization efforts. Indeed, when roads are designed for traffic only, a problem for those who are looking to use alternative methods of transportation is created. Ideally, a downtown is a place where pedestrians can pleasantly stroll between businesses. However, with a couple of busy six-lane divided roadways, immediately adjacent to the CBD, the area is not considered pedestrian-friendly as this requires people to cross extra-wide roads with high-speed traffic on a regular basis.
Lack of Transit Connections
Another glaring weakness is the lack of pedestrian connections to transit within or near the CBD or downtown. Paradoxically, there are no direct connections from downtown to any of the nearby MDT Metrorail stations – the area lacks a much needed centralized transportation hub, and this fact leaves the pedestrian and cyclist at a disadvantage.
Pedestrian Safety
Many sidewalks are narrow and the overall sidewalk network is incomplete – with some sections of downtown area completely lacking any sidewalk. Indeed, long areas without a crosswalk encourage pedestrians, especially elderly ones, to jaywalk. This raises concerns as the University of Florida’s, Bureau of Economic, and Business
Research (2003) found that Fifty-seven percent of Florida's pedestrian deaths occurred
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in places without a sidewalk. Equally, traffic light timing is another concern, which greatly affects pedestrian safety; the current timing configuration is geared towards motorists, not pedestrians. In connection with this, some "walk" lights are not green long enough to allow even the most fleet-footed to get across the road safely. This weakness directly undermines the strength of the area’s population density mentioned above.
Finally, this area can have extremely high population densities, but if people do not feel safe about its walkability, they will not venture out into the streets.
Opportunities
Tourism
Downtown Hialeah’s location, less than one mile north of Miami International
Airport (MIA), gives the area a chance to attract a percentage of the vast number of tourists that visit the region annually – particularly the traveler who is town on business and is looking for a place near the airport to stay. With 14.5 million visitors in 2014, the
Greater Miami region is one of the world's most popular destinations; those tourists spent $23.7 billion while in Miami-Dade. As such this area could add an extra $237 million to the local economy if only it manages to capture just one percent of that total
(Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, 2015).
Zoning for Mixed-uses
Allowing multi-family development within zones, currently zoned for strictly commercial or industrial use only, will provide significant opportunities for residential mixed-use development. Additionally, the increased opportunities for multifamily housing in the proposed eligible areas will create centers of community life that provide regular and fruitful social opportunities, separate from the home and the workplace.
Moreover, mixed-use zoning locates residential, office, commercial projects, industry,
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parks, and other land uses – all within a given area. Finally, mixed-use centers may not only possess housing and non-housing within the same area, but may also include only non-residential uses that are well connected to adjacent residential uses.
Threats
Deteriorating properties and Contaminated Sites
As previously stated, the study area is saturated with a high number of deteriorating properties. These buildings only exacerbate the perception of blight and add a sense of steady decline to the area. This fact ultimately deters investors, developers and businesses from investing in the area. Furthermore, the entire downtown area is designated a brownfield area, which is “a contiguous area of one or more brownfield sites – some of which may not be contaminated –but are generally abandoned, idled or underused industrial and commercial properties (Florida Department of Environmental
Protection, 2002). Undeniably, this is where revitalization gets complicated by actual or perceived environmental contamination as it raises concerns for potential investors.
Nonetheless, in the recommendations section of this paper, the researcher details how the designation of a brownfield area could be advantageous to the revitalization efforts.
Lack of green space and landscaping
The hard, unfriendly, and non-green appearance of downtown Hialeah suggests that area is not prosperous. The lack of greenspace discourages pedestrian activity, which subsequently, discourages businesses from investing in the area due to low-foot traffic.
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In a Hialeah State-of-Mind
Considering the advantages found during the SWOT analysis, a more detailed evaluation of the downtown area was performed, revealing many positive facts about the area which present a strong case for the need to revitalize the area, as well as the need for Smart Growth and New Urbanist initiatives to be implemented. An interesting finding is in relation to the city’s population density, this is significant because a shared goal of Smart Growth and New Urbanism is increased density. The city of Hialeah has a total population of 242,749 residents, living in 19.4 square miles; that’s a total of 12,616 people-per-square mile. This fact earns Hialeah the distinction of being the tenth-largest city in the United States among cities with a population density of more than 10,000 people per-square-mile and a population greater than 200,000. The city shares this distinction with some of biggest and successful cities in the United States (see table 4).
City & State Total Population Land Area (sq. Mile) Population Density
New York, NY 8,175,133 302.6 27,016.3
Chicago, IL 2,695,598 227.13 11,868.0
Philadelphia, PA 1,517,550 135.09 11,233.6
Boston, MA 645,149 48.43 13,321.0
San Francisco, CA 805,235 46.69 17,246.4
Miami, FL 362,470 35.67 10,160.9
Los Angeles, CA 337,977 27.14 12,451.9
Newark, NJ 273,546 23.80 11,495.0
Jersey City, NJ 240,055 14.92 16,093.7
Hialeah, FL 242,749 19.24 12,616.9
Table 4- Ten Most Densely Populated Cities with a Population over 200,000 –Source: U.S. Census – Table by Guillermo De Nacimiento
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Another important finding is the population density of Hialeah’s downtown. The
downtown area has a population density of 20,351, that’s of 8.5% of the total
population. That number grows to over 46,753 when we include residents living within a
one-mile from the study area, which represents an astounding 19.3% of the total
population living within one-mile of downtown. As a comparison –Houston, Texas –has
a population of 17,159 within a one-mile radius of its downtown and only 14,342 within
its downtown, which is much less than Hialeah’s downtown density; and yet Houston’s
downtown is far more successful and vibrant. Essentially, the difference is that
Houston’s downtown has a high concentration of daytime employment, growing
residential base, expanding convention business, and offers an array of dining and
nightlife options (Houston Downtown Management District, 2015). Furthermore, when
compared to three other major U.S. cities, Hialeah has a denser downtown population
than two others on the list and has the highest percentage of its population living in the
downtown area (see table 5) (US Census, 2010).
City Downtown Population Total Population % of Population in Downtown
Cleveland, OH 11,693 390,113 3.0%
Dallas, TX 6,074 1,258,000 0.5%
Denver, CO 17,500 663,862 2.6%
Hialeah, FL 20,351 242,749 8.5%
Houston, TX 14,342 2,196,000 0.6%
Kansas City, MO 22,576 467,007 4.8%
Las Vegas, NV 23560 603,488 3.9%
Nashville, TN 14,821 658,602 2.2%
Tampa, FL 6,784 352,957 1.9%
Table 5 - Population comparison of Hialeah and 3 other major cities –Source: U.S. Census –Table by Guillermo DeNacimiento
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Another important finding about Hialeah is the high-visibility of the downtown area. With an average daily traffic count of over 55,000 on Okeechobee Road alone, the area’s main thoroughfares are trafficked by more than 103,000 vehicles per day (Florida
Department of Transportation, 2013). This high flow of traffic provides the visibility to attract the critical mass necessary to support an active downtown environment.
Also worth noting is that the downtown area has been designated a Brownfield
Area, as well as an Enterprise Zone, and though that might sound like a negative, in all actuality it means that at the very least (in terms of development) there are federal funds available to assist in the development or re-development of any particular site within either zone; this will be discussed in more detail in the Recommendations section of the
Conclusion chapter.
Findings from Case Studies
As seen in the five case studies, the redevelopment process took a different approach and were successful in their efforts, all while implementing Smart Growth and/or New Urbanist principles in each project. In this section each case will be highlighted, along with the Smart Growth and/or New Urbanist principle was employed to accomplish their downtown’s revitalization.
After many years of a blighted downtown the City of Asheville, North Carolina took action and through the implementation of revitalization plans that focused on increasing the density of downtown, in addition to providing a mix of housing options in an effort to create a more diverse urban environment. The city also wanted to change the perception that the public had of the area, therefore, the city implemented a marketing campaign that kept the public up-to-date with the revitalization efforts while informing them of upcoming stages in the revitalization plan.
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The City of Greenville, South Carolina, was able to curtail a steady decline in its downtown area that spanned several decades. The city’s plan was successful mainly due to the increase in accessibility to transit within the downtown area; this was achieved by adding Bus Rapid Transit routes that originate from area. Another “Smart-
Urbanism” principle of Greenville’s plan that was critical to its success was its focus on preserving existing neighborhoods within the downtown area. The preservation of downtown neighborhoods strengthened the local community and fostered a strong sense of place in the minds of many in the region. Furthermore, the city’s inclusionary stance with the community throughout the revitalization process encouraged and invigorated stakeholders to collaborate in development decisions; this was one of the principles of Smart Growth that was discussed in the Introduction and Rationale chapter.
The case of Lakewood, Colorado, is one that touches on almost every principle of Smart Growth and New Urbanism. The city’s redevelopment of a large, heavily underutilized, area into a development of mixed land-uses with compact building design and a range of housing types in a walkable neighborhood ultimately fostered a strong sense of place; all while promoting stakeholder participation. The project focused on making the newly developed area into attractive location for residents, employers and tourists alike, thereby, creating the critical mass needed to make a downtown area successful.
The city of Guelph’s historic status made its revitalization efforts that much harder. The fact that the revitalization plans focused on preserving that history, while updating the area makes it a unique case. The “Royal City” required that the
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revitalization plan maintain the strong sense of place that existed in the area by capitalizing on the area’s assets, which include a rich heritage and cultural attractions.
By doing so, the city fostered the distinctiveness of the community while strengthening the community by directing new infill developments within the area. Ultimately, the plan respected the character of the historic core and surrounding neighborhoods, while adding greenspace, walking/ cycling trails and making pedestrian safety a priority, encouraged pedestrian activity. The entire plan was created in conjunction with citizen organizations in the community, which resulted in a broad consensus around the final plan.
San Antonio was able to transform its image and built environment from that of a mid-sized community, to a metropolitan area made up of quality urban design. The city focused on fostering a strong sense of place, by capitalizing on its cultural assets and catering to the tourism sector. The city was successful in its revitalization efforts, mostly due to the fact that they focused on strengthening existing neighborhoods within the downtown community. This was accomplished by implementing TND principles to existing neighborhoods and investing in the beautification of the area. The city also put an emphasis on the aesthetics of the built commercial environment, in order to create a more attractive and appealing public space, through a façade rehabilitation program called “Operation Facelift”. This program was a great tool in the revitalization of the commercial sector in downtown.
Benefits to the Community
Smart Growth and New Urbanism will have numerous benefits to businesses, developers, residents, of Hialeah. After a successful implementation of a revitalization plan that incorporates Smart Growth and New Urbanist principles, residents are almost
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guaranteed of a higher quality of life, better places to live, work and play as they are made available through urbanism. In addition, residents in the revitalized downtown area will also lead healthier lifestyles, which are characterized by less traffic congestion and pollution, as well as less driving and more walking. Equally, a less stressful pedestrian-friendly, new urbanist Hialeah will offer people more opportunities to interact with others in the area, creating meaningful relationships with more people, hence a friendlier community. Moreover, the walkability of downtown will enable residents to save and reduce commuter costs since residents will be able to cycle or walk. Similarly, big savings will also be realized from less driving and less car ownerships hence the unsightly, congested sprawl, that residents have to deal with on a daily basis will be drastically reduced. Further, tax money will be used more efficiently with less going to spread out utilities and roads.
Businesses will have increased sales due to the increased foot traffic and less expenditure on gas and automobiles whereas benefits and profits will be realized in businesses since spending on advertising and large signs will reduce. Consequently, economies of scale in marketing will be high due to close proximity and collaboration with other local businesses smaller spaces are more likely to promote small local business incubations and startups. Further, developers will have higher income potential from higher density mixed-use projects due to more sales per square foot, more leasable square footage, and higher values of property and selling prices.
Also, cost savings will be realized through revenue generated by the parking facilities in mixed-use properties due to sharing of spaces throughout day and night, leading to less duplication in providing parking. This will be enhanced by the fact that
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there will be a reduced need for parking facilities due to combination of residences and commercial uses within walking distance of each other. In this case, utilities will cost lower cost of due to compact nature of the New Urbanist downtown. In addition, Hialeah will enjoy a stable, growing tax-base and will also spend less per capita on utilities and infrastructure, when compared to the current downtown, due to higher high-density in a more compact area. A higher tax-base will also be realized due to more buildings packed into a close-fitting area while traffic congestion will be eased by walkability.
Further, fewer crimes will be witnessed, while less will be spent on policing due to the presence of many more people day and night.
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CONCLUSION
The purpose of this research was to illustrate the fundamental elements that must exist to successfully revitalize Hialeah’s downtown area. Specifically, the objectives of this research were to develop, through a series of case studies highlighting several cities that have undertaken a downtown revitalization project while employing some aspect of Smart Growth and/or New Urbanism, in order to use the strategies that were successful in each project and incorporate them into a revitalization plan for downtown Hialeah.
Going into this terminal project, it was expected that certain criteria would be revealed that would lead to a successful revitalization strategies, ultimately promoting and supporting a revitalized and vibrant downtown environment. Through a literature review of these case studies, it became evident that a mixed-use, mixed-income, pedestrian/transit-oriented environment plays a critical role in creating a vibrant downtown, while improving its overall socio-economic environment.
Equally, it was indisputable that there are substantial needs to promote a walkable, transit-oriented environment, in an attempt to revitalize the declining city centers and to offer an alternative to an auto-dependent society – to respond to the changing needs of our society. By analyzing the selected cases, three fundamental components, consisting of eleven criteria were established (see table 6).
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Criteria Fundamental Component
Enhancement of Retail Core All of these components should work
Promotion of Mixed-Uses with Street-Level Retail Space together to provide a diversity of
Provision of Restaurant & Bars downtown uses there by generating the
Promotion of Cultural & Entertainment Through Public Events critical mass necessary to support a
Provision of Downtown Housing Opportunities healthy downtown environment
Provision of Public Transit Systems These components work together to
Enhancement of Sufficient Parking Facilities ensure accessibility to downtown and to
Establishment of Central Transit Station create
Size of the Downtown Area These components will condition
Size of the City Blocks people’s perception of downtown there
Other Elements Serving to Create a Sense of Human Scale by promoting people to walk
Table 6. Criteria and Fundamental Components for Success - Source: Guillermo De Nacimiento
Recommendations
First and foremost, this research encourages the creation of a Community
Redevelopment Area (CRA), under Chapter 163 of the Florida Statue, which stipulates that “blighted” or “slum” areas can be designated as a CRA, allowing them to receive
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) revenues that are to be reinvested in the CRA, helping to support the area’s growth. TIF freezes the taxes on property based on the current value of the property – taxes do not increase for a period of years if the property values increase due to redevelopment. Instead, that money goes back into the redevelopment project. As such, the Florida Redevelopment Association (FRA) provides training and technical programs to agencies for redevelopment purposes. The recommendations
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made in this section are being made as provided under the umbrella of a CRA and should serve as a method of prioritizing the most urgent needs of the area. If implemented, the recommendations should effectively strengthen plans, which ensure that Hialeah attains a healthy, pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented, and vibrant downtown. Generally, these recommendations have been categorized into the following fundamental components: Develop for Mixed-Uses, Attract Employers, and Expand
Access to Transit, Improve Pedestrian Safety, Enhance Public Image, Remediate
Brownfield Sites and Promote Citizen Participation.
Funding Options
There are a variety of funding available options for downtown revitalization projects in Florida. The primary source of funding would be made available through the creation of a CRA, as previously mentioned, as a result of creating a CRA the area can benefit from, as such future tax increases can be used to fund projects. Another possible funding source is the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
This program can provide federal appropriation to the city on an annual basis in order to address a wide range of redevelopment goals, including façade improvements and residential/commercial rehabilitation loan programs. The CRA could also take advantage of New Market Tax Credits (NMTC) which provides tax incentives to investors; they were designed to stimulate investment in low-income urban areas. Due to the fact that both Smart Growth and New Urbanism promote the creation of affordable housing, a great funding option for Hialeah is the Low Income Housing Tax
Credit (LIHTC), which allows investors/developers of low-income housing developments to take a federal tax credit for the cost of the project. Also, because there are historic
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properties in downtown Hialeah, the CRA could take advantage of Historic tax credits which provide funding for the rehabilitation of historic, income-producing buildings.
Other forms of funding could be derived from the areas designation of an
Enterprise Zone and Brownfield Area. The Enterprise Zone Program was established by the State of Florida to stimulate “business development, expansion and job creation in economically distressed areas” (Miami-Dade County, 2014). This program provides sales tax credits for a number of reasons, such as: Job Creation (providing up to thirty percent of wages paid to new employees), Business Equipment (which provides an exemption on property taxes of up to ten-thousand dollars, for new equipment purchased), Building Materials (which exempts ninety-seven percent of the State sales tax on material used to build or renovate properties up to ten-thousand dollars per parcel) and an Exemption for Electrical Energy (exempting up to one-hundred percent
State sales tax on utilities and up to fifty percent of municipal utility taxes) (Miami-Dade
County, 2014). There is also a Corporate Property Tax Credit of up to fifty thousand dollars annually, for the first five years, which can be applied against State corporate income taxes (Miami-Dade County, 2014).
A Brownfield Area is a contiguous area containing “one or more brownfield sites
(contaminated sites), which may or may not be contaminated” (Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, 2002). This program provides businesses and developers a generous and flexible set financial incentives to cleanup and redevelop brownfield sites.
Some of the incentives offered are similar to those offered by the Enterprise Zone
Program, such as: the Job Creation Refund (provides $2,500 per job created in the area) and the Building Materials Tax Credit (offering a sales tax credit on a percentage
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of the total costs for materials used in the construction of housing or mixed-use projects
(Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 2002). The program also offers other incentives unique to this program, such as: Voluntary Clean-Up Tax Credits, which provides a fifty percent tax credit for cleanup costs, and a Loan Guarantee Program that increases state loan guarantee to improve lending opportunities for up to five years.
These funding options are readily available for use in the downtown Hialeah area, and can be very valuable tools in attracting new investment; the incentives included in these programs could be very attractive to potential investors.
Develop for Mixed-Uses
This paper encourages development of high-density, quality mixed-income housing integrated with street-level retail, nearby schools, community/ government facilities, and employment centers. The highest-density developments should be concentrated within and around the CBD area with medium-density developments located throughout the rest of the downtown area. This recommendation is being made in light of Lakewood’s success with Belmar. The concept of massive redevelopment project of an underutilized area into a vibrant, walkable, equitable, and profitable urban center, can be applied to the vastly underutilized properties of downtown Hialeah.
To be more specific, the mixed-use developments closest to the CBD should include several high-rise towers of over twenty stories or more (see figure 7). In addition to office, retail and residential space, the developments should include a hotel with a convention center and additional entertainment space. Overall, developments of this magnitude could essentially provide more than one-thousand new residential units and over one million square-feet of office, retail, and entertainment space.
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These developments could be funded by many of the funding sources identified in the previous section, including: TIF, NMTC, LIHTC, as well as the aforementioned
Brownfield Area and Enterprise Zone programs.
BEFORE
AFTER
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Figure 13- Images of the CBD before & after proposed developments-Images by: Guillermo De Nacimiento
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Figure 14. Rendering of a Mixed-Use Development proposed for Miami – Image: Swire Properties Inc.
Figure 15. Rendering of a Mixed-Use Development – Image: TCA Architects Attract Employers
It is recommended that an adequate inventory of sites be made available for business uses; especially sites with high visibility and/or easy access — to attract corporate headquarters, offices, retail and distribution centers. Additionally, the CRA should focus recruitment efforts on attracting employers that can increase the availability of skilled jobs, and provide young professionals with greater opportunities.
By catering to employers, downtown Hialeah can increase its attractiveness for business investment, and thereby increase the number of quality jobs as well as continue to strengthen its role as a regional commercial center.
Just as Asheville and Lakewood, focused on attracting employers to the downtown area and thereby creating the critical mass of people, necessary to
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successfully redevelop the urban environment –downtown Hialeah should also make attracting employers a priority, in order to spark a change in the urban core.
In an effort to attract employers, the CRA should stress the fiscal benefits of investing in an Enterprise Zone (job creation tax credit, business equipment tax credit, corporate tax credits, energy tax exemption and building materials tax refund) and a
Brownfield Area (redevelopment bonus refund, building materials tax credit and loan guarantee program); these two programs provide attractive incentives for employers looking to reduce their State tax liability (Miami-Dade County, 2014). Furthermore, there is assistance for local and future businesses to get started, through the State Small
Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and Phase 0 Pilot programs, which assist small businesses by leveraging private funding and assisting with technical proposals.
The CRA should also consider creating a business park on a seven acre site near the CBD. The proposed site is comprised of seven underutilized parcels, just southeast of the CBD near Okeechobee Road in the Deer Park neighborhood (see figure 9). Currently on the site is a two-story motel and a row of eleven, two-story, townhouses –half of which are vacant – along with two parking lots. The underutilized parcels could be redeveloped into more than 800,000 square feet of office space, perhaps spread across several towers with ground floor retail space.
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Figure 16- Available Lots showing CBD & Deer Park Neighborhood - Map by Guillermo De Nacimiento Expand Access to Transit
The recommendations for transportation were derived from the success of
Greenville’s expansion of transit access within its downtown area. The transportation related recommendations can be divided into two categories: intra-core transit (public
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transportation within the study area) and “transit-to-core” transportation (public transportation from nearby county and regional transit stations to the core). The following recommendations could be funded through the FDOT Office of Modal
Transportation’s Transit Corridor program, which was created to fund new or expansion of existing transit systems. This funding would match local or private funds for up to half of the total capital costs of the project, in addition to providing reimbursements for operation costs (Florida Department of Transportation, 2014).
To improve intra-core transit the Hialeah Transit Authority (HTA) should create a free trolley service to circulate within a one-mile radius of the downtown area. As such, these trolley routes should concentrate on the highest-trafficked corridors: Hialeah
Drive, Palm Avenue, East First Avenue, Ninth Street, and East Fourth Avenue. In this regard, inter-core transit can be improved by creating a central transit station in the downtown area. This research recommends placing the central transit station over the
West Third Street segment, on the north side of Veteran’s Park (see figure 8), due to its centrality and access to Okeechobee Road (US 27). The transit station would require a complete street closure of West Third Street from Palm Avenue to Okeechobee Road
(see figure 9); this road is not heavily utilized and its closure should not negatively impact local traffic.
Just as Greenville added BRT routes to and from its downtown, Hialeah can improve its “transit-to-core” transportation, by adding express bus routes from the proposed Hialeah Central Station in downtown to MDT Metrorail stations, SFRTA Tri-
Rail stations and the MIA Intermodal Center. Express routes could also be created to run to and from strategically placed “park-and-ride” stations throughout the city (see
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figure 14). Providing express routes to and from these types of stations will provide greater number of transit riders, access to downtown Hialeah. Funding for the “park- and-ride” lots could be acquired through the assistance of the FDOT Office of Modal
Transportation as well, using the Park and Ride Lot Program to purchase or lease the land on which the lots and stations will be built. Similar to the Transit Corridor Program, the Park and Ride Lot program would match local or private funds for up to half of the total capital costs of the project and would cover “planning, design, right-of-way acquisition, engineering, marketing and construction” costs of the park-and-ride lots
(Florida Department of Transportation, 2014).
Figure 17- Rendering of central terminal using Google Earth & Sketch Up. - By: Guillermo De Nacimiento
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Figure 18- Aerial View of Park and Proposed Location of central terminal – By: Guillermo De Nacimiento
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Figure 19- Proposed Trolley Routes & Stops – Map by: Guillermo De Nacimiento
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Figure 20 .Proposed Express Routes from Transit Stations– Map by: Guillermo De Nacimiento Improve Pedestrian Safety
It is recommended that the streets be redesigned to comply with the National
Complete Streets Coalition standards for street and sidewalk network. According to the coalition, complete streets “are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities” (2012). Ultimately, the Complete Streets movement puts a strong emphasis on adding cross-walks at more intersections, building pedestrian bridges across high-traffic thoroughfares, widening sidewalks, and adding bicycle lanes (see figure 15). These measures allow buses to run on time and make it safe for people to walk to and from train stations. The cities of San Antonio and Guelph both made pedestrian safety improvements a priority of their respective revitalization plans. As a result, each city saw a substantial increase in pedestrian activity, which resulted in increased revenues for
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the downtown areas. The City of Hialeah should follow in the steps of these two cities and focus on improving pedestrian safety in the downtown area.
Figure 21.Complete Street Design – Source: National Complete Streets Coalition
Pedestrian Safety Improvements could be funded through the United States
Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Transportation
Alternatives Program (TAP). Through this program, funding is offered for projects defined as transportation alternatives, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure projects for access to public transportation and enhanced mobility, community improvement activities, and constructing/improving boulevards and other roadways to make them safer for pedestrians. TAP provides up to eighty percent
Federal funding and up to twenty percent State funding for pedestrian safety improvements.
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The following are specific recommendation that should be implemented, to
ensure the safest pedestrian environment possible.
First, every sidewalk should have a minimum six
feet of unobstructed pedestrian pathway, making
sidewalks more convenient and safer for
pedestrians (see figure 22). Second, sidewalks
must contain curb ramps wherever they intersect
with a street, in accordance with the standards set
forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Furthermore, those curb ramps should be aligned Figure 22-Recommended Sidewalk Width - Source: National Complete Streets with the sidewalk (perpendicular to the path), as this Coalition
provides a more natural and comfortable path of travel.
Third, every intersection must have a
crosswalk of at least ten feet wide. This will
increase pedestrian visibility, create a bigger safety
zone and accommodate more pedestrians as well 10 feet (see figure 23). Furthermore, every crosswalk
should provide countdown timers that give
pedestrians enough time to cross; perhaps
Figure 23-Recommended Crosswalk Width - providing one second for every two feet of the Source: National Complete Streets Coalition crossing width.
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Fourth, the width of driving lanes should be reduced throughout the entirety of
the downtown area. Driving lanes should not be any more than ten feet wide (see figure
24), except for bus lanes. This reduces the speed of vehicles and allows more right-of-
way for pedestrians and bicycles.
Furthermore, a speed limit of twenty-five miles-per-hour throughout the
downtown area should be established, as well as prohibiting right turns on a red light;
this will provide safer crossing conditions for seniors, children and persons with
disabilities. The fifth and final recommendation requires that sidewalk or curb extensions
be added at all intersections (see figure 25). The implementation of this
recommendation will reduce the overall crossing distance and time that pedestrians
spend in vehicle travel lanes.
10 feet
10 feet
Figure 24- Recommended Lane Width - Source: National Figure 25- Example of Curb Extension - Source: National Complete Streets Coalition Complete Streets Coalition
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In addition to the specific recommendations mentioned above, it is also recommended that two pedestrian bridges be built across the Miami River, connecting downtown Hialeah with downtown Miami Springs (see figure 26). One of the pedestrian bridges should cross the river from Canal Street in Miami Springs, directly onto
Veteran’s Park in Hialeah, hence creating a direct connection to the (proposed) Hialeah
Central Station and the Palm Avenue shopping district.
The second bridge should cross the river from Hook Square in Miami Springs to
Triangle Park on Hialeah Drive, providing direct access to the Hialeah Drive shopping district and the (proposed) Deer Park business park.
Improving road crossings at all of the main thoroughfares in the area will allow pedestrians to safely become more connected with downtown Hialeah. This connectivity will promote synergistic connections between residents from Hialeah, and Miami
Springs, and businesses in the downtown area.
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Figure 26- Rendering of Pedestrian Bridges Connecting Hialeah to Miami Springs–By: Guillermo De Nacimiento
Enhance Public Perception
This research encourages the CRA to develop a two-tiered strategic plan to enhance public’s perception of the downtown/CBD in order to attract both business
investments and residents to the area. As such,
the first tier should focus on aesthetic
enhancement through the beautification of the
street scape by adding: More trees, better
lighting, install street furniture and trash cans (see
figure 27). As part of this first tier, the research
recommends the implementation of a façade
rehabilitation program to commercial buildings, Figure 27- Streetscape Improvements Source: National Complete Streets Coalition similar to “Operation Facelift” that the City of San
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Antonio successfully implemented, to spur public-interest and excitement for patronizing participating businesses. This first tier could be funded by the Community Development
Block Grant program, as this program is generally used in the capacity of Façade rehabilitation.
The second tier should consist of an active marketing plan to target sectors of the county and regional populations that would not otherwise frequent the area. The recommendation is to develop and implement a five step marketing campaign to promote the area. First, the CRA should create a fun, informative and user friendly website that is frequently updated with news, public information and upcoming events for the downtown area. Second, the CRA should begin advertising in local publications, have press releases in local newspapers and utilize billboard ads throughout the county.
Third, the CRA should utilize social media to its fullest extent. That means the CRA should focus on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn YouTube and blogs, creating accounts and profiles for the area, having a dedicated public relations employee posting to these sites in order to generate buzz about the area. Fourth, the CRA should focus on branding, by creating a logo (see figure 28) and a series of signs that stand out when driving in the area. The logo and signs need build a name and personality for the area. This tier of the recommendation could be funded through TIF or possibly through a concerted effort of local businesses.
Moreover, the current attitudes and perceptions regarding the area need to be Figure 28- Artwork for Branding By: Guillermo De Nacimiento
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centered on the cultural benefits of an urban area such that it becomes an attractive image in the minds of the local constituents and potential investors alike. This strategy of enhancing the public perception through streetscape improvements, and an organized marketing campaign, was implemented in Asheville with much success.
Similar to Asheville’s case, Hialeah’s campaign should expound upon the cultural facilities and historic character of the city so as to turn them into an asset that would attract public visitors. This recommendation of a continuous marketing campaign of downtown is a necessary change to the negative perception that many county residents currently have of the area.
Remediate Brownfield Sites
All of the vacant properties in the downtown area are located within a designated brownfield area (see figure 29). This can be used as tool to attract private investment by highlighting the many benefits available to developers at the state, and federal level, for redeveloping and remediating these sites. In Florida, brownfield areas are designated by resolution of a local government and are defined as contiguous areas of one or more brownfield sites. Basically, some of these areas may not be contaminated but are generally abandoned, idled or underused industrial, and commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is expected is complicated by actual or perceived environmental contamination.
The good thing about Brownfield sites, is that there is plenty of funding opportunities to assist with redevelopment and remediation. As previously mentioned, the State of Florida provides an incentive of up to $2,500 per job created in a Brownfield area and the State also increases state loan guarantees to improve lending opportunities, also it expedites permitting for Brownfield redevelopment projects– the
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purpose of the brownfield program is to encourage new development and job creation in those areas (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 2002). Another state program to assist in the redevelopment of a Brownfield is the Florida Opportunity Fund organization, which offers grant money through its Clean Energy Investment Program as well as its Fund of Funds Program. The Clean Energy Investment Program provides funding to businesses that use energy efficient technologies equipment and materials in development, while the Fund of Funds program targets investment opportunities in the state of Florida. There are also incentives available at the federal level mostly from the
EPA in which case developers can benefit from Brownfields Expensing Tax Incentives, designed to spur investment in blighted properties and assist in revitalizing communities. The federal brownfields tax incentive is a critical tool in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment efforts. Another attractive incentive is the NMTC program, which is designed to stimulate the economies of distressed urban and rural communities and create jobs in low-income communities by expanding the availability of credit, investment capital, and financial services. Equally, the LIHTC is an incentive that may be used as part of a brownfields financing package if affordable rental housing is part of a project. These credits have been used successfully in many states as part of mixed- income housing developments and as infill projects on brownfields sites (US
Environmental Protection Agency, 2014).
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Figure 29. Brownfield Area Map showing Study Area –Map by: Guillermo De Nacimiento Citizen Participation
This research recommends the creation of a Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) to promote public awareness and encourage participation by citizens and other interested parties. A CAC can further assist in the promotion and dissemination of public information and related materials. Most importantly, a CAC can provide a continuous and balanced public representation in the development since local residents are
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important stakeholders and therefore their support will help tremendously (American
Planning Association, 2010).
In an endeavor to foster this participation, the CAC should provide people with data needed for their participation in an appropriate and effective manner. The decision of the people should also be considered with regard to taking actions and measures along with initiatives. In this connection the methods to evoke participation from the public include: Public Hearings, Direct Mailings, Opinion Surveys and Focus Groups.
The main goal is to ensure that all citizens, particularly residents within the study area and the surrounding neighborhoods, have continuous opportunities for input and involvement.
Finally, it is important to keep opinion-makers and the media informed about the revitalization process, as the public image of downtown during the early phases of revitalization is generally negative. As we saw in almost every case study reviewed, citizen participation is crucial to the revitalization efforts and in each case study, the local government included community and stakeholder collaboration in the decision making process.
A Framework for Urban Planning
The City of Hialeah should promote a revitalization project that encourages public and private partnerships, improves infrastructure, and offers large-scale commercial projects that will improve the downtown area. It goes without saying that through creating a competitive business sector, the city can promote economic growth. On the same wavelength, developers and contractors can be provided with incentives such that they are given exempt status on construction related taxes or exemptions for basic property tax for the first 10 years in order to take part in the revitalization program. What
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is more is that business development in the area can also be benefited by improved transportation and parking – of course housing is another concern; one which must be met. Finally, the city can collaborate with the private sector to use federal incentives and funding in order to promote more affordable housing projects that meet the needs of the current low income labor force and the potential for high income growth.
Although the creation of a pedestrian-friendly environment is one of the critical elements of downtown revitalization, it is just a small portion of urban redevelopment efforts, and is not the only way of achieving the desired results of downtown revitalization. Instead, the creation of a walkable, compact, urban core can serve as a foundation or a framework for city planning, providing an opportunity to enhance the growth and environment of parts of the city. Today, sustainability is getting more attention from our society; therefore, cities have to rethink development patterns that strongly affect citizens’ lives. Furthermore, suburban sprawl and downtown decline are phenomena created by the short-term vision of many city officials – however, the creation of Smart-New Urbanist neighborhoods can be one of the many approaches that can possibly solve crucial problems in our society.
A Compact Walkable Urban Center
Smart Growth can be valuable tools to combat the negative effects of sprawl and at the same time creates the ideal environment for a downtown to flourish. Some of these effects include pollution, traffic congestion, noise pollution, the segregation of population on the basis of classes, and the increase of costs of transport and housing among others. Additionally, the concept of Smart Growth is like an anti-thesis of urban sprawl – it is a concept that is applied to existing communities in conjunction with New
Urbanism to counter urban sprawl and the affects mentioned above. Similarly, it
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involves the development and redesign of housing and transportation systems, the promotion of walkability, the use of TND ordinances and increasing of population and value added services in mass transport among others. All these are aimed at creating a community where working, playing and living in general is possible within a community having defined boundaries.
Smart Growth procedures and policies and New Urbanism may be difficult to initiate at first due to public opinion, a lack of expertise in the area, and even cost.
Nevertheless, these should not dampen the efforts of practitioners or prevent them from completely adopting Smart Growth policies. There must exist a total commitment to
New Urbanism and Smart Growth, any plan that does not fully commit most likely will do little in the big picture to control growth and combat sprawl. In this respect, various policies in Smart Growth are crucial in revitalization, and thus need to be appropriately implemented so as to raise the density levels, boost diversity, and create attractive and livable communities. Finally, Smart Growth and New Urbanism advocates must possess significant political and public support in order to entirely appreciate the paybacks of these strategies.
A New Urbanist Community
In order for the benefits of Urbanism to be realized and appreciated, it is best to plan urbanism at all levels of development, from a single building, a group and groups of buildings, an urban block, a neighborhood, networks of neighborhoods, towns, cities, and to the regional extent. Essentially, an Urbanist Community has to be planned considering all aspects of Smart Growth, such as housing and transport at all the above mentioned levels. Increasingly, regional planning practices are being used to regulate and shape growth into high-density, compact, mixed-use neighborhoods, towns,
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villages, and cities. As such, planning new transit systems, in place of more roads provides the best results when designed in coordination with regional land planning
(Cervero, 2002). At the same time, the revitalization of urban area downtowns directs and raises infill development back into city centers. Similarly, planning for compacted growth rather than allowing it to sprawl out has the potential to greatly raise the quality of the environment – it also averts congestion glitches and the environmental dilapidation normally related to growth.
There exist various challenges that need to be dealt with in the restrictive and unbecoming zoning codes, presently in force in most municipalities – the current codes do not allow mixed-use zoning. Therefore, embracing a TND ordinance and/or a system of 'smart codes' allow mixed-use development to be built without difficulty, and without having to modify existing codes. Another equally important obstacle is the unceasing road building and enlargement, constantly taking place in the city. This encourages more driving and facilitates sprawl, which has a domino effect on swelling traffic crowding across the region – stopping road projects and constructing new transit systems helps inverse this problematic trend.
In the case of Hialeah, the city needs to focus on creating higher population density in the downtown area. To do this the city must become more active in embracing and enforcing the New Urbanist and Smart Growth principles. The City has to focus on making its inner-core more eye-catching to residents to not only lure them in, but to retain them and prevent them from relocating after a short period of time. By developing compact- walkable mixed-use neighborhood with mixed-income housing and
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access to transit, downtown Hialeah could by transformed into a vibrant and sustainable urban core.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Guillermo De Nacimiento III was born in Hialeah, Florida on January 9th, 1982 and raised in beautiful Miami Springs, Florida. Guillermo received a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and Sociology from Florida International University. As an undergraduate student, Guillermo sat on the Council of Student Organizations as a representative for the Global and Socio-Cultural Studies Honor Society. Guillermo also founded a chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, an international honor society in geography, becoming the chapter’s first sitting president at Florida International; as a result, Guillermo was awarded a certificate of recognition for Outstanding Service from the Department of
Global and Socio-Cultural Studies. Guillermo was also an active member in the Golden
Key International Honor Society and graduated with honors (Cum Laude) in the spring of 2012. Guillermo was recently been accepted to the Institute of Spatial Sciences at the
University of Southern California, where he will working on his second Master’s degree in Geographic Information Science and Technology.
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