Urban-Land-Institute-Releases-Final-Report-for-Miami-Beach-
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS, Tel: 305.673.7575 PRESS RELEASE
Tonya Daniels, E-mail: tonyadaniels@miamibeachfl.gov
Melissa Berthier, E-mail: melissaberthier@miamibeachfl.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 6, 2018
Urban Land Institute Releases Final Report for Miami Beach
— Applauding and Accelerating the City’s Resiliency Strategy —
Miami Beach, FL – Miami Beach’s efforts to address sea level rise were buoyed by release this
week of a comprehensive report from experts assembled by the Urban Land Institute (ULI).
Following a review of the City’s efforts and an intensive three-day visit this past April, the
objective advisory panel issued its final report this week – marking the last phase in the
organization’s effort to enhance and refine the City’s climate adaption strategy and stormwater
management.
“These are generational challenges so it’s vital we inform our approach with the best available
knowledge,” said Mayor Dan Gelber. “I’m heartened that these experts believe we’re on the
right track, but also mindful that we need to incorporate their suggestions into our efforts.”
The City was recognized for its innovative approach in engineering and prioritization of its
stormwater pumps, carefully crafted communications materials, ability to raise funds through
utility fees and collaboration with regional partnerships including the Rockefeller Foundation’s
100 Resilient Cities.
“Our experience with the expert panel has already influenced our approach to interdepartmental
planning and community engagement,” added Chief Resiliency Officer Susanne Torriente. “I
look forward to the progress our recently created Miami Beach READY (Resilience
Enhancement Action Design for You) team will make in operationalizing the recommendations
put forth in the report.”
Helping to guide the City’s judgement and identify new directions to discover or continue to
pursue, the panel also presented opportunities for improvement, including tasking the tropical
metropolis with developing a more comprehensive vision for living with water. More specifically,
their findings encouraged the City to utilize more greenspace as retention areas, enhance its
urban landscape and create a more balanced harmony of green, blue and gray infrastructure.
“Given the flooding risks - king tides, stormwater and rising seas - Miami Beach’s future seemed
uncertain,” expressed Panel Chair Joyce Coffee emphasizing the City’s unique challenges. “The
Advisory Services Panel found a City working to stay ahead of these climate change risks.
Miami Beach has raised funds to pay for significant adaptation measures, started to build
resilience into their policy and infrastructure systems and continues to seek outside expertise to
refine their approach. The next steps will not be free or easy. However, the City has the
opportunity to build off of their early work to enhance safety and quality of life - leading the pack
of coastal tourist hot spots with a more integrated approach.”
The complete report will be presented at the upcoming Wednesday, September 12 Commission
meeting. More information on ULI’s findings can be found by clicking here.
This review is possible thanks to the generous support of the 100 Resilient Cities (RC) Network,
pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation. 100 RC is dedicated to helping cities around the world
become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges that are a growing part
of the 21st century. Miami Beach joined the 100 RC network in 2018 in partnership with the City
of Miami and Miami-Dade County.
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city-sponsored proceedings, call 305.604.2489 and select 1 for English or 2 for Spanish, then option 6; TTY users may call via 711 (Florida Relay Service).