Miami-Beach-Adopts-New-Land-Use-Codes-to-Reduce-Urban-Heat-Island-Effect
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
DEPARTMENT 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
March 14, 2019
Miami Beach Adopts New Land Use Codes to Reduce
Urban Heat Island Effect
— Marking Another Measure to Protect the City Against the Effects of Climate Change —
Miami Beach, FL – The City Commission unanimously voted to amend land development
regulations to provide for sustainable construction methods, including renewable sources of
energy like solar panels, in an effort to reduce heat island effects.
“As a city, we have been proactive in addressing major impacts of climate change, including sea
level rise, flooding and now urban heat island effect,” shared Mayor Dan Gelber. “Extreme heat
can have major impacts on public health such as worsening the potential for heat strokes and
dehydration as well as increasing the spread of tropical infectious diseases. This measure
works to eliminate the variables that produce extreme heat in the first place.”
The urban heat island effect is caused by materials used in urban development that absorb
significant amounts of energy from the sun and increase the ambient temperature of their
surroundings, most notably in areas where the development takes the place of open land and
vegetation.
Minimizing the potential for the urban heat island effect, the new land use code allows solar
carports and requires cool or porous pavements and sustainable roofing, such as vegetation,
stormwater management techniques, metal or solar roofing. If sustainable elements are not
incorporated, a fee will be collected and deposited into the Sustainability and Resiliency Fund.
“The decision marks a historic step for solar by officially designating solar panels an allowable
accessory use in all zoning districts within the city,” added Commissioner John Elizabeth
Alemán. “Beyond lowering temperatures, this addition to the city’s land use code reduces
demand for electricity, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.”
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