Community Background Report

City of Miami Beach

County

Miami-Dade

Boundaries

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Community Type

Municipality

History

Miami Beach, connected by bridges to mainland Miami, is a resort city on a barrier island between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic. It is composed of a main island approximately seven miles long and a number of smaller, natural and manmade islands. Included within its limits are approximately seven square miles of land and nine square miles of water.

One of the bridges was initially built by the Collins/Pancoast family, with funds from the Lummus brothers and Carl G. Fisher. By 1915, Lummus, Collins, Pancoast, and Fisher were all living in mansions on the island, three hotels and two bath houses had been erected, as well as an aquarium and an 18-hole golf course. The Town of Miami Beach was chartered on March 26, 1915; it grew to become a city in 1917. Although the town was incorporated under the name of Miami Beach, many visitors thought of the beach strip as Alton Beach, indicating just how well Fisher had advertised his interests there. The Lummus property was called Ocean Beach, with only the Collins interests previously referred to as Miami Beach. Carl Fisher was the main promoter of Miami Beach's development in the 1920s as a site for wealthy industrialists from the North and Midwest to build their winter homes. Many other Northerners were targeted to vacation on the island. Since then, the city has continued to grow as a resort city for Northerners, and has become one of the largest resort cities in the world.

Its southern end, South Beach, is famed as a destination for models and celebrities, with a wealth of Art Deco buildings. Wide beaches line the island’s oceanfront. Nightlife centers on Ocean Drive, running through the Art Deco District

The Army Corps of Engineers’ beach re-nourishment project has added 230 feet of sand to the City’s oceanfront, resulting in a beachfront conservation area of 206 acres. The enlarged beach has spurred renewed public and private interest in the City’s primary asset, and has resulted in a boardwalk, park redevelopment, and Ocean Drive private rehabilitation.

The City of Miami Beach has a legacy of unique architecture. Scattered throughout the City are buildings which incorporate Mediterranean and Art Deco architectural styles. The major concentration of these structures is located in the southern portion of the City. The National Register of Historic Places has designated one square mile of Miami Beach as the Miami Beach Architectural District, more commonly called the Art Deco District. The District exhibits a high level of consistency in building scale and style, resulting from the rapid development of structures built between 1923 and 1945, which were under the control of a small number of developers.

Community Dynamics

Longtime residents of Miami Beach usually divide the Beach into three geographic sections distinct from each other. These are South Beach (5th-41st Streets), Mid-Beach (41st-79th Streets), and North Beach (79th-87th Streets). These geographic areas are divided still further into neighborhoods defined by natural barriers and restricted access. Even though all of Miami Beach has experienced tremendous, continued growth in both population and development, South Beach has probably seen the greatest expansion. It is one of the most pedestrian-friendly communities in the county, and because it is so attractive, there is great demand for affordable housing. Workforce housing is a major issue for the City. With a population of approximately 90,669, Miami Beach has a great diversity of residents, minimizing the dominance of any single ethnic group. Miami Beach is progressive in its urban planning and zoning. The City carefully manages historical preservation, new parking garages and new developments. A citywide plan for a network of bicycle paths was completed in 2005. The bikeways will promote ease of circulation in the denser areas of the City. The City has also joined a public-private partnership to establish and support a bicycle sharing program.

Although Miami Beach has a high median property value of $341,000, more than double the Florida median, its median household income is only $42,547, compared with the State median household income of $47,212 (according to 2014 data from the American Community Survey 5-year estimate). Its median age for US natives is 32.8, and for foreign-born residents is 45.6. A large percentage of residents are renters, and only 35.9% of the housing units are occupied by owners.

Business Landscape

The City of Miami Beach promotes itself as a “24-hour Marketplace”, as it offers access to its retail and service sectors around the clock. Unlike most municipalities in the county, it is nearly built out. The City is increasing density on the ground to expand its inventory of retail square footage and the availability of public parking. While Miami Beach is a walkable city, businesses would like to attract a larger market to shop, dine, and enjoy arts and performances. Previously, Miami Beach envisioned itself as a bedroom community for professionals working in Miami’s downtown, which now has ample residential space available.

The highest percentage of industry share is in accommodation and food services. According to the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce annual report, 48.1% of tourists who visited Miami- Dade County in 2015 stayed in Miami Beach hotels.

Miami Beach hosts the annual Art Basel Miami Beach art show. It is also the home of the New World Symphony, established in 1987, and its world class building, the New World Center designed by Frank Gehry. The Miami City Ballet is based in Miami Beach, as well.

Transportation Characteristics

Public transportation operated by Miami-Dade Transit (MDT), along with adjacent neighborhoods such as Downtown and Brickell, is used heavily in Miami Beach. Numerous Metrobus lines connect to Downtown Miami and Metrorail (i.e., the 'S' bus line). The South Beach Local (SBL) is one of the most heavily used lines in Miami, and connects all major points of South Beach to other major bus lines in the City. The Airport-Beach Express (Route 150), which connects Miami International Airport to major points in South Beach, sees particularly heavy use.

Miami Beach, in response to the threat of sea level rise, has begun to engineer specifically for the present and potential effects of climate change. This includes a five-year, $500-million project for the installation of 60 to 80 pumps, construction of taller sea walls, and the physical raising of road tarmac levels, as well as possible zoning and building code changes which could eventually lead to the retrofitting of existing and historic properties.

Due to its dense, urban nature and pedestrian-friendly streets, many Miami Beach residents get around by bicycle. In March 2011, a public bicycle sharing system named Decobike (now known as City Bike) was launched. A web application for bicycle route planning, developed by the FIU GIS Center and the University of Florida with funding from the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), integrates the bike share stations into the routing process for cyclists (see also: http://bikemiami.fiu.edu).