2. ACCESO A LOS PROYECTOS Y CAPACIDAD GENERALIZADORA
2.3. Perfil de personas y familias participantes
The distinctive geography and weather patterns of Miami Beach have reliably charmed residents, tourists, and businesses prior to the city’s founding in 1915.3 With the impending
consequences of climate change, Miami Beach’s greatest assets have ironically become a considerable challenge to overcome. As a 2016 New York Times article illustrated, “In Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale, as well as in older Northern cities like Boston and New York, tidal marshes and creeks were filled in a century or more ago to make new land, and it is in these areas—“back bays,” as some of these spots are called—flooding is happening first.”4 As a barrier island composed of porous limestone, inimitable geological conditions pose further challenges for the city.
3 In my interview with Andrew Capitman, he even recalled his mother’s initial draw to Miami Beach was her interest in barrier islands, and the appreciation for Art Deco architecture was something she recognized as special due to her design expertise, but wasn't the sole reason for the founder of the MDPL's crusade to save South Beach.
4 Justin Gillis, Flooding of Coast, Caused by Global Warming, Has Already Begun,” The New York Times, September 3, 2016.
Figure 6.1: Tea Dance at The Flamingo, 1920s Figure 6.2: Miami Beach Improvement Company Advertisement (1927-1934) 6.3.1. Unsustainable development
Through technological innovations, early dredging from channels provided the ability to drain and devise a foundation for future development. As discussed in Chapter 2, the developers’ goals were never natural landscapes, but the creation of an “ideal tropical” destination to lure investment from Northerners. This has created an unsustainable development pattern of working to control nature, rather than working with its natural ecology. Though future municipal sustainability goals have highlighted the potential for the reintroduction of “natural” green infrastructure, these short-term infrastructure projects have maintained a mentality of conquering nature.5
Figure 6.3: Elevations within west-east cross section of Miami Beach
Figure 6.4: “Hard” infrastructure projects such as the pump systems in place in the Sunset Harbor area of Miami Beach
5 These proposed projects include living coral reefs to protect against tidal flooding, a reestablishment of indigenous mangroves to balance ecological concerns, and the restoration of living shorelines.
Sustaining the ecological balance between the natural and man-made remains essential for the continued resiliency objectives of the city. However, the pursuit of new development to fund these infrastructure resiliency programs conflicts with these goals. As Adam Freed contributed, “"There's no price on carbon, building in high-risk areas & other externalities—we're not pricing these things correctly."6 To illustrate these concerns Aromar Revi, Director of the Indian Institute for Human
Settlements, stated, “We must start thinking of cities not just as drivers of economic growth, but also as spaces that are tied to and dependent on natural processes; as organic entities that are bound by their appetites to the natural world.”7 As a relatively low-priority item on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs when compared to life safety concerns, historic preservation can connect these historical lessons learned to opportunities for future sustainability synthesis and relevance.8
Figure 6.5: Matheson Hammocks, 1962 Figure 6.6: Indigenous mangroves along seawall of Normandy Historic District, 2017
For now, the answer to fuel municipal financing for green infrastructure projects remains based on the dependence of new development rather than the rehabilitation of existing building stock.
A funding mechanism to either tax risky new development or tax the demolition of certain historic
6 Adam Freed during “Cities and Climate Action,” Columbia University GSAPP, Spring 2017 Lecture, April 7, 2017.
Moderated by Michael Kimmelman with guest speakers Jeffrey Hebert, Rodrigo Rosa, and Adam Freed. Response by Kate Orff and Weiping Wu.
7 Module 7, Chapter 2, on urban agricultural for sustainable cities; SDG Academy, “Sustainable Cities,” UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), https://courses.sdgacademy.org/learn/sustainable-cities-november-2016. Accessed March 15, 2017.
8 Maslow used the terms "physiological", "safety", "belonging" and "love", "esteem", actualization", and "self-transcendence" to describe the pattern that human motivations generally move through.
properties can contribute to an adaptation fund for historic resources, which align with long-term resiliency goals.9 The National Wildlife Federation has proclaimed ways to mitigate the effects of climate change are to “curb development that degrades coastal ecosystems” and reform of the NFIP to discourage redevelopment in “risky areas.”10 Combined with building regulations that seek to mitigate and reduce long-term carbon footprint impacts, working with nature is an essential component for barrier island survival.11
Figure 6.7: Venetian Islands, 1926 Figure 6.8: Six man-made Venetian Islands, 2016
6.3.2. Recommendation RCAP integration
Source Item Recommendation
RCAP SP-6 Develop policies, as provided for in Florida law and in collaboration with the appropriate municipal and county planning authorities, related to areas designated as Adaptation Action Areas or similarly vulnerable areas to improve resilience to coastal flooding, sea level rise and other climate related vulnerabilities and provide guidance for other adaptation planning efforts.
Historic
Educate policymakers to implement policies that work with, rather than against nature. Miami Beach has historically utilized “hard” infrastructure improvements, however the promotion of historic resources as a tool for “soft”
adaptation efforts can foster long-term mitigation goals and open funding resources. A model can be found in the
“Resilience and Racial Equity” proposal for Boston.12 Table 6.1: Lesson One integration to Regional Climate Action Plan
9 Miami Beach needs to consider not only LEED certification of new construction, but explore options to severely penalize the demolition of new structures or embed additional taxes within Environmental Impact Studies which could contribute funding resources for private adaptation of historic structures.
10 Casey Skeens, “New Report: Changing Tides,” National Wildlife Federation, August 16, 2016,
http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/Media-Center/News-by-Topic/Global-Warming/2016/08-16-2016-Changing-Tides-Report-Shows-How-Sea-level-Rise-Harms-Wildlife-and-Recreation-Economies.aspx. Accessed March 25, 2017.
11 “Long-term benefits are numerous and include reducing the city’s carbon footprint; reducing potential risks and costs from environmental impacts; preserving natural resources and maintaining a high quality of life for residents and visitors; and reinforcing the City of Miami Beach as a world-class city by preserving its resources for the future.” From the City of Miami Beach’s “Rising Above” portal found here, http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/green/scroll.aspx?id=63975. Accessed April 1, 2017.
12 “Resilience and Racial Equity,” City of Boston, https://www.boston.gov/departments/resilience-and-racial-equity.
Accessed April 4, 2017.
Figure 6.9: Student project for ecological alternative which incorporates indigenous mangroves and canal systems into city
6.3.3. Demonstrate environmental contributions
Creative architectural solutions and interdisciplinary research to ally historic preservation with environmental goals are forthcoming, but at the municipal level no mention of “historic preservation”
as a solution to future resiliency challenges exists. As Debbie Tackett, City of Miami’s Preservation and Design Manager stated, “currently preservation and sustainability policies are running parallel, but we are working towards full integration.”13 The complexities and variety of historic structures accounts to some degree for the delay in affiliation to sustainability policies, but as the previous topographic survey indicated a majority of historic districts will see over 50% of their resources compromised with 4 feet of sea level rise, by the year 2100.14
The concept of sistoric buildings as the “greenest option” has garnered much investigation, most notably in the initiatives of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Green Lab which published the benefits of reuse for its positive environmental impacts. They state that “it can take between 10 to 80 years for a new energy efficient building to overcome, through efficient operations, the climate change impacts created by its construction,” and of economic impacts that, “historic rehabilitation has a thirty-two year track record of creating 2 million jobs and generating $90 billion in private investment. Studies show residential rehabilitation creates 50% more jobs than new construction.”15 Even with these empirical facts, social awareness and political acceptance has yet to integrate these two tandem goals. Utilizing an activist legacy from notables such as Barbara Baer Capitman, Nancy Liebman, and Matti Bower, local preservationists need to capitalize on these
13 Interview between Debbie Tackett and author on March 28, 2017 at the City of Miami Beach’s Planning Department.
14 These figures are based on projected estimates from the 2012 Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.
15 Preservation Green Lab, “The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse,” National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2016.
quantitative facts to demonstrate the cost-benefit analysis of public assistance for historic resources as a positive driver of sustainability.
6.3.4. Recommendation for RCAP integration
Source Item Recommendation
RCAP WS-10 Encourage, foster, and support investigative work and scientific research that improves the understanding of local and regional climate change impacts specific to Southeast Florida
Foster long-term advocacy for the alliance between historic preservation and resiliency strategies, where they currently run parallel to each other.16 Ultimately the best long-term response remains reduction of exposure during disasters.
Existing structures currently under historic preservation regulations embody these principles. By limiting additional development, a controlled urban footprint reduces risks of sea level rise effects, storm water inundation, and storm surge. Utilize indigenous knowledge to find local historical solutions for environmental damage.17
Source Item Recommendation
RCAP RR-7 Continue to implement and enforce strong building codes that require new construction and substantial improvements to existing structures to mitigate against the impacts of flooding, severe winds, and sea level rise, and which are consistent with Climate Change Adaptation policy.
Historic
Allow creative adaptation solutions of historic resources that promote and integrate with resiliency building codes.
Adaptation guides can incorporate varying typologies, construction methods and interventions.18 Solutions to utilize ground floors into useable space for stormwater
management can be further researched parcitular to adaptation of historic structures.19 Mississippi and Louisiana have examples of adaptation guidelines which can serve as models.20
Source Item Recommendation
RCAP SP-2 Incorporate “Adaption Action Area” definition (as provided for in Florida law) into municipal and/or county
Comprehensive Plans, to provide a means to identify those
16 Interview with Jack Johnson and Christine Rupp.
17 Lisa Hiwasaki, Emmanuel Luna, Syamsidik, Rajib Shaw, “Process for integrating local and indigenous knowledge with science for hydro-meteorlogical disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in coastal and small island communities,”
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 10 (2014) 15-27.
18 Though NPS is currently working on revised elevation design guidelines, solutions will be particular to geography, geology, typology, etc.
19 As stated by Betsy Wheaton, the city’s environment and sustainability director, the policy’s intention lies in finding creative ways to initiate “incentives for the development community to look at their means and methods of constructing.” Joey Flechas,
“Miami Beach wants developers to go green or pay fee,” Miami Herald, April 29, 2016.
20 “Elevation Design Guidelines,” Mississippi Development Authority,
http://www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/hrrcn_sandy_pdf%20files/mississippi.pdf; “Elevation Design Guidelines,” Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, 2014, http://www.crt.state.la.us/Assets/OCD/hp/uniquely-louisiana-education/Disaster-Recovery/Final%20Elevation%20Design%20Booklet%2012-07-15%20v2.pdf.
areas deemed most vulnerable to sea level rise and other climate change impacts including but not limited to extreme high tides, heavy local rain events, and (Number SP-2):
storm surge for the purpose of prioritized funding and adaptation planning.
Target a historic district as a case study to implement an
“Adaptation Action Area” utilizing data-drive results from further studies that build upon topographical research. As an example, PlaNYC’s “Resiliency Plan” from 2013, demonstrates the need for civic investment to reduce destruction of structures and protect infrastructure on a citywide scale. This approach can decrease the costs of flood insurance and reduce the need to elevate buildings within these zones through community-wide soft and hard adaptation methods.21 Based on GIS research, the local historic districts of Collins Corridor, Museum, and Waterway should be targeted first for a building by building assessment of adaptation opportunities.
Table 6.2: Lesson One integration to Regional Climate Action Plan