Miami Looks To "Red Fields" To Solve Its Park Space Deficit

Andres Viglucci explores how a strategy being considered in Miami-Dade County seeks to transform distressed commercial properties into green spaces, sparking economic redevelopment throughout the county.

1 minute read

April 26, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT

By Alesia Hsiao


During their recent Great Park Summit, Miami-Dade County's parks department unveiled a new strategy that could provide a significant jumpstart to achieving their 50-year master plan and its central goal of providing open space within walking distance of every resident. Still in its conceptual stages, the promising proposal would turn distressed car lots and failed strip malls into neighborhood parks, explains Viglucci.

"The approach, dubbed Red Fields to Green Fields, is based on a strategy developed by Michael Messner, a Wall Street hedge-fund manager who says it can help reverse the flow of red ink in commercial real estate while removing blight and jump-starting the economic redevelopment of neighborhoods hit hardest by the recession."

With $40,000 raised in grants alone, Miami-Dade hopes to start a pilot project within the year, reports Viglucci. Cities like Atlanta, Denver and Houston have already followed suit, and are testing the strategy in their cities.

According to Jack Kardys, the county parks director, "A model that agency planners developed shows that a 10-acre tract converted into a park and ancillary development mixing housing with commercial uses could generate $500,000 in property taxes a year - enough to cover $200,000 in annual park maintenance and operations, with the balance going into local government coffers." Kardys adds that parks attract development and heighten property values in their surrounding areas.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012 in The Miami Herald

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Close-up of rear car bumper in traffic on freeway.

Research Shows More Roads = More Driving

A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.

March 23, 2025 - Road Capacity as a Fundamental Determinant of Vehicle Travel

Aerial view of Grants Pass, Oregon with fall foliage and hills in background with a cloudy sky.

Judge Halts Enforcement of Anti-Homeless Laws in Grants Pass

The Oregon city will be barred from enforcing two ordinances that prosecute unhoused residents until it increases capacity and accessibility at designated camping sites.

March 31 - Street Roots

Colorful murals on exterior of Hollywood High School in Los Angeles, California against night sky.

Advancing Sustainability in Los Angeles County Schools

The Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Green Schools Symposium brings together educators, students, and experts to advance sustainability in schools through innovative design, climate resilience strategies, and collaborative learning.

March 31 - Los Angeles County Office of Education

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31 - Pennsylvania State University