As a developer turned bicycle activist, Brad Knoefler is trying to bring an urban greenway to one of Miami's most blighted neighborhoods. However, a myriad of red tape remains to be cut.
"Along a two-mile stretch of railroad track in Miami, one 100-foot slice sparkles with clean rails, shiny rocks, agave plants and new white fencing.
Beyond that tidy patch of tidiness, to either side, lay signs of inner-city decay: stacks of rubble, tin and plastic cans, twisted piping, needles, sleeping vagrants.
Property owner Brad Knoefler, who took a leap of faith eight years ago by spending $1.2 million to turn a decaying Overtown warehouse into a stunning Soho-type building of lofts along the tracks , helped spiff up the shiny stretch.
Now, working with fellow property owners and developers, Knoefler is pressing myriad government agencies for $1.3 million to create a greenway along the larger rail corridor that knifes through a historic but bedraggled stretch of Miami."
FULL STORY: 'Guerilla' group to clean up Overtown tracks
Miami’s Underline Linear Park Offers Recreation, Transportation, Conservation
A 10-mile park that runs under the Miami Metrorail is nearly complete and features bioswales for water conservation and public recreation facilities.
Miami Breaks Ground on All-Electric Transit Center
The terminal will have the capacity to power 100 electric buses.
Learning From Miami
Miami is denser than most American cities, but is more car-dependent than some less compact cities. Why?
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
The park is part of a global movement to build public spaces that connect neighbors and work with local elements to serve as key parts of a city’s green infrastructure.
Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition
The El Respiro / Respire event at USC uses a large-scale human geochoreography to demand an urgent and equitable transition to green energy, blending art, activism, and community engagement to amplify the message of climate justice.
Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.
Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research