Green Infrastructure Accelerator Project
ACCELERATING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A MORE RESILIENT MIAMI
Over the last several years, the team at Miami Waterkeeper has been working with community members like yourself to imagine a greener, more resilient future for Miami-Dade County. We talked with thousands of people across the County to understand local needs and priorities, and to identify opportunities for change through our Community Input Tool (below). We then selected 7 communities to co-design green infrastructure projects that would reduce flooding, heat, and habitat loss. This project focused primarily on public land in areas with the greatest potential to advance equity.
Below you can learn about green infrastructure, explore our design concepts, and identify new places for future projects using our Community Input Tool.
WHAT IS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE?
Our communities can be redesigned to work with nature, providing flood protection, shade, habitat, water filtration, and green space. This is called "green infrastructure", which falls under a larger umbrella of nature-based solutions (NBS). Some examples of green infrastructure solutions include:
- Living shorelines and streets
- Rain gardens
- Wetlands
- Urban forests
- “Green” and “Blue” roof systems
By implementing green infrastructure, we can manage climate risk and enhance quality of life for all who live in Miami-Dade. Miami Waterkeeper, in collaboration with community partners, is investigating green infrastructure opportunities in Miami-Dade County’s built environment.
PROJECTS DESIGNED WITH COMMUNITY
Using our Community Input Tool, our team worked with Local Design Office to select areas for maximum positive impact from across the County. We then brought concept designs created by Local to these communities for in-depth feedback through events, surveys, and workshops. We used this feedback to refine designs so they would meet community needs. You can explore StoryMaps of each of these projects here:
- Opa-Locka (Ingram Park)
- El Portal (Village Hall)
- West Little River (Larchmont Garden Park)
- Liberty City (Streetscape/Urban Forest)
- Overtown (Williams Park)
- North Miami (Septic-to-Sewer Pocket Park)
About the Partners
Miami Waterkeeper (MWK) is a nonprofit organization that develops local solutions to global challenges. As a leading environmental advocate in South Florida, Miami Waterkeeper focuses on sustainable solutions for clean water and resilience against sea level rise.
Florida International University Wetland Ecosystems Research Lab (FIU) will analyze two existing GI projects to measure their effectiveness in reducing stormwater runoff and removing contaminants and nutrients. This research will help to inform communities about the effectiveness of local GI projects and will be presented at the Community Town Halls.
Local Office Landscape and Urban Design is a research-based design firm building innovative, resilient, and environmentally just landscapes.
One Water Academy is a nonprofit organization that seeks to equip governments, utilities, industry, academia, nonprofits, and the community with the skills and knowledge needed to prepare, respond, and recover from shocks and stresses for One Water resilience.
University of Miami College of Engineering (COE) is focused on educating the next generation of engineers to prepare societal leaders with strong scientific and technical skills combined with an ethical and moral outlook to impact academia, business, government and/or the non-profit sector.
People's Economic & Environmental Resilience (P.E.E.R.) Group is a nonprofit law firm that partners with communities and clients to develop evidence-based policies rooted in equity, resilience, and sustainability
University of Miami School of Law Environmental Justice Clinic (EJC) advocates for and empowers marginalized communities by combining civil rights, environmental, poverty, and public health law with community lawyering principles.
Everglades Law Center is a nonprofit law firm dedicated to representing the public interest in environmental and land use matters. The ELC will advocate for improved stormwater management policies, including green infrastructure, and regulations that speak to today's changing environmental conditions and tomorrow's climate future.
About the Funders
This project would not be possible without the generous support from our funders.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded project funding through the South Florida Geographic Initiatives Program, which provides competitive grants to address the immediate and emerging ecological pressures and threats to nearshore waters, bays, estuaries, beaches, and coral reefs central to South Florida's economic well-being.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation provided funding through the National Coastal Resilience Fund. This funding opportunity helps fund work at different stages of development to use nature-based solutions for coastal communities.
Pisces Foundation
The Pisces Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations to accelerate to a world where people and nature thrive together. The foundation supports early movers, innovative ideas, and bold leaders and organizations, adapting based on lessons learned. Pisces Foundation collaborates and creates purposeful networks, knowing that connection, joint priorities, and collective action accelerate progress and produce greater results.
