The Power Of The Rivers

Source: wyso.org

As I have expressed previously, my biggest passion is neighborhood redevelopment. There’s something in seeing how a “dead zone” in a city becomes alive, how it gradually changes from a place only a few would dare to go, to a place where no one would dare not to go to. Since I arrived to Miami 2 years ago, I have been on the look out for these hidden gems, these neighborhoods that to the naked eye seem hopeless but that have that potential of becoming future hotspots or even important districts of the city.

One of these places was the Miami River District, a place filled with marinas, warehouses and poorly developed housing, almost no retail and very little sightseeing spots around but undeniably well located. But besides the obvious, the real reason why this spot has potential is because as humans we have always gravitated towards water, we do this by nature, we enjoy being by it and this is why waterfronts are so precious.

The fact that we like these spaces so much creates the opportunity for the city and private developers to create something great, a new district that takes advantage of this natural amenity and makes it its core, a walkable riverside part that gives life to this underused treasure. There are hundreds of news and stories about the transformation that this district is undergoing today, recently I was in a Real Estate event from FIU Real Estate School where some of the city’s top developers discussed this, and one of Miami’s most renown architect/developer Kobi Karp revealed some of his latest designs that would leave their mark in this place. I also read this article where another top liner developer from KAR properties explains how he has been inspired by the world most important rivers to bet in the Miami River. Here’s an image from that article that displays the future of the district:

Source: http: www.forbes.com

I love the fact that these kind of developers are betting to this neighborhood, because thanks to the massive projects that they are developing here, in Downtown, Brickell and little Havana, in 5 years Miami will be a city connected of really amazing districts working like nodes, filled with culture, walkable, green and alive.