Miami-Dade: Plan to Create One of the Planet’s Best Vacation Destinations

Recreational facilities are defined as those amenities that provide for relaxation, rest, exercise, activity, enjoyment, education, or opportunities for leisure and community support that enrich the quality of life. These include, but are not limited to, parks, trails, boat ramps, piers, marinas, athletic fields, playgrounds, and community centers. Recreational areas may include any type of activity in which residents or visitors may participate. Activities include hiking, bike riding, boating, fishing, swimming, sunbathing, picnicking, playground use, or participation in sports. Miami-Dade County is one of the world’s most popular vacation spots. Though destinations often are said to offer something for everyone, the Miami area does indeed offer multiple enticements for everyone. Miami-Dade County has a rich arts district as well as night life and premier shopping. Other recreational opportunities include; beaches, fishing, boating, and sports events.

The county services approximately 25 million people per year, who use parks, attend events and participate in programs. One of the leading parks systems in the country, Miami-Dade Parks offers families nurturing, stimulating recreational opportunities. Today, it is the third largest park system in the United States, and along with 270 parks, more than 13,00 acres of land, six golf courses, six marinas, 10 miles of beaches, and attractions like Zoo Miami, attracts millions of visitors each year.

The ROI is defined as all recreational lands and facilities within the County that would be affected either directly or indirectly by the project. This includes recreational areas where structure or fill is being placed for storm surge barriers, floodwalls, pump stations, natural and nature-based features, or other measures or activities associated with the project, including all areas that are filled, graded, cleared, excavated, or otherwise converted to another use as, or that will result in limited recreational use, as a consequence of the construction of the measures. It also includes areas indirectly and/or temporarily adversely affected by the project, such as by means of construction activities.

Framework

Miami-Dade County has a Parks and Open Space Master Plan. The plan envisions that great parks, public spaces, natural and cultural areas, streets, greenways, blueways, and trails can form the framework for a more sustainable community. The plan is integrated into the overall fabric of the community and helps to create the kind of place where residents want to live, employers want to do business, and tourists want to visit. This vision is a collaboration of city, County, state, and federal park agencies working together to create a more livable Miami-Dade County through a vision that includes great parks, public spaces, natural and cultural areas, greenways, water trails and streets.

The goals of the Master Plan include:

• Every resident in the County can walk (within five minutes) to a central neighborhood park and civic space for picnics, special events, informal play and socialization.
• Every resident can safely and comfortably walk, bicycle, or take transit to community parks, recreation centers and special use/sports facilities.
• Parks provide for a balance of active and passive uses.
• The County Parks Department works with every municipality and the school district to provide public access to schools, city parks and County recreation areas.
• Equitable public access is provided to lakes, beaches and other major natural features.
• Conservation areas and critical habitat are protected from over-use and negative impacts.
• An interconnected network of shaded and safe bikeways and trails connect to parks, neighborhoods, schools, employment centers, civic buildings, and other community destinations.
• Existing streets are transformed into tree-lined boulevards and parkways that define the County's urban form.
• Bus transit is provided to every park and civic site.
• Public art, signage and cultural/historical exhibits are integrated into every park and public realm/infrastructure project to 'tell the County’s story' and to create a sense of place.
• The County's significant cultural and historical sites are protected, maintained, and promoted.
• Park improvements are used as catalysts for neighborhood stabilization and/or redevelopment.
• Parks are designed to reduce energy and water consumption, and to serve as models for sustainable development countywide.
• Parks are designed to be flexible in order to accommodate ever-changing recreation trends and demographics.
• Residents of surrounding neighborhoods are engaged in the planning and design of each park. 

 The principles of the Master Plan include:  

• Every element of the County, including neighborhoods, parks, natural areas, streets, civic centers and commercial areas, should be connected without regard to jurisdiction. 
• Beauty
• Every public space, including streets, parks, plazas and civic buildings, should be designed to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible, and to complement the natural and cultural landscape.
• Access
• Every resident should be able to safely and comfortably walk, bicycle, drive and/or ride transit from their home to work, school, parks, shopping and community facilities.
• Equity
• Every resident should be able to enjoy the same quality of public facilities and services regardless of income, age, race, ability or geographic location.
• Sustainability
• Every action and improvement of the Park System, including facilities, programs, operations and management, should contribute to the economic, social and environmental prosperity of the County.
• Multiple Benefits
• Every single public action should generate multiple public benefits to maximize taxpayer dollars.

Miami-Dade County Parks is supported by The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department's efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County's world-class parks system for residents and visitors. Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities. Miami-Dade Parks now manages more than 13,500 acres and has more than 280 parks, recreational facilities and greenways. It continues to provide outstanding recreational facilities and programming to more than 2.5 million residents and visitors, making it one of the nation’s largest and busiest leisure service agencies.

A three-time national Gold medal winner for excellence in Parks administration, it is the only municipal park system of its size to be awarded National Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation and Open Space Agencies.

Heritage Parks

Parks are significant assets of a community's heritage. They are places of social and cultural gatherings, places of nature's beauty and places where we simply play.

In Miami-Dade, we have 75 years of parks that have enriched our lives and environment. Miami-Dade Parks is proud to preserve that heritage. We have designated seven parks that have played a vital role in this community's history, environment and recreational and cultural experiences.

Cite this page