Miami has been a city in flux since its founding a century ago. However, changes in urban morphology over the past few years have taken on a worrisome and questionably ethical trend. Gentrification dynamics have greatly intensified, disrupting long-standing community networks, displacing residents and erasing history.
Neighborhoods such as Allapattah, Homestead, Liberty City, Little Haiti, Overtown, and West Coconut Grove all face similar challenges: displacement, the erosion of cultural and historical identity, and growing inequality. These communities attract developers due to low land costs or advantageous geography in a city threatened by sea level rise, despite (or because of) their negative stigmas. As development advances, the loss of traditions, landmarks, and the neighborhoods’ original character becomes increasingly apparent. Many neighbors, including founding neighborhood members, are forced to move out due to increasing property taxes and rent costs, leaving behind memories of their beloved homes.
To document and honor these communities, students in Elisa Silva’s design studio—Associate Professor of the FIU Wolfsonian PUblic Humanities Lab —conducted walking tours with graduate level architecture students to observe and record neighborhood conditions between Fall 2021 to Spring 2022. Students also engaged with residents and community leaders through interviews, workshops, and participatory activities to better understand local needs and concerns. At the end of the year, students presented their work to neighbors, closely tied to situated conditions and their conversations throughout, offering thoughtful, community-informed design proposals rooted in dialogue and respect.
Student work can be found here: https://spaceforeveryone.cargo.site/