New Tool Puts Miami Development Opportunities on the Map

There's plenty of vacant or underutilized land to be found in Miami-Dade County, if you know where and how to look.

1 minute read

April 18, 2019, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Metrorail

Rudy Umans / Shutterstock

Rene Rodriguez and Sarah Moreno share news of a new mapping tool by researchers at the University of Miami that locates vacant and underutilized land in Mimi-Dade County.

Rodriguez and Moreno share the data illustrated by the mapping tool as counter evidence to claims by local developers about land scarcity in the county. According to the new Land Access for Neighborhood Development tool (LAND), "there are actually 500 million square feet of vacant or underutilized land scattered across Miami-Dade County. The land is either publicly or institutionally owned."

The LAND tool is the work of the Miami Housing Solutions Lab at the University of Miami's Office of Civic and Community Engagement (CCE).

"The program, which is free to use and available to the public, collects and visualizes data from the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser," according to Ridriguez and Moreno. "It allows users to apply various filters to searches, so they can distinguish vacant, available city lots from county-owned land previously used but no longer needed by government agencies. (They’re called surplus lots.)"

Friday, March 15, 2019 in Miami Herald

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Red 1972 Ford Pinto with black racing stripes on display with man sitting in driver's seat.

Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto

The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.

July 2, 2025 - Mother Jones

Close-up of park ranger in green jacket and khaki hat looking out at Bryce Canyon National Park red rock formations.

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions

Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

February 18, 2025 - National Parks Traveler

Paved walking path next to canal in The Woodlands, Texas with office buildings in background.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50

A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

February 19, 2025 - Greg Flisram

Screenshot of shade map of Buffalo, New York with legend.

Test News Post 1

This is a summary

0 seconds ago - 2TheAdvocate.com

Red 1972 Ford Pinto with black racing stripes on display with man sitting in driver's seat.

Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto

The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.

18 minutes ago - Mother Jones

test alt text

Test News Headline 46

Test for the image on the front page.

March 5 - Cleantech blog