Miami Shifts Urban Form

"Miami is a city that has always inspired pride and envy for its core offers of escapism, partying, sunshine and sex, but until recently the quality of its urban and cultural environment lagged some way behind. A highly suburban car-based city, Miami's centres had been dominated by sprawling surface car parking lots and with some exceptions Miami's contemporary architecture was nothing to write home about.

But now the city's credentials have been bolstered by a roster of fine new buildings, some fantastic public space and an array of cultural facilities with more in the pipeline. Given the quality and coherence of these elements, it does not seem overstated to describe what is happening as an 'urban renaissance'."

A new cinema, a small-scale bike sharing system and even a new take on the parking structure are showing how the city is in the midst of a shift in its physical form.