Best Urban Block in South Florida

[casamagda]

Originally Posted by brickell

As dense and lively and cool looking as Miami Beach is, I can't think of too many truly mixed use areas.

1500 Block of Ocean Drive has Il Villagio Residences, the Betsey Ross Hotel, shops, restaurants, offices, and Lummus Park which has access to the ocean walk and the Atlantic Ocean.

[brickell]

OK... that's one. surely there are more. But a tourist catering hotel row is not my idea of an ideal urban block, even if it qualifies as one.

[casamagda]

...

[xerxesjc28]

South Florida’s Best Block competition

Have you guys been following this? Heard this on NPR about a week ago, there is a contest that the Miami Herald is sponsoring to find the best urban block in South Florida. Here is more specifically what is said on this contest.

So we are soliciting photographs and short videos of your favorite urban block in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach counties, accompanied by a brief explanation of why it’s the best. Entries will be judged by five eminent, expert jurors. The winner will get a block party. Individuals will get cash prizes for best photo and video presentations.

What will the judges look for?

A street, one-block long, fronted by buildings on either side. The buildings could also front a plaza, a small park or square, or a pedestrian-only passageway.

The block can be anywhere — downtown, outlying neighborhood, or suburban town center — and it can be old, restored or brand-spanking new.

One thing they’re not looking for: your beautiful suburban block of single-family homes (that’s a contest for another day).

First and foremost is people. The block must be dense and pedestrian-centered, with buildings, streets and sidewalks oriented primarily to accommodating the gathering and movement of people, not cars.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/1...#storylink=cpy

What do you guys think of this contest? I think its a great Idea, if you guys can enter the contest go ahead, there is about one week left. To read more go to Best Urban Block in South Florida? It’s out there.

If you guys want to see all the video submissions to date, watch this playlist of some 20ish videos.

[QuantumX]

Hadn't thought of this one!

The Miami Herald

Posted on Sunday October 7, 2012
South Florida’s Best Block is ... Española Way in Miami Beach

Miami Beach’s elegant, historic Spanish Village on Española Way wins The Miami Herald’s best urban block in South Florida competition, as West Palm Beach’s resurgent Clematis Street also makes a strong showing.

BY ANDRES VIGLUCCI
aviglucci@MiamiHerald.com
Española Way, the cozy Miami Beach lane built as an artists’ colony in the 1920s and designed to evoke a picturesque Mediterranean village, has captured The Miami Herald’s best block in South Florida competition. Hands down.

With little debate, four expert jurors unanimously selected the street’s “Spanish Village’’ block between Washington and Drexel avenues as winner of the Goldman Prize — named after the late urbanist and developer Tony Goldman — from among the scores of urban blocks in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties nominated by readers.

“It jumps out at you right away,’’ said juror Victor Dover, a Coral Gables-based town planner and urban designer. “There were places centered around nightlife and shopping, or art or music. There were places that had great architecture and walkability. But there were few that had all of those, and that made Española Way stand out. It’s got it all.’’

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/0...#storylink=cpy

[CalleOchoGringo]

Aha, the one I picked!

Too bad I kept silent about it. Didn't wanna taint anyones opinion.

[PeterSmith]

I think this was a good choice for the competition winner. Among all the entries, Espanola Way really does have more to offer than most. As the stated purpose of the contest was to identify examples to serve as models for future development, I would like to see more blocks designed like Espanola Way. More importantly, however, would be to develop blocks on a larger, denser scale that are inspired by rather than mirror the positive attributes of Espanola Way.

[QuantumX]

Originally Posted by PeterSmith

I think this was a good choice for the competition winner. Among all the entries, Espanola Way really does have more to offer than most. As the stated purpose of the contest was to identify examples to serve as models for future development, I would like to see more blocks designed like Espanola Way. More importantly, however, would be to develop blocks on a larger, denser scale that are inspired by rather than mirror the positive attributes of Espanola Way.

How do you think Mary Brickell Village compares, between Beethoven's 9th and 10 Streets and South Miami Avenue and SW 1st Avenue?

[PeterSmith]

I like MBV; it carries Brickell retail on its shoulders. Without MBV, Brickell would be infinitely less livable and vibrant than it currently is. That said, it is not representative of the developments that I would like to see in much of Miami. Once the residential tower is built over MBV, it will be a more complete mixed-use urban block, but currently, it is just a really good retail and parking destination. What much of Miami has yet to master is the concept of fully integrated, mixed-use urban development. I think the three components that a great urban block should have are 1. a retail component; 2. a residential or office component (preferably both); and 3. great street level interaction that promotes pedestrian activity. MBV will come close once the residential portion is complete, but it's retail is still set back a bit too far from the street for my tastes; that might be just personal preferences, but I do feel that if you had MBV-style setbacks block after block, it might begin to inhibit pedestrian life. Such setbacks draw pedestrians off the street much in the same way that indoor shopping plazas do.

Q, you and I have both spent time in Chicago recently. What I would like to see are blocks built like Michigan Avenue or Clark Street through Lincoln Park, blocks where we don't sacrifice pedestrian infrastructure for high density residential/office/retail. Right now, there just isn't much of that in Miami.

Between Espanola Way and MBV, I think you have to go with Espanola Way at the present simply because MBV isn't as mixed-use at Espanola Way is. Add in the MBV residential tower though and I think MBV will be a much more replicable design for Brickell and downtown. I like Espanola Way, and it is a great design for areas outside the urban core; I think if you replicated Espanola Way block after block you would get something like the French Concession in Shanghai, which is one of my most favorite neighborhoods in the world, but it is not really a realistic design for the high density vision we have for Brickell, downtown, Midtown, etc. It would be GREAT for Wynwood, though.

[QuantumX]

We are pretty much in agreement regarding MBV. Just wanted to hear your assessment of it. For me, the Publix and the gym there go a long way, even though there is no residential in that block, and I most certainly did enjoy Michigan Avenue. Stayed just a block away from there in Streeterville.

[miami305]

My picture.

[casamagda]

I never got around to putting together an entry, but Lincoln Road on the 1100 block would have/should have beaten out Espanola Way.

In addition to the 8 story office building; which is home to Nickelodeon Networks, Modeling Agencies, Sony Music, Real Estate companies, etc.
it has very vibrant and diverse retail;
Tachen Book store (in a modern Herzog & DeMuron building), Banana Republic (in repurposed 1930's bank), Alchemy, etc.,
restaurant options; Serendipity, Shake Shack, Rosa Mexicana, Dorayku, Piola, Juvia (on the rooftop)
Some resi
Not much! but some, it is totally surrounded by density though.
Movie theater, public park designed to mimic the Everglades ecosystem with fountains and sitting areas.

And most importantly...people. Lots and lots of people. Locals, International tourists, and day trippers Sunday through Monday morning and long into the night 365 days a year.
This cannot be said about either MBV or Espanola.

[QuantumX]

I'll have to take another look at it.