our
projects

Bayamón Riverfront Smart District Project Type: Economic Revitalization, Urban Design, and Transportation Planning Project Status: Completed Dates: August 2023 Site Area: approx. 52 acres Team: Plusurbia Design The City of Bayamon is one of few Puerto Rico cities with all the necessary ingredients for reinvestment to translate into remarkable transformation already taking place. With visionary leadership, Bayamon has revitalized its downtown historic architecture by restoring its architecture and integrating art through a captivating facade improvement program featuring vibrant murals. In addition, the city has prioritized reinvestment in its infrastructure, enhancing streets, expanding sidewalks, and improving accessibility to the metro station. The Tren Urbano, an elevated metro line, seamlessly connects Bayamon to the vibrant San Juan Metropolitan area, creating the possibility for a car-free lifestyle only possible in a few places, making this municipality a genuinely enviable place to live, work and play. Plusurbia Design was commissioned to envision the revitalization of Bayamon's Riverfront. An area currently underutilized and in need of redevelopment.  The proposed vision is for a vibrant space that seamlessly blends natural and man-made elements. The urban infill plan includes a variety of complimentary uses to bring life back to the area. Those uses are largely connected through a series of  pedestrian friendly spaces, emphasizing public amenities along the riverfront, increasing access to the waterfront, and more importantly creating an identity for the district. Our studio believes that sustainability should be the cornerstone of all its projects. Sustainable strategies, such as stormwater management, green infrastructure and energy conservation and generation are incorporated into the design.  This project serves as an example of how sustainable urban design can help create meaningful public spaces and encourage positive environmental, economic and social change. With the goal of creating a vibrant district that encourages interactions between people, businesses, the waterfront and nature through thoughtful design and planning, the plan proposes a variety of uses including residential housing, commercial/retail, and public open space. The plan also puts forth a vision for greening the district with a strong emphasis on urban agriculture. Community gardens, edible landscaping, green roofs and food hubs are all proposed as ways to foster social interaction while increasing access to challenging food deserts. Additionally, this type of programming encourages environmental stewardship by reducing water usage through rainwater collection and energy conservation through the use of renewable energy sources.

Lattice - A new approach to Comprehensive Planning Project Type: Planning Platform | Code Project Status: Ongoing Dates: November 2020 - Present Team: Plusurbia Design Lattice enables communities to craft a vision for their future through better comprehensive planning. Plusurbia Design developed a Comprehensive Planning tool called Lattice for planning professionals, elected officials, and regional stakeholders. Visit The Center for Comprehensive Planning. Released as a free online tool, Lattice is part of a not-for-profit effort to help communities rapidly develop a planning framework that uses current best practices to address a specific area's economic, environmental, and social challenges. Lattice provides a step-by-step approach to comprehensive planning through an interactive prompt algorithm. The Lattice Planning Engine: Through an interactive questionnaire, Lattice dynamically generates a plan template that aims to meet the needs and achieve the goals of the planning region. The answer to each question prompts Lattice to generate the ideal plan structure and automatically includes general language for elements, goals, and policies tuned to user input. Lattice is the product of years of research by planners eager to develop a better way to create comprehensive plans, especially new ones or those needing significant updates to incorporate best practices. Plusurbia Design is committed to improving planning beyond its practice through The Center for Comprehensive Planning.  The Center provides resources, including guidance documents and interactive tools, to equip communities with the information they need to envision and create new, calibrated regulatory frameworks.

Miami Beach Resilient Development Code Project Type: Form-Based and Resiliency Code Project Status: Ongoing Dates: November 2020 - Present Site Area: Citywide (9,740 AC) Team: Plusurbia + Perkins+Will (lead) Client: City of Miami Beach, FL Plusurbia was part of a multi-disciplinary team that included architects, engineers, and scientists capable of transforming the existing and outdated Code into a new document that established guidelines for new construction for the next fifty years. The team spent months meeting with community groups, architects, developers, and a number of Public Citizen Boards and the City’s Planning Department to lead them into a new and visionary Code that would address many of the issues and possible remedies to the devastating effects of sea-water rise. This project consisted of drafting a new form-based style resiliency code, tailored specifically to Miami Beach and focusing on resilience adaptation and mitigation strategies. This code simplifies use requirements, focusing on building orientation, scale, context, and building frontages. This code will provide City staff, developers, and the community with clear and consistent rules and regulations to which new development must conform. This form-based style resiliency code enables the City to formulate a strategic plan that will continue to promote and protect the historic character of the distinct neighborhoods, while identifying areas for sustainable growth and development.

City Terrace Community Development Corporation Project Type: Transportation Planning & Urban Design Project Status: Ongoing Dates: June 2022 - present Site Area: approx. 6 acres Team: Plusurbia Design + BusinessFlare Client: Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation Inc. The premise of this project is to provide General Planning and Economic Development Strategy Services to provide a holistic development vision, strategies, and recommendations for the future development of the Opa-Locka CDC  properties as part of a larger special district. This planning exercise consisted of a dual-scoped approach. It included a high-level analysis and suggestions for Opa-locka’s downtown and surroundings, as well as a more detailed master plan and recommendations for a transit-oriented development (TOD) area. This TOD area is proposed to be located between the city’s Tri-Rail station and downtown, capitalizing on these assets and the properties owned or considered for ownership by the Opa Locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC), reflecting their pivotal role in the area’s more extensive redevelopment. Specifically, the goals of the project are to: Create a walkable TOD destination for the City of Opa-Locka that helps reposition their place brand from unsafe and unpredictable to the next Miami transformation story and a place of opportunity. Maximize the development potential of the OLCDC properties as part of a larger strategy to leverage revitalization (commercial and residential) by applying Urban Core and TOD principles to the area and identifying market potential that supports financially feasible new development Create a phasing and acquisition strategy that maximizes leverage, ROI, and future opportunities for OLCDC and their partners, including the County, CRA, and City.

Sunbeam SAP Project Type: Special Area Plan Project Status: Completed | October 2022 Dates: January 2022 - October 2022 Site Area: 12 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Sunbeam Development Inc. Sunbeam Special Area Plan (SAP) is a vision for the project to create a new “Iconic” destination at the heart of North Bay Village sitting on the prow of Broadcast Key with vibrant mixed-use project consisting of multi-family residential, a hotel, office, restaurants, entertainment, retail, a marina and a small production studio, with civic space, public open space and the island walk. The project at the inflection point where the land meets the water will be where the people of North Bay Village, Miami and tourists can connect with the Bay. It is set to become a model of resiliency and sustainability, not just for the buildings but also for The Village Project. One of the most important goals is to provide a beneficial impact on the adjacent waters of Biscayne Bay while defending Broadcast Key from the corrosive and erosive action of those same waters.

Park West Master Plan Project Type: Master Plan Project Status: Completed | May 2021 Dates: March 2021 - May 2021 Site Area: 10 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Simkins The Project consists of a Master Plan Zoning Package of the Innovation District that considers changes to the site's existing regulations that affect this district and supports a legal rezoning application from T6-60-A to T6-60-B. The cohesive Master Plan Zoning Report served as a tool to communicate with stakeholders, elected officials, City and County Staff the development parameters of the Project. The document established development strategies as part of a Master Plan for the Project Area. The goals of the Plan are to achieve a cohesive and well-designed development that serves as a guide for responsible growth and development within this District.

Hialeah 49th Street Corridor Project Type: Urban Design and Master Planning Project Status: Completed | June 2021 Dates: March 2021 - June 2021 Site Area: 38 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: City of Hialeah This study is a zoning and development analysis of east 49th street between east 4th and east 8th avenues in Hialeah. Further, this project provides a vision and development recommendations for properties fronting the street. The premise is to assess the potential of the corridor as it develops into a mixed-use environment incentivizing future development based on new land-use conditions, city-making, and demand while respecting and improving the residential context around it. Therefore, the study considers properties north and south of the corridor, beyond those fronting it, to understand the impact future development may have on the neighborhoods and districts.

West Grove Affordable Housing Blueprint Project Type: Affordable Housing Project Status: Completed | June 2022 Dates: July 2021 - June 2022 Site Area: 960 acres Team: Plusurbia Design, BusinessFlare, The Corradino Group Client: City of Miami Creating the right conditions for Affordable Housing in a neighborhood requires a carefully calibrated combination of factors to be considered carefully. Variables are often difficult to estimate and predict and differ greatly, including development costs, market conditions, and land availability. Others can be managed through policy, regulation, administrative processes, and financial assistance to increase opportunities and the likelihood of Affordable Housing being built in any given area. This Blueprint for Affordable Housing provides a guide to make policy and legislative modifications to the current conditions in the West Grove to incentivize its Affordable Housing component. It also includes case studies where this has been achieved and proposes Assistance Programs to mitigate the displacement of its residents. The proposed recommendations are intended to improve the tangible, implementable, and predictable factors based on current conditions to create Affordable Housing in the West Grove. Regular calibrations and modifications to these recommendations will be necessary to keep up with changing local and regional socio-economic conditions. This will ensure that, over time, families in West Grove can remain in their homes and not be cost-burdened by it, giving them upward economic mobility within the neighborhood.

Poinciana Station TOD Project Type: Transit-Oriented Development Project Status: Completed | June 2021 Dates: October 2021 - December 2021 Site Area: 14.5 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: 79th Street Corridor Neighborhood Initiative Miami faces a challenge in supplying affordable housing and creating location-efficient places. Transit Oriented Developments (TODs) are walkable, mixed-use development patterns located near transit; TOD studies are conducted to transform communities into places that provide safe mobility, housing opportunities, and neighborhood amenities. High-performing TODs must be specially tailored to the context of existing communities and provide optimal intensity and density within a quarter-mile of transit, gradually decreasing as distance from the transit core increases. The Poinciana Station Transit Shed has the potential to become a true transit-oriented commuter district, given that a great percentage of the surrounding land is primed for redevelopment. The potential for future transit-oriented development in the project site, in addition to the land identified for investment, will certainly bring many positive changes to the neighborhood.

Playa de Ponce Segment - Borinquen Trail Project Type: Mobility Plan Project Status: Completed Dates: February 2023 Site Area: 6 miles Team: Plusurbia Design This rails-to-trails study proposes a network of paths and first-phase interventions in Playa de Ponce, Puerto Rico. This vision report was developed in conjunction with community leaders, non-profits, and government stakeholders in Playa de Ponce, a historically underserved urban center on the South coast of Puerto Rico. Plusurbia Design proposed to carry out a study for Borinquen Trail for Para la Naturaleza’s cultural projects grant. Plusurbia Design carried out this study of Borinquen Trail for Para la Naturaleza’s cultural projects grant. The study mapped the existing conditions of Playa de Ponce’s mobility and public spaces, proposed a multi-modal implementation plan for walking, biking, and transit, and developed creative placemaking strategies. The results from this study will help guide the growth of Playa de Ponce by connecting its neighborhoods with cultural heritage sites and the rest of Ponce. The plan proposed to build a continuous ‘complete street approach’ along the route with bicycle routes and amenities, such as street trees, cultural centers, parks, bioswales, wayfinding signage, and historic property markers. The development of this new trail would create better streets and public spaces in Playa de Ponce while also improving access to jobs and opportunities. Furthermore, the plan included recommendations for implementing climate resilience, stormwater management, microgrids, storm surge defense, and historic preservation strategies. The city council is currently considering measures to implement the recommendations in the study. If approved, residents can look forward to a continuous bicycle route between Playa and the city center and a continuous path along the Southern coast connecting with communities along the former railroad. Ultimately, these proposed changes will lead to a more livable and sustainable Playa de Ponce. By providing residents with reliable and accessible transit options, the city can move towards achieving its goal of a greener future.

East Gateway District Project Type: Master Planning Project Status: Completed | October 2022 Dates: August - October 2022 Site Area: 170 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: East Gateway Coalition Greenville, South Carolina is known for the story of its downtown revitalization and embrace of planning to reinvent itself into one of the most vibrant, fastest-growing cities in the country. However, its most popular entrance, providing visitors with their first impressions of the city, must reflect this modern reality. Instead, the Gateway Area contains a series of disconnected development patterns that have evolved independently over the last 200 years, including a National Register-listed Historic Neighborhood, the city’s Arena, and the county’s Law Enforcement Center. The Community Vision Plan embraces the neighborhood’s assets and introduces strategies to weave the built environment back together, better establishing physical and psychological connections to the adjacent downtown. The project began by reimagining the central corridor as a multimodal boulevard flanked by mixed-use, urban-style development. From there, introducing a transition zone offers a way to preserve the neighborhood's historic character, while allowing the corridor to reach its ideal density. Furthermore, exploring additional infill development opportunities around the arena reveals the potential for a new entertainment district that will continue to build on Greenville's legacy of great placemaking.

The Underline Special District Plan Project Type: Urban Planning and Design Project Status: Completed Dates: April 2019 - February 2020 Site Area: 10+ mile Corridor Team: Plusurbia Design + Tindale Oliver (Benesch) Client: Friends of the Underline, Inc. The Underline, a 10+ mile green corridor along the Miami-Dade Metro Rail, has the potential to impact its surrounding areas through careful planning and zoning positively. Inversely, the corridor will significantly benefit by assuring that surrounding areas are protected, that stakeholders are provided safe and pleasant access to the corridor, and that any potential future development is appropriate to its context and its privileged Transit Oriented location. This study calibrates through planning and zoning the future development and mobility improvements along the length of the corridor spanning five municipalities. To maximize the corridor’s positive impact and balance changes resulting from the creation of this Green Corridor, the study proposes mid-scale development that transitions from denser and more intense transit-oriented areas to single-family residential neighborhoods. Future development and infrastructure improvements are supported through financing strategies outlined in the study to allow the corridor's evolution to be incremental. Recommendations are necessary to understand this balance and propose improvements to development standards and value capture mechanisms to capitalize on the value created to build and maintain the Corridor’s positive impact.

TPO SMART Plan - North Corridor Visualization Project Type: Planning & Design of Generic Station Areas Project Status: Completed Dates: 7 acres Site Area: 207 acres Team: Plusurbia Design, The Corradino Group (lead) Client: Miami Dade TPO (Transportation Planning Organization) Planning and design for the TPO SMART Plan North Corridor. The SMART Plan is a comprehensive approach to creating six rapid transit corridors. The studio, as consultants for The Corradino Group, is providing its planning, design, and graphics expertise in defining a suitable location to use as a base for the design of the stations along the North Corridor, creating 3D volumetrics of the development around the stations and completing renderings to visualize the design for three station area plans: community station, neighborhood station, and regional station.

Downtown Rockledge Master Plan Project Type: Urban Planning and Design Project Status: Completed Dates: June 2020 - October 2021 Site Area: 30 acres Team: Plusurbia Design + BusinessFlare Client: City of Rockledge Downtown Rockledge is primed to be a magnet for revitalization that enables quality of life improvements for the City of Rockledge. The plan will serve as a basis for future development within the district and will help reinforce existing public and private investments. The main purpose of this master plan is to create a vision for a downtown that enhances the Civic Hub while expanding opportunities for development and improved connections. It endeavors to establish a vision centered on Main Street as a destination, through improvements to mobility, public safety, and entrepreneurial offerings. Mobility enhancements consist of improving walkability and comfort through complete streets, strengthening connectivity with adjacent destinations, highlighting proximity to Lake Betsi, and supporting businesses with public spaces and mix of uses. Public safety can be nurtured by increasing opportunities for people to stick around in the town center area, including through creation of landmarks, developing vacant lots, a pedestrian safety plan, and establishment of recreational trails through downtown. Landscaping will play a crucial role in enhancing comfort with shade trees and structures. 

Dolphin Station TOD Project Type: Transit-Oriented Development, Master Planning Project Status: Completed Dates: August 2019 - February 2020 Site Area: 70 acres Team: Plusurbia Design + Arquitectonica Client: Terra Group The 70-acre Dolphin TOD project - most of which fits into the 1/2 mile radius boundary from the proposed transit center - will serve a wide range of residents, commuters, and visitors alike. Its proximity to such large servicing job centers like Telemundo and shopping destinations like the Dolphin Mall makes it the perfect candidate for building transit-oriented development connecting people to place. Currently, only under 2% of the surrounding 1-mile radius of the potential station uses public transit to commute to work. Introducing a BRT system and train station could completely overhaul car dependency and encourage multi-modal mobility, making the surrounding Dolphin area more desirable, accessible, and convenient. This transit center also holds the unique opportunity to use its strengths of mobility and connectivity as a means to create supportive programming within it, solidifying its sense of identity and establishing it as an ideal destination to live, work, and play.

Haitang Bay Sports Town Project Type: Master Planning Project Status: Completed Dates: August 2018 - November 2018 Site Area: 56 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Vanke Haitang Bay is a Master Planned Community that reconstructs the unique beauty of the natural environment back to its original state, creating a destination where the built and natural environments coexist. Located at the mouth of the Queen Bay, connecting with the freshwater Tielugang lake, at the outskirts of Sanya, Hainan Island’s newest community resort and Sports Town will be the destination of marine tourism, the home of the National Sailing Team and the destination of nature addicts. It provides several beach resort hotels, one of the island’s largest marinas, and a residential and shopping district that will make it one of Hainan’s most unique waterfront destinations. The planned resort rebuilds mangrove islands to protect them from tidal currents and filter ocean + river water to safeguard the ecosystem. It re-establishes the original tree canopy to mitigate typhoon-force winds and raises the built elevation to address the rising sea level. New waterways created through the development improve water movement and offer additional frontage.

HART TODs Pilot Project Project Type: Streetcar and Bus Rapid Transit, Transit-Oriented Development Pilot Project Project Status: Completed Dates: February 2020 - October 2022 Site Area: 10-mile corridor Team: Plusurbia Design + HDR (Lead) Client: Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority The HART TOD Pilot Project is focused on the future of communities along the planned routes for HART’s Arterial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service and the City of Tampa’s Streetcar Extension project. The project study area extends from Downtown Tampa to the University of South Florida (USF) along Florida and Fowler Avenues. HDR is working with local stakeholders to explore the potential for infill, redevelopment, and retrofit along the project corridor to increase levels of transit supportiveness, improve community livability and competitiveness, and increase access to regional employment and educational destinations. The project will result in policy and regulatory strategies and economic incentives to guide public and private investment, promote equitable infill and redevelopment, conserve and protect corridor communities, improve walkability and transit accessibility, and build demand for enhanced transit service. Recommendations will also be designed for application along other corridors planned for enhanced transit across the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County.

West Grove CRA Project Type: Redevelopment Plan Project Status: Completed Dates: October 2020 - February 2021 Site Area: approx. 960 acres Team: Plusurbia Design + BusinessFlare Client: City of Miami District 2 Commissioner’s Office The West Grove Community Redevelopment Plan is the culmination of decades of community desires, public outreach, and requests to preserve and restore a vital residential and commercial district founded by Bahamian settlers in the early 1800s. The drafting and adoption of the Plan is a critical step for creating the West Grove Community Redevelopment Agency, as the Plan, including Funding Projections, is required by Florida Statute before making the Redevelopment Trust Fund. The concept of this redevelopment plan will guide the Agency’s goals and objectives, which will be implemented through realistic initiatives that are part of an overall funding strategy. This document is organized to allow the reader to follow and understand the evolution and development of this plan. The Redevelopment Plan is designed to identify the main strategies, key and catalytic projects, and programs recommended to be implemented within a newly expanded area in West Coconut Grove. We must emphasize that this area’s redevelopment plan aims to strengthen the West Grove neighborhood and its residents, add vitality to its commercial corridors, reinvigorate its aging structures, and personify the strong sense of pride in this historic community.

North Avenue Railroad District Project Type: Urban Planning and Design Project Status: Completed Dates: November 2019 - March 2022 Site Area: 43 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: NDT Development The project comprises a master plan and proposed regulatory framework of the Nora District in West Palm Beach. The vision must support the implementation of a new compatible zoning overlay district for the study area. The project includes a narrative and exhibits intended to serve as guidelines for a new regulatory framework of the site. The project also consists of a comprehensive review of land use, zoning, and development potentials. This regulatory framework provided the guidelines for a change in zoning and other improvements as part of an overlay district carefully calibrated with the planning department. The design team developed a unique vision for the District based on three guiding principles: Urban Development, Urban Connections, and Vibrant Places. These principles inform the creation of an attractive urban environment that connects people with places.

North Springs District - Heron Bay Project Type: Zoning and Development Analysis Project Status: Completed Dates: March 2021 - May 2021 Site Area: 69 acres Team: Plusurbia Client: Upper Buenavista Management, LLC Emporium is a Master Plan created in response to The North Springs Improvement District and the Cities of Parkland and Coral Springs. The design was selected among several submissions for its innovative approaches to Golf Course retrofit and its approach to improving accessibility and services for their residents. The Committee selected the proposal as a three-part project that includes health, design, arts, and entertainment in a village-like environment surrounded by nature reserves. The proposal incorporates distinctive landscape architecture mimicking organic and natural forms and visually and physically connects the buildings with the canals and preserve. Brownfield mitigation was achieved through a thorough commitment to sustainable design from the inside out – creating land formations, encouraging active uses by providing healthier spaces and energy-efficient structures, and minimizing the broader environmental impact. The 150-acre preserve is part of a more extensive drainage system ensuring multiple connection points between the proposed development and the Preserve’s trail system.

Brandon Town Center Project Type: Master Planning Project Status: Under Construction Dates: September 2018 - February 2019 Site Area: 56 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Rotunda Land Development The Brandon Town Center is a mixed-use, walkable downtown environment planned for Brandon, a primarily suburban community located east of Tampa in Hillsborough County. The project includes a variety of uses, including commercial, entertainment & recreational space; multi-family residential; single-family homes; civic & government services; parks; and public art. The project's goal was to create a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented downtown environment that would provide an amenity to the community while providing a positive return on investment for our client. The plan features a main street with mixed-use buildings flanked on either side by attached single-family houses (row houses). There is a stormwater and recreational pond and a food hall that anchors the central green space and looks out onto the pond. The design also includes public open spaces for recreation, seating, shade trees for cooling, and play structures. Innovative stormwater managing techniques will be deployed, including green infrastructure such as rain gardens, permeable pavements, and bioswales to manage stormwater runoff. Each area is designed according to the wants and needs of the community, with special consideration given to the existing landscape and ecological systems. A vehicle-free street type is used in the master plan to provide enhanced pedestrian connectivity, safety, and comfort. The streets are designed to be naturally traffic-calmed, with on-street parking, wide sidewalks, street trees, and textured crosswalks.  These streets aim to create a pedestrian-friendly environment that can host various activities, such as outdoor markets, performances, and promenades.

Village of El Portal Design Guidelines Project Type: Planning Project Status: Completed Completion Date: October 2020 Site Area: 256 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Village of El Portal The Village of El Portal Council unanimously adopted the first El Portal Design Guidelines on October 27, 2020. The guidelines were developed after the Village Mayor Claudia V. Cubillos and Village Council directed the Planning Consultant to develop Architectural guidelines; these guidelines aim to preserve and enhance the Village of El Portal's unique character while allowing for change through new development. The El Portal Design Guidelines articulate design principles that guide architects, developers, and property owners in creating a built environment compatible with existing structures, open spaces, and the public realm. They intend to provide a framework for the successful execution of quality urban design and architecture in El Portal, addressing building composition, scale, and articulation to establish a measure of architectural harmony that accommodates diverse styles and uses and addresses landscaping and site design elements. The guidelines also facilitate the review process by clarifying the architectural expectations of the community. These standards aim to achieve street-friendly buildings, authenticity, climate responsiveness, and contextuality. This document sets general guidelines concerning its purposes and contents and are not meant to be regulatory.

Project Type: Corridor Analysis and Design of Multimodal Alternatives Project Status: Completed | August 2020 Site Area: 3.5 mi Team: Plusurbia Design + The Corradino Group (lead) Client: City of Fort Lauderdale Las Olas Boulevard is a vital link for multimodal traffic. It is a strategic part of the roadway network and the most direct east-west route for people walking and cycling. Our project vision is to connect residents and visitors of Fort Lauderdale through the enhancement of this iconic boulevard representing our history and future. As the major thoroughfare connecting downtown Fort Lauderdale and Central Beach, Las Olas Boulevard must balance moving people efficiently through a balance of transportation needs inclusive of pedestrian, bicycling, vehicular, and transit modes, with space programmed to safely accommodate other alternative modes, such as scooters, when they arrive. Las Olas is the most direct route between Downtown Fort Lauderdale and the beach. Its centrality also places it within reach of transit, first response, and park facilities. The goal is to reimagine the 3.5-mile length of Las Olas Boulevard from Downtown through The Isles. Las Olas Boulevard is considered the critical identity street for Fort Lauderdale, and our challenge is to build on the strengths already in place to create a memorable image; a world-class street. Las Olas Boulevard today has four distinct characters: Downtown, The Shops, Colee Hammock, and The Isles. Several variables comprise the makeup of each street segment: 1- Pedestrian areas, bicycle, and scooter lanes, asphalt for cars and vehicles, all things that move and are in motion; 2- Amenities throughout, such as landscaping, street furniture, signage, and lighting. These elements are static and have different purposes in different street parts. These elements are the basis of the visual identity for each street segment; 3- Different roles during the day and at nighttime; and 4- The street also differs from Weekday, Weeknight, Weekend, and Event operations. The design of Las Olas Boulevard strives to create a street that achieves the following for residents and visitors: • Promote quality of life through context-sensitive design • Efficient use of the road network to allow for a variety of uses, such as open streets • Safe, comfortable, and direct routes for nonmotorized modes of travel such as bicycles and scooters

Project Type: Neighborhood Revitalization Project Status: Completed | September 2019 Site Area: 207 acres Team: PlusUrbia Design + C-Street Collaborative Client: Wynwood Community Enhancement Association (WCEA) Faced with development pressure from Wynwood Business District to the south, Midtown to the east, and Design District to the north, the Wynwood Norte Neighborhood is at risk of being redeveloped without a clear, holistic vision where a historically cohesive community may lose its current identity and strengths. This, in turn, may affect the future livability of its current neighbors and future residents. This community-led Master Planning exercise surveys the neighborhood, its character, and conditions; it presents a comprehensive Vision Plan integrating what residents, business owners, community leaders, and stakeholders of Wynwood Norte want to see in their community with best planning practices. This plan emphasizes an approach to growth that supports existing residents. This plan recognizes and addresses residents' fear of keeping their homes by introducing measures to mitigate displacement and improve affordability. Proposed strategies help residents reinvest in existing homes and to provide residents with expanded and better-quality housing options within the neighborhood. Proactive steps are taken to preserve the existing residential fabric while introducing incentives to develop or redevelop vacant and/or underutilized sites to meet community needs. It prioritizes public investments in infrastructure, transportation, open spaces, and parks, promoting sustainability and green building practices while providing equitable access to jobs and services.  The plan proposes strategies to create a safe and healthy environment while preserving the unique history and cultural identity of Wynwood Norte. Calibration of planning and zoning is paramount to maximize the neighborhood's assets and guide future development. 

East Naples Community Development Plan Project Type: Master Planning Project Status: Completed Dates: April 2019 - April 2020 Site Area: Countywide Team: PlusUrbia + Tindale Oliver (lead) Client: Collier County Collier County contracted a study in collaboration with the East Naples community to create a Development Plan that focused on several areas to run data and spatial analysis to improve development conditions and  the infrastructure to support it. A 12 mile long corridor study, the US 41 Corridor envisions the implementation of a multimodal strategy to reduce car dependancy for short trips encouraging a mix of uses around its nodes to provide services to underserved communities. The main goals were to:  Establish a community vision Guide future land use and development in the area with the following: Encourage desired uses Evaluate development and redevelopment options to promote desired outcomes Create and build consensus on land use concepts for the area Inventory community assets and services Provide high-level options to promote multiple methods of transportation, such as walking and biking.

Miami Transit Oriented Development Guidelines Project Type: Transit-Oriented Development Project Status: Completed Site Area: 1,500 acres Team: PlusUrbia Design + Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council Client: City of Miami & South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) Transit Oriented Development: Downtown + Midtown + 79th Street PlusUrbia created a typology report for future Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in three key locations in the City of Miami. The work for the Downtown, Midtown, and 79th Street stations will impact how communities will be connected by mass transit to major regional job, cultural and activity centers. The TOD guidelines will assist the City in improving conditions around the planned stations by promoting dense, walkable, mixed-use, compact development. They will contribute to future mobility by connecting communities to all significant regional job, cultural and activity centers. Vibrant, 24-hour communities will be anchored by commuter rail connecting to all major regional job, cultural and activity centers. PlusUrbia was selected for its clear and innovative planning guidelines, outreach, and understanding of transportation corridors. The studio partnered with the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council to create the report delivered to the City of Miami and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which funded the guidelines.

OMNI Media + Arts Entertainment District Project Type: Planning, Zoning & Urban Design Project Status: Completed Site Area: 16 acres Team: PlusUrbia Design Client: OMNI CRA The Miami Arts and Entertainment District (MAeD) is an urban mixed-use neighborhood within the OMNI CRA just north of Downtown Miami.   The MAeD part of the OMNI CRA is where art, events, restaurants, and technology converge as a new economic hub for South Florida. PlusUrbia completed a pedestrian and zoning study to predict potential build-out, tempered by height limitations to protect the scale of historic buildings on a critical block of North Miami Avenue. Related research created walkable complete streets with streetscapes to support sidewalk cafes and other vibrant urban activities. The MAeD district is bounded by NE 24th Street to the north, I-395 Interstate to the south, the Florida East Coast [FEC] Railway/NE 2nd Avenue to the west, and Biscayne Bay to the east. It is west of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and surrounding development.

Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization's  E-W Corridor Project Type: Mobility and Land Use Designation Project Status: Ongoing Site Area: East-West Corridor from Miami Intermodal Center (MIC) to Florida International University (FIU) Team: Atkins + PlusUrbia Client: Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) PlusUrbia provides urban design and land use planning for the SMART Plan, a comprehensive approach to creating six rapid transit corridors. As part of the Atkins team, the studio held multiple workshops and worked with the Study Advisory Group to get stakeholder input on transportation solutions and land use. One of the project's major goals is to create more dense and intense land uses along the East-West transit corridor that will link the Miami Intermodal Center at Miami International Airport with Florida International University’s main campus in west Miami-Dade. The Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners has contemplated a Tax Increment Financing District along the corridor to contribute significant funding for rapid transit. A TIF, incorporating a mile on each side of the corridor, could capture property values increased by Transit Oriented Development and proximity to rapid transit. For more information on the SMART Plan, visit http://www.miamidadetpo.org/smartplan.asp For more information on the East-West Corridor, visit https://www.miamidade.gov/transit/smart-plan-east-west-corridor.asp

Next Stop Fort Lauderdale Project Type: Transit-Oriented Development Study Project Status:  Completed Site Area:  1,800 acres Team:  PlusUrbia Design + Kittleson & Associates (lead) Client:  City of Fort Lauderdale, FL Fort Lauderdale wants to be a place where people can get around easily. It hired a team to help meet this goal by studying Transit Oriented Development (TOD), which creates walkable communities. TOD supports a vibrant live, work, and play environment featuring easy-to-navigate neighborhoods. The project achieves the city's twin goals of being an urban center and a major vacation destination sustained by an accessible, resilient, and connected community. Fort Lauderdale's top infrastructure goal is to become pedestrian-friendly; Building communities that are easy to access and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities are central to meeting this goal. Premium transit service is an essential element that determines the success of these places. PlusUrbia Design is part of the team that reviewed best practices for creating healthy communities built around transit as part of its TOD urban design services under the prime firm Kittelson & Associates. The study developed a zoning code to support TOD. Please click on the following link for more information about the project:  https://www.nextstopftl.com/

Beijing 3rd Ring Tech-Town Project Type: Master Planning Project Status: Planned Completion Date: November 2016 Team: PlusUrbia Client: Vanke The Master Plan has evolved from the desire to create safe, healthy and educated communities with improved lifestyles that engage the surrounding landscape. The inspiration for the Master Plan is to create an exemplary community that enhances the natural beauty of Mengwu, setting new benchmarks for design excellence and sustainability, in harmony with the environment. The Master Planned Community is proposed as a world class community that embraces the harmonious entwining of a sustainable habitat for humans, flora and fauna alike. The ultimate measure of this endeavor’s success is the conveyance of an improved quality of life for its residents, a healthful, secure, cultured and agreeable lifestyle where the elusive hope for sensible living can finally be fulfilled.  

Hialeah Transit-Oriented Development | Guidelines and Zoning Amendments Project Type: Transit-Oriented Development Project Status: Completed Completion Date: October 2016 Site Area: 313 acres Team: PlusUrbia Client: City of Hialeah A 1925 suburb’s transformation from car dependency to 21st-century commuter rail connectivity The Hialeah Transit Oriented Development Plan (TOD) will transition two of the city’s car-dependent suburban, underutilized warehouse districts into vibrant, mixed-use, compact communities served by premium commuter rail.  The fully-adopted zoning will create 313 acres of walkable, urban development in a working-class community that has not benefited from significant economic growth in decades. For the first time in the city’s 90-year history, it will create dense, walkable, 24-hour mixed-use districts linked to some of the best fixed rail commuter transit in South Florida. The enacted legislation creates two compact districts to address Hialeah’s need for workforce housing, adaptive reuse, job creation, civic space, complete streets, and dense urban living. Hialeah, Florida, was incorporated in 1925 and was best known for the Hialeah Race Track in its early years.  The city grew rapidly after the Cuban Revolution in 1959, becoming a popular destination for Cuban exiles who began transforming the city into a working-class community. The pair of large TODs will transform Hialeah from the typical, nearly 100 percent car-dependent American suburb into a prime example of urban living. Complete Streets Guidelines, adopted in parallel with the two TODs, will transform suburbia into complete districts with pedestrian, bicycle, and transit mobility networks. Compact urban development created by the TOD districts is within walking distance of three rail nodes that provide direct rail links to regional job centers and three international airports. The city’s leadership in creating two major TODs will unlock the potential of primarily underused existing train stations. TOD will introduce more equitable, affordable, sustainable, and healthy communities to Hialeah. Transit Oriented Development regulations are a significant step toward reducing the cost of living for Miami-Dade County’s second-largest municipality. WalletHub ranked Hialeah as the second worst city in America regarding income gap applied to housing affordability, where “nearly one out of three tenants in Hialeah spends at least 50 percent of their net monthly income on rent, dwarfing the 35 percent maximum recommended global standard.” TOD zoning requires one space for each one-bedroom unit, generally under 650 square feet, and 1.5 spaces for larger units. Developers can reduce the parking requirement by a half-space per unit by paying into a parking fund that will pay for centralized garages, increasing walkability. Relieved of the expense of building excessive parking, developers can offer units at a more affordable price. The cost of living is further reduced by proximity to rail, eliminating the high cost of car ownership. Millennials searching for housing have been largely priced out of greater Miami. In Hialeah, the sixth most populous city in Florida, Market Station, and Transfer Station TODs will provide mixed-use districts with micro units connected by rail to all the region’s activity centers. A wide range of price points will serve empty nesters and young families seeking workforce housing. Increased density promotes arts, restaurants, and shops. All buildings must have ground-floor retail to activate the street. Market Station District is a continuation of the nearby existing LEAH Arts District. TOD zoning encourages adaptive reuse of existing warehouse structures.  Complete Streets promote healthy living options for mobility beyond the car. Their design is considered parallel to the uses they serve and incentivizes civic life. In Market Station, a high-rise allows 125 units per acre and up to 12 stories via a bonus program to get three additional stories. Mid-rise areas are zoned for 125 units per acre and up to eight stories by adding three stories via bonus. Low-rise areas are zoned for up to 36 units per acre at a maximum of four stories. High densities in lower buildings promote smaller, more affordable dwelling units. Transfer Station has the same density, with high-rise capped at eight stories, mid-rise at six, and low-rise at three. Bonus development rights can be attained by providing benefits such as affordable / workforce housing, public park / open space, LEED certification, adaptive reuse of legacy structures, and cash contributions to a public benefits fund. The benefits fund can be used to acquire, create, maintain, and restore green and open spaces. Market Station TOD encourages historic preservation by restoring the 1926 Seaboard Air Line Railroad depot, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1995. APA Florida 2017 Award of Merit in the Neighborhood Planning category

Little Havana 'Me Importa' Revitalization Master Plan Project Type: Neighborhood Revitalization Project Status: Completed Site Area: 1,700 acres Team: PlusUrbia Design + National Trust for Historic Preservation + Dade Heritage Trust + Urban Health Partnerships + Live Healthy Little Havana + City of Miami Client: Health Foundation of South Florida Plusurbia led the team in the partnership, preserving the authenticity of Little Havana while creating design guidelines for proper growth and development and setting the stage for zoning recommendations. The unprecedented project was in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which named Little Havana a “National Treasure.” The effort also focused on healthy urban living, a goal of project partner Live Healthy Little Havana. Dade Heritage Trust and Urban Health Partnerships were also partners in this initiative to retain character, density, scale, and affordability in Little Havana. This is an outgrowth of PlusUrbia’s advocacy for a complete streets approach to the pending FDOT redesign of the Calle Ocho corridor (SW 7 and SW 8 streets between SW 27 and Brickell avenue). Images were created of a 21st-century Calle Ocho with multimodal transportation alternatives such as dedicated bike and transit lanes, comfortable wide sidewalks, and additional safe crosswalks in a vibrant urban setting. Dade Heritage Trust 2017 Annual Preservation Award Making Cities Livable Conference - Honor Award for Excellence - A Healthy City for All 2019 APA Florida 2019 Award of Excellence in the Grassroots Initiative category APA Florida Gold Coast Chapter 2019 Award of Excellence for Best Plan, Report, or Study         

Coconut Grove Master Plan Project Type: Visioning & Master Implementation Plan Project Status: Completed Site Area: +/- 150 acres - study area Team: PlusUrbia + Perkins+Will Client: Coconut Grove Business Improvement District (BID) Created from extensive stakeholder input, the plan is a comprehensive overview and specific action roadmap to guide proper growth that positively impacts economic development and quality of life. The results-oriented plan provides the tools to improve the identity and character, open space, mobility, land use and form, community, and resiliency of Coconut Grove’s Village Core. These tools are organized into six building blocks essential to maintaining the Grove’s history of lush greenery, idyllic waterfront, unique restaurants/retail, and a one-of-a-kind village vibe.  The goal is to create a vibrant Village Core while protecting the tranquil and livable adjacent residential neighborhoods that make Coconut Grove Miami’s unique Garden District. The master plan contains decisive action steps that empower the BID to re-energize the heart of the Village Core and have a clear long-term roadmap for the years to come.  It establishes the BID as the central coordinating body to ensure that great ideas become fully-implemented physical improvements. With this document, Grovites, elected officials, and municipal departments will have a comprehensive tool to deliver the combined synthesized goals established by the BID, the Village Council, the Grove 2030, government agencies, and other previous plans and studies. APA Florida 2019 Award of Merit in the Neighborhood Planning category APA Florida - Gold Coast - 2019 Award of Merit Implementation Award

Hospital Gade - Revitalization Master Plan Project Type: Community-Based Redevelopment Project Status: Planned Completion Date: November 2016 Site Area: 15 acres Team: PlusUrbia + Coastal Systems Client: Government of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands A three-day charrette gathered stakeholder input on the different scenarios that would reprogram a 15-acre former hospital grounds in a coastal area into a resilient, sustainable, and community-based redevelopment anchored by a sports facility and community center. The team made a baseline assessment of the current uses. Then it developed recommendations for implementing and phasing a baseball stadium, community center, public plaza, play, and recreation areas, fish markets, and tourist information centers. The plan also supports the adaptive reuse of former medical buildings into a vocational school.

Wynwood Neighborhood Revitalization District Project Type: Planning & Zoning Project Status: Completed Completion Date: August 2015 Site Area: 273 acres Team: PlusUrbia Client: Wynwood Business Improvement District The Wynwood NRD enhances pedestrian experiences, promotes diverse housing, and funds open space and centralized parking in a mixed-use, 24-hour neighborhood. The APA award-winning plan preserves unique street art and industrial characteristics while creating a dense, walkable urban development framework with new housing, retail, and open space in an arts district. It supports creative industries with walkable streets, transit corridors, and green space. The NRD creates more residential development, allowing smaller units to serve millennials and artists with affordable apartments and live-work units. A Transfer of Development Rights program enables warehouse owners to sell the development rights to their buildings – so development pressures do not eliminate legacy structures. APA National 2017 Economic Development Award APA Florida 2016 Award of Excellence APA Gold Coast Chapter 2015 Best Plan Award APA National 2015 American's Great Places Award

Coconut Grove Grand Avenue Revitalization Project Type: Corridor Vision and LandUse + Architecture Project Status: Completed | July 2017 Site Area: 27 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Confidential The team created a Master Plan to inspire revitalization via urban infill for an area of Main Street. The design was tasked with addressing: retail, residential, circulation, walkability, open space, height, and parking. The goal was to integrate with the existing mixed-use development, which is undergoing a significant renovation to better meet the 21st-century needs of the popular neighborhood that has seen its retail go through a long decline until recently. The contextual design includes mixed-use buildings that will produce an excellent return on investment and re-stitch and improve the urban fabric of the main corridor.

San Antonio Downtown Visioning Plan Project Type: Urban design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: June 2012 Site Area: 1,000 acres Team: PlusUrbia + OSKI studio + GSH studio Client: Weston Center The plan uses a form-based code as the guideline for residential and commercial infill development in San Antonio’s urban core.  The plan uses a necklace of green space, calmed traffic and pedestrian-friendly spaces to connect an underutilized part of downtown to the vibrancy of the River Walk. The Master Plan focuses on a water network that ties existing rivers seamlessly into water features in the streetscape and reclaimed streams and lagoons. A main road is redesigned as a shared street that becomes a pedestrian spine running parallel to the San Antonio River and the linear park to the west. The plan addresses the relationship between building facades and the public realm, the form and mass of buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of streets and blocks.

City of Curridabat Master Plan Project Type: Master Plan & Form-Based Code Project Status: Approved Completion Date: December 2010 Site Area: 2300 acres Team: PlusUrbia + Castillo Arquitectos (lead) + Dover Kohl & Partners Client: Municipalidad de Curridabat In December 2011, a group of designers from PlusUrbia and Dover, Kohl & Partners traveled to Curridabat, Costa Rica, under the direction of Eduardo Castillo of Castillo Arquitectos, Guatemala. The workshop entailed a week-long, hands-on visualization of different areas of the city where neighbors, municipal staff, and stakeholders participated in various activities and meetings with the group of designers. The plan humanizes the city with wider sidewalks, parallel parking, planting strips, and urban furniture. A form-based code creates a properly-scaled built environment to sustain the pedestrian-friendly city. The plan structures future development by ensuring smart growth and providing a safe and innovative environment for its citizens. The project, the first comprehensive plan to be implemented in Central America, was created under the direction of Eduardo Castillo of Castillo Arquitectos, Guatemala. It was honored as “Best City Plan” by the Congress for New Urbanism 2014.  The plan resulted from a week-long, hands-on visualization of different areas of the city where neighbors, municipal staff, and stakeholders participated in various activities and meetings with the group of designers. This report is the base for a Form-Based-Code for the municipality of Curridabat (the first implemented comprehensive plan in Central America) to structure future development, ensuring healthy growth and providing a safe and forward-looking environment for the municipality's citizens. It was honored as “Best City Plan” by the Congress for New Urbanism 2014. CNU XXII Charter Awards - 2014 Best City Plan

PortSide Miami Project Type: Urban Design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: December 2012 Site Area: 33 acres Team: PlusUrbia (lead) + studio LFA + GSH studio + OSKI studio Client: World Trade Center Miami PortSide’s development standards, created to match its prime location, will make it the newest and finest of Miami’s waterfront districts. It is designed to fit the Miami World Trade Center's goals of attracting tourists with a range of hotel options while creating a new trade and service district. PlusUrbia Design’s plan for dense urban development emphasizes connectivity to the mainland. This urban design provides a range of transportation options, which are crucial to the district’s success. Collaborative design positions the project as the ideal upscale destination for residents and visitors alike. Retail, office, and hotels will provide round-the-clock activity. The dynamic neighborhood is designed within the framework of the Miami 21, the first citywide form-based code adopted by a major American city.

Qingdao 360 Project Type: Urban & Architectural Design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: October 2012 Site Area: 83.4 acres Team: PlusUrbia (lead) + OSKI studio + GSH studio + Revuelta Architecture International Client: Vanke This proposal seeks to create a new art district: Q360 will be the heart of Qingdao’s creative pulse. The warehouses will attract local artists drawn to the open spaces, high ceilings, and abundant natural light. The simplicity of the architecture becomes the stage around which  “life happens,”  where artists will use Q360 as an inspirational workspace, giving performances, creating graffiti artwork, showcasing sculptures and street installations, and leaving their distinctive mark on the structures themselves. Q360 will become an emerging art community filled with galleries, studios, restaurants, shops, offices, and residential towers. Like their Chinese predecessors, 798 Art Community in Beijing, and M50 in Shanghai, Q360 will become a blossoming arts district in the center of Qingdao’s art scene.

Lujiao – Antler Town Project Type: Urban Design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: October 2011 Site Area: 673 acres Team: PlusUrbia (lead) + studio LFA Client: Vanke Chongqing Antler Town is designed to set new benchmarks in senior living and sustainability while harmoniously integrating the surrounding landscape and built form.  PlusUrbia Design master planned this development to become an exemplary community that enhances the natural beauty of Chongqing, China’s mountainous landscape.  Located near Chongqing’s City Center, the site is served by several metro trains and buses that connect it to the rest of the region. The advantage of mass transit is fully integrated into the design of a regional commercial center and hospital. The hospital acts as a hub for a continuum of healthcare facilities. The range of wellness and healthcare facilities creates a world-class design for aging in place. A careful programmatic strategy, harmonized with the natural amenities, enhances residents' daily experience.

Hialeah Race Track Master Plan Project Type: Urban Design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: March 2009 Site Area: 94 acres Team: PlusUrbia Client: Pro-bono work After a prolonged period of remarkable political stewardship which has yielded stability, consolidation, and steady growth, the City of Hialeah is ideally poised for a true renaissance.  Endowed with clear advantages by its transit connectivity, central location in the hub of the Miami-Dade / Broward County line, and a large and growing residential base, Hialeah’s most significant obstacle in its relentless rise to prominence amongst Florida’s elite cities is arguably a still undefined identity.  Its rich, varied, and long-standing cultural heritage has not yet become a distinct and recognizable image.  This elusive «sense of place» has time and again proven to be the critical aggregate that enables communities to capture the imagination and interest of a new generation of savvy investors, driven entrepreneurs, and increasingly discerning prospective residents who seek to add value to their investment by setting their roots in a place of distinction with a unique and readily identifiable image. Significant victories have thus far been achieved in the re-development effort; these have wisely sought to recapture the prestige and élan of Hialeah’s distinguished heritage.  Numerous revitalization plans, infrastructural refurbishment projects, and civic monuments have generated new momentum toward reestablishing Hialeah’s distinction and stature. Within this promising context, the re-development of the Hialeah Race Track site stands poised as the tipping point, the catalyst that may well propel Hialeah forward into a new era of prominence.

Emergency Social Market (ESM) Project Type: Modular Growth Study Project Status: Planned Completion Date: April 2012 Site Area: 17 acres Team: PlusUrbia + OSKI studio Client: In-house study ESM has been designed to grow organically over time. Both the housing stock and the planning evolve with the community's needs by systematically adding modules and consolidation of parcels systematically. ESM applies to building blocks or modules to single-family and multi-family designs. The single modular house may be placed on different lot types to become detached, semi-detached, or attached (in townhouse form). A base module of 3 x 3 meters is used for housing typologies that can grow and evolve from a small one-bedroom house to a full-size three-bedroom house. Modular multifamily units are also based on a 3 x 3-meter module allowing additions and sub-division. A basic two-bedroom unit is a standard that can be increased by joining the abovementioned unit. It can also be subdivided to allow commercial uses to be part of the mix, creating live-work units that serve the community’s needs. Internal spaces are secured by gates and provide semi-private open spaces shared among the households. A 19 sm unit is designed to be the smallest possible denominator provided for a family. With an average parcel size of 100m, these basic homes can grow to 131 sm in two floors. The intent is to provide enough flexibility for a family to make the investment and make their homes a long-lasting investment in creating a community.