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On Public Spaces

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Since its founding, the City of Coral Gables has distinguished itself with splendid public spaces designed to establish a unique quality of life for its citizens. Today, many of our city’s streets remain under the soft shadow of an urban forest planted by visionaries nearly 100 years ago. Beyond the tree canopy, the city maintains world-class golf and tennis facilities, bike paths, innumerable parks and open spaces, a youth center, a senior center, and many monuments and art pieces. The public spaces create a beautiful aesthetic, but more importantly, create opportunities for people to engage with their neighbors and with visitors, helping to build a sense of community that is the true heart of Coral Gables. As commissioner, I will honor my responsibility as our city’s steward and will support initiatives that improve our public spaces and enhance our sense of community. We can accomplish this by

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• Improving sidewalk connectivity, so more people can walk to Miracle Mile, UM, Merrick Park, or their neighborhood parks while still feeling safe

• Enhancing pedestrian-level lighting

• Building on the success of Giralda Plaza and the Miracle Mile Streetscape to improve the walkability throughout the downtown area

• Adding bike paths that connect across the different neighborhoods of the city

• Considering small, tailored changes across our neighborhoods to invite residents to come out and walk

• Maintaining and improving the beautiful tree canopy that we inherited

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