Understanding Miami21

Miami 21 represents the “Miami of the 21st Century” and entails a holistic approach to land use and urban planning. It provides a clear vision for the City that is supported by specific guidelines and regulations so that future generations can reap the benefits of well-balanced neighborhoods and rich quality of life.

Miami 21 takes into account all of the integral factors that make each area within the City a unique, vibrant place to live, learn, work and play. Six elements served as the lynchpins in the development of the blueprint of Miami: Zoning (Miami 21 Zoning Code), Economic Development, Historic Preservation, Parks and Open Spaces, Arts and Culture, and Transportation.

The transect is the building block for Miami 21’s Form Based Zoning Code:

Transect zones (T3, T4, T5, & T6) regulate much more than traditional zones do. 

Within the Miami 21 Zoning Code, each transect zone regulates the following:

•   Building disposition—where the building sits in relation to the lot or parcel

•   Building Configuration—how the building is molded (its shape and form)

•   Function and intensity—Uses allowed in each transect zone and the percentage of the building that may accommodate that use and/or varying degrees of that use

•   Landscape Standards

•   Parking standards

•   Standards that integrate individual property with the public realm—Such as pedestrian orientation, landscape standards, parking liners, building frontages, etc.

•   A successional (sequential) relationship between transects—Prior and subsequent transects are related and increase in their intensity, ensuring a smooth succession of environments.