2015 Urban Affairs Association Conference

This panel will discuss the transformation of the urban core of Miami, focusing on five different aspects of the inner city revitalization process in Miami. The first aspect is the inter-government relationships at the local level, which affected the political and administrative context in which economic revitalization of the urban core of Miami occurred. The second aspect is the development of the urban infrastructure and built environment in the urban core, particularly with reference to infrastructure needs in inner city Miami. The third aspect deals with minority business formation in Miami. This aspect will especially focus on the Black owned businesses and the policy context in which they have evolved. The fourth aspect is housing, which will focus on the structural inequalities due to inner-city housing policies, poverty, and predominance of female headed households. The last aspect is the inner city health, focusing specifically on health disparities and community based solutions. The panel is novel in terms of coverage of the breadth of issues related to inner core of a city. The panelists are authors of chapters of a proposed book on transformation of the Miami’s urban core.

Infrastructure Policy and Urban Transformation in Miami
Ramon Trias, Florida International University

Role of the Black Micro Businesses in Transforming Miami’s Urban Core
Nicki Fraser, Florida International University

Transformation of Housing and Intersectional Challenges in Black Miami
Sebawit Bishu, Florida International University