Registering for Tours
A limited number of tours, designed for urban researchers, are available during the Conference. Conference attendees can register for tours in advance via the
online registration form or in-person at the conference registration office located on the 2nd floor of the InterContinental Hotel in the Chopin Ballroom. Tours have limited space. So if you are interested, it is wise to register and pay your tour fees as soon as possible. Our most popular tours will likely become full by early January.
ALL tours begin at 1:00pm. Tour participants will meet in the hotel lobby at 12:45pm before departure. Tour 8: Rental Housing Preservation in Miami Beach Saturday, April 11 – 1:00pm-5:00pm
The tour will start by bus and then foot as participants walk the Miami Beach CDC area and view the historic buildings.
Price: $28
Capacity: TBD
Tour Organizers: Dr. Ned Murray, AICP, Florida International University Metropolitan Center; Jack Johnson, Board Chair, Miami Beach Community Development Corporation. Tour Leader: Jack Johnson, Board Chair, MBCDC.
The tour will begin in the Art Deco District where the preservation movement on Miami Beach began in 1976 and took hold during the mid-1990s. The preservation movement has continued with several recent projects including the historic Westchester House, Villa Maria Apartments and the Shelbourne. The projects were undertaken by the Miami Beach Community Development Corporation (MBCDC) in collaboration with the City of Miami Beach. The projects provide affordable housing opportunities for low- to moderate-income renters in Miami Beach (including workforce housing, elderly housing and special needs housing). MBCDC reconfigured the units to provide a mix of efficiencies and studios, and one- and two-, bedroom units. The MBCDC incorporated “Green Communities” criteria into the building designs which promote public health, energy conservation, operational savings and sustainable building practices in affordable housing design. The MBCDC is also involved with other rental housing preservation projects including the 36 unit Villa Matti Apartments and 34-unit Meridian Apartments. These projects were undertaken by the Miami Beach Community Development Corporation (MBCDC) working in partnership with the City of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County. Sources of funds for the Villa Matti Apartments included HUD Section 202, Miami-Dade County HOME and HODAG and City of Miami Beach CHDO funds.
