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When it comes to climate change, one thing is certain: our oceans are rising. And South Florida is expected to be among the first regions on Earth to experience the impact. In fact, some initial preparations are already underway. WLRN-Miami Herald News presents a series of stories about the effects of sea-level rise. The project is called “Elevation Zero: Rising Seas In South Florida." Click through the pages below to see our entire archive of Elevation Zero stories.

What Challenges Does Greater Miami Need To Address? Officials Want To Hear From You

Patrick Ferrell
/
Miami Herald
Housing is one of the main concerns of greater Miami residents, according to the first responses to the survey.

When it comes to the future of greater Miami, what worries you most? And what is the region doing well?

 

Those are the question on the minds of resiliency officers from Miami-Dade County and the cities of Miami and Miami Beach. They’re collecting residents’ input as they develop a long-term plan for challenges that range from affordability to Zika. It’s part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities program.

 

Participants at Thursday's Philanthropy Miami Conference heard about the program from Rockefeller chief operating officer Peter Madonia.

 

"Everybody thinks about hurricanes and sea rise," Madonia said. "But this region has experienced real population growth, and what that does is expose some of the shortcomings: aging infrastructure, a lack of public transit, overcrowded highways, things that over time really erode the fabric of cities."

 

About 240 audience members participated in a surveyabout challenges to Greater Miami and the Beaches.. Affordable housing and potential transportation failure came out on top. Miami Beach deputy resiliency officer Amy Knowles said that’s consistent with other early survey findings. For all the talk about sea level rise, transportation is a big concern.

 

"Rising sea level and coastal erosion -- interestingly this was a little lower in terms of stresses," she said. "I think that folks generally know that it’s there, but there’s some more immediate concerns that are facing the community day to day."

 

Knowles told the audience many officials from the 34 cities in the project have said there needs to be a standard for including sea level rise in planning – including transportation planning.

 

The resiliency officers plan to roll out an assessment of regional challenges by this summer. You can let them know your concerns through this online survey.

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