The vast majority of Miami-Dade's visitors arrive via airplane or cruise ship. From the moment their feet touch our soil, they begin to develop an image of what our County looks like and whether they are pleased with their surroundings. From that first moment, the notion continues to develop of whether he/she will revisit our County.
After assessing our community, many major arteries have been identified in need of enhancement, although the Community Image Advisory Board is confronted with several constraints to accomplishing the goals set forth. They include:
Graffiti
Which although can be easily masked by a fresh coat of paint, can just as easily be re-vandalized the following day.
Litter
A persistent problem in our community and costs you, the taxpayer, lots of money. The best way to address our litter problem is through education. Crews can continue to remove the debris, but if residents and visitors do not modify their habits, the problem will continue to exist. Educating the public about the impacts of their actions continues to be a challenge.
No space to plant
An ongoing challenge for Miami-Dade County due to an over emphasis on grey infrastructure which has in turn, limited green space and opportunities to enhance areas through tree plantings.
Absence of color
Having colorful landscaping will add to the overall pleasant feeling of our surroundings. Visitors expect to arrive in Miami and see cool tropical colors and lush, flowering trees, not barren roadways.
Poor quality of lack of landscaping
There are locations that would tremendously improve with the addition of ornamental foliage. Funding to plant the new growth is an issue, but the continued maintenance of what has been planted is a larger concern. Some areas are harsh environments in need of frequent irrigation and care and although may not considered bare, may be unsightly due to overgrowth and untamed branches.
Lack of tree canopy
Adequate tree canopy is vital to the environment and economic well being of our community and as a result, the Public Works RAAM division has been busy planting trees in order to restore the canopy lost during the 2005 Hurricane season. In September 2006 a total of 2,800 Trees were planted. The Office of Community Image will be conducting a Tree Canopy assessment in 2007 using GIS technology in collaboration with the City of Miami and American Forests in order to have a more accurate percentage of tree canopy throughout Miami-Dade County. Stay tuned!
Hurricanes
The last comprehensive study of tree canopy in Miami-Dade County, reported the unincorporated area averaged only about 10 percent tree canopy, with some municipalities showing as little as one to two percent tree cover. This problem has only been exacerbated by the increased frequency of hurricanes in Florida in 2004 and 2005, which have magnified the loss of tree canopy in Miami-Dade County. It is estimated that 10,000 trees were lost in County parks and 20% of County planted trees in the rights of way are gone.
