Feature image: Attendees at the Aspen Ideas conference. Photo credit: City of Miami Beach.

The Aspen Ideas climate conference, held in Miami Beach from March 6 to 9, brought together leaders from diverse sectors to collaborate and inspire ingenuity around solutions to the global climate crisis. The three Florida jurisdictions that make up greater Miami and "the Beaches"—Miami, Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County, have each certified at the Gold level under the LEED for Cities rating system, and this event was an opportunity for them to showcase to the world their leadership on sustainability and resilience.

Climate planning by necessity

The region is one of the most vulnerable to climate change in the world; sea level rise, extreme heat and strong tropical storms are everyday threats. As Mayor Francis Suarez, City of Miami, noted in his remarks, “We don’t have the luxury of pretending climate change doesn’t affect us.”

All three mayors representing Miami, Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County took center stage to share elements of their coordinated Resilient 305 strategy, including updates about their recent work on innovation accelerators, green jobs creation, extreme heat action planning and support for low-income communities affected by climate gentrification.

Sharing examples with local tours

As the co-hosts of the conference, City of Miami Beach staff led daily resilience tours, offering attendees an inside look into the priorities of the region and specific tactics that local governments are using to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

At South Pointe Park, visitors learned about dune management, habitat protection, invasive species removal, and the importance of providing residents and visitors with access to green spaces for recreation and public health. The city has an urban tree canopy goal of 22%, and the park is well-covered with native plants and mature trees for those seeking shade.

A pathway winds between city buildings on one side and a parklike green with palms on the other.

South Pointe Park in Miami. Photo credit: Hilari Varnadore.

The tour also featured Sunset Harbour, a low-lying neighborhood that has had its streets elevated to protect against sea level rise. A sophisticated system of stormwater pump infrastructure protects businesses from storm events as well as from high tide flooding. A water quality ordinance ensures that stormwater that reaches Biscayne Bay is safe for aquatic life. This area of the city also features a "living shoreline" where mangrove restoration is under way.

Setting new expectations

Miami Beach has made major investments in regulations and infrastructure to adapt to climate change. Its green building ordinance requires LEED Gold for new construction over 7,000 square feet, and its urban heat island ordinance requires new construction to install a sustainable roofing system. The Miami Beach Resilience Fund provides grants to property owners to conduct a property risk assessment and complete resilient flood mitigation improvements via the Private Property Adaptation Program.

What’s next for greater Miami and the Beaches? They’ve come together in collaboration with solutions that are being tested on the ground in real time. With billions of dollars tied to federal infrastructure and climate change legislation, the region is poised to benefit and to undergo lasting transformation. Perhaps Vice President Kamala Harris said it best in her plenary session—this is a time for renewed optimism, our moment to tackle climate change on all fronts.

Watch highlights from the conference on the Aspen Institute’s YouTube Channel:

Plenary with Vice President Kamala Harris
Women Lead on Climate in Abu Dhabi and Miami
Extreme Heat in Cities, featuring Miami Beach

Additional resources

Use USGBC's LEED for Cities resilience guide to measure local resilience, recognize connections among community systems, learn about best practices, and set your path toward becoming a more resilient and sustainable community.

Check out the resilience programs of the three Miami jurisdictions:

Also, explore our case study on Miami-Dade County’s LEED certification.

Learn more about how LEED for Cities works and what cities, towns and counties are involved on our website.

Read more about Florida's accomplishments with LEED

LEED Gold cities like Miami lead on climate resilience