GREEN MIAMI

Stay Green | Play Green | Go Green | Govern Green | GMCVB Efforts

As the only metropolitan area in the United States that borders two national parks –Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west - Greater Miami and the Beaches is uniquely positioned at the forefront of the environmental movement. Here at the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), we and our partners recognize the importance of acting in an environmentally responsible manner so that we can preserve the area’s natural beauty. On this page you will find some of the green initiatives Miami’s tourism community and local governments have put in place.

Accommodations (Stay Green)

As soon as visitors step off a plane at Miami International Airport they will see signs letting them know about water conservation efforts in Miami’s hotels. The Greater Miami & the Beaches Hotel Association has worked closely with the Miami-Dade Office of Sustainability to promote Miami-Dade’s Green Lodging & Restaurant Program. The program aims to provide water fixtures that will lower consumption at hotels and restaurants, as well as to inform hotels and their guests about the benefits of choosing to reuse towels and bed linens rather than laundering them every day. Miami’s hotel rooms now have cards that guests can use to indicate that they would like to reuse these items during the course of their stay.

At the state level, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Green Lodging Program encourages Florida’s hotels to become sustainable while lowering operating costs. In order to receive a Green Lodging designation, properties must implement environmental practices in six areas: communication and education; waste reduction; reuse and recycling; water conservation; energy efficiency; indoor air quality; and transportation. Some examples of how hotels have fulfilled these goals include providing suggestion boxes for guests’ input, installing digital thermostats and even offering preferred parking spaces for hybrid cars.

Many hotels in Greater Miami have already been designated as Florida Green Lodging Certified. These properties are indicated with the green house icon (above left) in their listings on the GMCVB website and print publications. Many other Environmentally Friendly properties also have implemented sustainable practices. These hotels are indicated with the green leaf icon (above right).

Parks, Recreation & Beaches (Play Green)

Artificial Reef Program

Greater Miami’s efforts to protect its beaches begin offshore, with the Miami-Dade County Artificial Reef Program, one of the nation’s largest and most popular such programs. Natural reefs play an important role in protecting the shoreline and providing a habitat for a wide variety of marine life. In order to protect natural reefs from human interaction while encouraging recreational fishing and diving, everything from army tanks to airplanes are dropped to the ocean floor. These objects quickly become a vital piece of the seascape, serving the same functions as natural reefs. As a result of the artificial reef program, Miami has become a top wreck-diving destination.

Beaches

Not all visitors are able to dive down to see the artificial reefs, but most will want to spend time enjoying Miami’s picture-postcard beaches. Local governments and organizations undertake numerous efforts to keep these beaches pristine. In 1968, Bal Harbour Village passed a resort tax initiative to fund beach restoration efforts. As a result, major projects are carried out each year, including the recent addition of a jogging path using only native plants on the sand dunes.

The area’s longest stretch of beach is in the City of Miami Beach. The City has developed an ambitious and comprehensive Atlantic Greenway Network Master Plan, which includes beach corridor paths, neighborhood trails and arterial lanes and paths to connect South, Middle and North Beach. A major component of this project is the Beachwalk, which runs between 14th and 21st streets. This multipurpose public access trail winds its way along the sand dune. Exotic vegetation that was growing along the dunes have been removed and replaced with native vegetation.

In addition to regular and ongoing beach maintenance, City of Miami Beach officials are actively involved with local businesses and environmental organizations supporting organized programs such as Miami Beach Big Sweep and South Beach Cleanup Day. These programs are modeled on the Miami-Dade Coastal Cleanup, a regional effort focusing on the county’s entire coastline. It is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, which has taken place annually for the past 25 years. Miami-Dade County’s “V” Movement encourages citizens to volunteer on a wide range of community projects, including beach cleanup.

Sea Turtles

At the southern tip of Miami Beach, the spectacular South Pointe Park recently reopened after undergoing a $22 million renovation. This 17.5-acre green space includes a walkway constructed of tabby-shell aggregate with natural keystone banding that winds along the beach and Government Cut, the entrance to the Port of Miami. At night the walkway is illuminated by 18 light towers that were specially designed with lighting that does not attract sea turtle hatchlings.

The City of Miami Beach is a nesting habitat for three protected species of sea turtles: loggerhead, green and leatherback. Turtle nesting season occurs from April through early November. To minimize the impact of artificial lighting on the sea turtle hatchlings, the City of Miami Beach has adopted a Turtle Nesting Protection Ordinance that encourages light management on public and private lands.

The Miami-Dade Parks System’s EcoAdventures Program sponsors a Sea Turtle Awareness Program in which participants learn about the dangers facing sea turtles and help release loggerhead hatchlings out to sea.

Park Programs

In addition to the Sea Turtle Program, EcoAdventures offers a variety of outdoor excursions, including wildflower walks in the Everglades, camping trips and kayaking tours. Many of these adventures originate from one of the six Nature Centers conveniently located in parks throughout Miami-Dade County.

The Miami-Dade, City of Miami Beach, and City of Miami parks and recreation departments all have comprehensive master plans for their park systems. What they all have in common is the goal to preserve open space and to link parks and green spaces in a way that allows residents and visitors to easily travel from place to place by bike or by foot .

Transportation (Go Green)

Taking public transportation, walking and biking are all great ways for visitors to get to know Miami while helping reduce greenhouse emissions.

Public Transit

Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) is constantly expanding access to public transportation options. The department’s Metrobus, Metrorail and Metromover systems provide convenient access throughout Miami-Dade County. The Bike and Ride program allows riders to bring their bicycles on buses and trains. MDT is updating its fleet, transitioning to hybrid electric buses and testing the use of biodiesel. Even the bus shelters are eco-friendly, as they utilize solar power.

In addition to its countywide bus system, MDT supports smaller routes such as the South Beach Local, a shuttle service that takes visitors all around South Beach for just 25 cents per trip, and the free Coral Gables Trolley, which runs through downtown Coral Gables and connects to the Metrorail system. The recently launched Airport Flyer is a bus route that takes visitors from Miami International Airport to South Beach in less than half an hour for just $2.35.

Bicycling

As part of its comprehensive plan to promote bicycling as a viable transportation option, the City of Miami Beach will launch its Public Bicycle Sharing & Rental Program in July 2010. This innovative program is the first of its kind in the country. It will feature kiosks throughout the city where anyone can swipe a credit card and rent a bicycle, which can be returned at any other kiosk.

The City of Miami is also committed to promoting bicycling as a safe transportation option. As part of its Bicycle Master Plan, the city has added miles of bike lanes in recent years, and sponsors Miami Bike Days. At these events, certain roads are closed to automobile traffic, creating a fun and festive bicycling experience designed to increase the public’s awareness of bicycling as a transportation alternative.

Airport

Most visitors to Greater Miami arrive at Miami International Airport (MIA). This makes the airport the perfect place to launch environmental awareness campaigns. The South Florida Water Management District and Miami-Dade County are teaming up to offer water conservation tips in English and Spanish for visitors and residents arriving at MIA. This program goes along with the new partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to promote awareness among arriving passengers about area hotels’ conservation efforts and the Florida Green Lodging Program.

Of course the airport’s daily operations have a tremendous environmental impact. Recognizing this, the Miami-Dade Aviation Department has a detailed Environmental Policy outlining its efforts to provide services while striving to achieve the best possible air, soil and water qualities.

Port

As the Cruise Capital of the World, the Port of Miami has implemented many initiatives to minimize the environmental impact of its operations. These include steps to reduce energy consumption in Port buildings, as well as to help maintain the delicate ecosystems surrounding the facility.

Local Government Efforts (Govern Green)

City of Miami

The Office of Sustainable Initiatives (MSI) coordinates the City of Miami’s environmental programs. MSI also manages MiPlan: The City of Miami Climate Action Plan, which outlines how the city will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Miami Green Commission was formed to mold the city’s environmental policies. Its members include local environmental policy experts and members of the community. Miami 21 – representing “Miami of the 21st Century” – is a comprehensive new zoning code that follows Smart Growth principles.

City of Miami Beach

In 2009 the city created the Sustainability (Green) Committee to identify and promote policies and practices to help achieve a sustainable environment. At the same time, the City added a new chapter to the City Code dedicated to sustainable initiatives. Targeted areas include recycling; green building; energy conservation and green procurement; alternative transportation; and environmental education.

Miami-Dade County

In 2008 the County created the Office of Sustainability to implement sustainable practices across all aspects of County government. The office is also in charge of developing the County’s sustainability plan, GreenPrint, which will help improve quality of live and increase economic prosperity through environmental responsibility. Target areas include climate change; energy; recycling; green building and development; and transportation.

The County maintains a list of local municipalities that are engaging in green efforts, along with details about those efforts.

Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Efforts

The GMCVB is implementing environmentally friendly practices on several fronts. The recent implementation of the Destination 3000 data management system is helping us reach our goal of becoming a “paperless” organization. All of our destination guides are now available in e-zine versions, which helps cut down on printing and shipping. When feasible, we use FSC-certified paper and printers.

In our office we have instituted a recycling program, added motion-sensing lights in the restrooms to cut down on electricity usage, and switched from bottled water to filtered tap water in the employee lounge.

Finally as the Destination Marketing Organization for Greater Miami and the Beaches, we are committed to informing our visitors about environmentally friendly initiatives taking place in our community. For example, our Media Relations department recently hosted a group of international media for a cross-market familiarization tour showcasing our wide range of green-friendly options for the environmentally savvy traveler.