Our Streets / Architecture
Let there be (better) Light
Glenda Puente
What makes a city look interesting? According to Jane Jacobs, its streets. Jacobs is the author of a must-read book titled “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”. The theories presented in the book, originally published in 1961, are still very much relevant today. Jacobs describes streets and their sidewalks as the main public places of a city, and “its most vital organs”. She directly connects the uses of sidewalks with safety, she said, “when people say that a city, or part of it, is dangerous or is a jungle what they mean primarily is that they do not feel safe on the sidewalks.” Jacobs highlights the need for “eyes on the street” to naturally achieve safety and she is not talking about police officers, but the people that work and live and care for that street.

For many years, not too long ago, people did not feel safe in the streets and sidewalks of Downtown Miami. It could even be said that some people still don’t feel safe today, especially at night. So, what is wrong with the sidewalks in Downtown? Most of the residents and business owners will say they are not well-lit. Due to that sentiment, one of the main goals of the Avenue 3 Miami initiative is to make NE 3rd Avenue feel safer for pedestrians by transforming the street and sidewalks in order to attract more foot traffic (eyes). Before this community-led initiative started back in 2017, the Downtown Neighbors Alliance formally requested lighting improvements on NE 3rd Avenue, signaling lighting as a priority.
The typical approach to solving an inappropriate lighting scenario would be to add more, brighter street poles. In the case of Avenue 3, the sidewalk on the west side of the street is quite narrow, poles interrupt the path for circulation and take up space that could be used for tables and chairs — the street is home to 14 restaurants. In addition, the street poles of Downtown don’t do much for the pedestrian as the design of the light pole disperses more light to its sides than down to the sidewalk. For these reasons, the Public Space Challenge winning idea “Avenue 3 / Lighting Improvements” proposes overhead lighting. More specifically, a catenary lighting system extending over the street and sidewalk, attached from building façade to building façade, using energy-efficient LED fixtures that comply with dark sky standards and don’t contribute to light pollution. This approach is not only more affordable and climate conscious — although the ideal scenario would be to go solar as the planet is in delicate state — it would also make the street feel more welcoming and distinctive, creating a pleasant ambiance for future block parties.
Due to limited budget, only the south block is being contemplated for the overhead lighting upgrade the Public Space Challenge grant can fund. Since this approach is non-standard there will likely be some push back by the Department of Public Works. Community support and the support of key partners like the Flagler BID and Miami DDA will be crucial to achieve the goal within the timeframe delineated by the grant (one year).
The project will be presented to the public on November 19 during Avenue 3’s History Walk and Fall Party event. Participate, voice your support or concerns, prove Downtowners want to occupy their streets at night and let there be (better) light.
Avenue 3 Miami is both a community-driven movement and future pedestrian-oriented street. At Avenue 3 Miami we aim to catalyze grassroots transformation in Miami’s urban core. We are a group of passionate Downtown residents and businesses who want to effect positive change through our three central initiatives: streetscape transformation, homeless outreach, and crime prevention to create a safe and vibrant signature street for Downtown Miami. We can’t do this without the Downtown community, so check out our objectives and projects in this special edition, And look us up at www.avenue3miami.org.

Glenda Puente, AIA — Architect and downtowner. She teaches at the University of Miami. (www.glendapuente.com)
To learn more about the goals, the team members and how to get in touch, visit Avenue 3 Miami (www.avenue3miami.org)

