Miami Could Learn a Lot from Bordeaux!

Melissa Hege, AICP of South Florida-based Melissa Hege City Planning LLC. takes a trip to Bordeaux, France and highlights what Miami can learn from this city when it comes to embracing multimodal transportation initiatives.

And one of the most clever aspects of this tram system is its dual purpose. That’s right. Now you see the train and it’s ultra modern station area…

…and now a bike. When the tracks are not being used, why not allow cyclists to use it. This protected bike path is safe from traffic, quiet and easy to navigate. And what a gorgeous city. Beautifully restored architecture…

…and unexpected art. This sculpture is designed as an optical illusion. Fantastic trick of the eye and a playful and modern contrast to the historic buildings.

And there are other nice embellishments to help people and bikes cross the tracks. Here, small islands in the middle of the road are paired with bollards to create safe little enclaves for crossing. Wide, white stripes are bright and easy for cars to see and delineate the area of the street which is designated for people. I love this picture because it shows people on foot and bikes, coexisting in harmony.

Back by the Cite du Vin, is a fabulous new drawbridge which slides up and down between four iconic towers. It’s beautiful, functional and innovative. In Bordeaux, historic and modern work well together.

The waterfront promenade continues with another simple design solution to allow people to walk in an uninterrupted path by the bridge.

Bordeaux is proof that any city can be retrofitted for modern transportation and transformed from a car oriented and neglected environment to one with great public spaces and bustling activity. Careful planning, good leadership, design and time has made Bordeaux a beautiful place for all to enjoy.

Pay attention Miami! Why not start by participating in Miami’s Transit Day. Commit with thousands of others to ride transit on December 9th? Do your part. Walk, bike, train and bus. Take the pledge.

Article originally posted by Melissa Hege, AICP at www.Melissahege.com.

Melissa Hege, AICP, LEED AP, practices planning and urban design in one of the Country’s most envied and envious iconic cities—the Republic of Miami. For more than a decade, she has enjoyed the juxtaposition of the region’s beauty and dysfunction, and continues to learn from it daily. Educated at the University of Pennsylvania and Brandeis University, her portfolio includes award winning plans which translate design based solutions into practical applications.

In her current practice, Melissa Hege City Planning, she straddles the roles of planner and community advocate by exploring infrastructure investments which add exponential value to cities. These include waterfront parks, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and complete streets—streets which have comfortable and protected zones for bicycles, pedestrians, cars, and transit. She is currently developing a waterfront pop-up installation on Miami’s Biscayne Bay to demonstrate the potential value of a permanently improved and connected waterfront trail in downtown Miami. Other recent projects include an interactive web based tool to visually track all multi-agency infrastructure improvements in downtown Miami and a Complete Streets forum for local municipalities in partnership with Miami Dade County.

Melissa is a board member of the Miami Modern (MIMO) Biscayne Boulevard Association, a 501c3 dedicated to preserving its architectural history and expanding commercial opportunities for this US-1 corridor. She is Past Chair of the Miami Section of the Florida American Planning Association, was Co-chair for the State’s annual conference and served on Miami-Dade County’s Transportation Aesthetic Review Committee. She has been published in the Miami Herald, Florida Planning, Planetizen and Panorama (University of Pennsylvania) and taught as an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University. She developed a planning curriculum for middle school students at the Cushman School and is a regular speaker at the Florida American Planning Association’s annual conference.</i>