Shades of Miami

The goal of Shades of Miami is to combine art and urban place-making principles to creatively address one of Miami's biggest but basic needs: shade.  In doing so, we also help reach the broader goal of improving the pedestrian experience.  This will be done by taking selected areas in Downtown Miami and covering the crosswalks and adjacent publics spaces with a covered canopy composed of brightly colored umbrellas/parasols.

• Step 1:  Secure permits
• Step 2: Complete the design layout
• Step 3: Purchase materials
• Step 4: Observation and metric collection (before period)
• Step 5: Design / Prototype/ Installation
• Step 6: Observation and metric collection (after period)
• Step 7: Break down installation

Two main issues we seek to address:

1. Improvement of pedestrian condition:  From an urban planning and place-making perspective, pedestrian activity represents an important aspect of the health and vitality of a city.  In Miami, some of the challenges faced in the urban core include intense heat and little overhead protection.  This project seeks to enhance the pedestrian experience and thereby create comfortable public space for people.  
2. Attention to the need for shade:  Part of the installation presents an opportunity to explore the need for shade in order to reduce the urban heat island affect.  By bringing attention to the need for shade, we seek to inspire further action, most specifically an increase in tree canopy in the urban areas.