UM News

Students from Miami-Dade magnet programs work on potential responses and designs for climate-related challenges.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (June 2, 2016) — Under the guidance of students and faculty from the School of Architecture, high school students from five Miami-Dade Magnet Programs participated in a half-day charrette to craft innovative responses related to building a resilient South Florida.

Teams were composed of a School of Architecture upperclassman or graduate student, a high school faculty member, and participating high school students. Each team focused on the charrette themes and the challenges presented for their school’s host neighborhood. Themes included: Investing in People and Communities for Upward Mobility, Securing Housing Options for All, and Responding to Shocks and Building Resilience.

“Through our partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), we were able to empower our leaders of tomorrow,” said Sonia Chao, director of the Center for Urban and Community Design at the School of Architecture. “Students from different areas of Miami-Dade had a unique opportunity to come together and envision potential responses and designs to climate-related challenges, which their communities will be increasingly facing.”

At the culmination of the charrette, students presented the work of their teams and discussed concerns such as sea-level rise, flooding, community wellness, and alternate transportation.

Building a Resilient South Florida is one of five regional convening sessions cohosted by HUD in collaboration with civic, governmental, educational, and philanthropic partners in advance of the U.N. Conference Habitat III, which will take place in Quito, Ecuador, in October. This is the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development. Its goal is to provide a New Urban Agenda or roadmap for sustainable urban development for cities across the globe.