Public Space Challenge: Don't Block The Boxes?

MIAMI, FL — If you have difficulty navigating the streets of Miami-Dade County on foot, it may be time to choose a better path forward — or across — as the case may be.

You have until midnight Thursday to take the 2019 Public Space Challenge and vote on some fresh ideas, including two re-imagined pedestrian crosswalks shown above.

The goal is to make life a little easier around this South Florida county that welcomes millions of visitors each year — from the sizzling sands of South Beach to the skyscrapers of downtown Miami and the natural wonders of Everglades National Park.

You can even submit your own ideas until midnight Thursday in addition to voting on other people's ideas.

"If you have that thing that frustrates you about getting around town, here’s your chance to post your idea, and maybe get it funded," explained a spokesperson for The Miami Foundation, which sponsors the challenge each year.

This year the foundation is investing $250,000 in the best ideas focused on four categories of mobility — pedestrians, cyclists, streets and sidewalks as well as public transit.

The Target retail chain has agreed to donate funds to support winning ideas that encourage thriving and connected communities, according to the spokesperson. The challenge is open to individuals and organizations of all kinds.

“When people have access to different ways of getting around a city, it becomes easier for residents to connect with one another and the place they live,” observed Javier Alberto Soto, president and CEO of the foundation. “The better connected our community, the more tight-knit we become."

He said that resilience is about relationships, not just infrastructure.

"As we think about building a more resilient Miami-Dade, the social ties of a neighborhood are just as important,” Soto stressed.

Organizers said some of the most popular ideas from previous Public Space Challenges have helped make greater Miami’s parks and public spaces easier to access.

This year's challenge is focused on improving the way people get around Miami-Dade.

"Whether it’s a bike path, bus stop, crosswalk, sidewalk or a boat ramp, the challenge welcomes ideas on how to make them safer, easier and more efficient for everyone," according to the spokesperson.

Jennifer Gonzalez and Maria Font of Miami Springs took up the challenge last year to improve access to Circle Park, a public park surrounded by traffic.

Their idea, “Safely Making it to The Circle,” was the single most-supported idea by the public in challenge history. They’re now working with Miami-Dade County and city of Miami Springs to get a crosswalk on the South side of Curtis Parkway and to have The circle re-striped for safer traffic.

Since 2013, the Public Space Challenge has invested more than $1.5 million in ideas like the Domino Plaza umbrellas and The Circle.

To take this year's challenge, click here.

With more than 1,000 donors, The Miami Foundation partners with donors to champion causes and improve local quality of life.

Since its creation in 1967, the foundation has funded $350 million in grants that create opportunities for residents and helped to make Miami-Dade County more resilient.

Visit MiamiFoundation.org for more information.