"Climate change starts in the head," says Miami Mayor Manuel Alberto Diaz (55). In other words, since driving to work is such a deep-rooted habit, change has to start from one’s mind set. Well-designed cities that are characterized by technologies that enhance energy efficiency can facilitate this process. Since his inauguration in 2001, Diaz has pushed for green policies, ranging from funding the retrofitting of houses to expanding public transport. In addition to these efforts, he also managed to turn around Miami’s desolate budget during his eight years in office. During 2008 Diaz was president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He studied political science and law and has worked as a lawyer; he remains a partner in the law firm of Diaz, O’Naghten & Borgognoni.
U.S. Mayors: Renewed
Interest in Infrastructures
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As mayor, you have returned Miami to financial stability. Putting the city on the right track to deal with its carbon footprint should be an easier task…
Diaz: Sorry to tell you this, but you are completely wrong. Curtailing the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of cities is really a huge task. You have to get reductions on a large scale as soon as possible, and you have to make those cuts sustainable. Our reduction target for 2020 is 25 % below 2006 levels citywide. Changing the design of a city intelligently is the most important thing that you can do with respect to climate change. A large part of why we keep growing emissions in U.S. cities is suburban sprawl. Sprawl simply adds up to more cars and thus more straining of natural resources. We are countering this development with a program called Miami 21. It is the master plan for making Miami, an agglomeration of about half a million people, more fit for the future. We will create mixed use developments, where you have shops within walking distance and public transportation. After all, if you want to get people out of their cars, you have to offer a viable alternative.
What might this alternative look like in Miami?
Diaz: We are currently planning an eight-to-ten-mile streetcar project that will connect our most heavily-populated areas with the employment centers. These centers include the business district and developments on the eastern portion of the city, as well as our health district. In the latter, 35,000 people work and more than 35,000 visit every day. Getting that project right would mean a huge impact on traffic streams and a reduction in the total number of vehicle trips in Miami every day. We project an investment of around $200 million for the streetcar project, in large part financed by the federal government, with a local match. Unfortunately we have not secured 100 % of the financing, yet.
Are you looking at public-private partnerships as a way of financing projects?
Diaz: We are not only looking at them, we are doing them. And I have to tell you, we love it. Let me give you an example. Right now, we are building a tunnel between the port, which happens to be located in the city center, and a highway. It’s a huge project that will help us to keep a lot of heavy traffic out of the city’s core. We are doing this with a private partner. Such projects are a great deal for both sides, because they build on the drive and creativity of both the government and the private sector. And when it comes to large projects, like public transport, our partners of choice are obviously large companies — international household names like Siemens.
Infrastructure projects are long-term measures. Have you had some quick wins in reducing emissions?
Diaz: The Miami city government tries to motivate people by giving a positive example and providing incentives. To demonstrate that we are serious, we have set the emission reduction targets for government buildings at particularly ambitious levels. Our goal is to achieve a 25 % cut by 2015, compared with 2007 levels. Making air conditioning more efficient is one way of getting large gains quickly. What’s more, we installed about 40 solar panels at the city hall, thereby covering about 10 to 15 % of its energy requirements. The project also included a lighting retrofit — including my office. The financial rewards have been shared with a private concern that took on the project. We are also changing our vehicle fleet. Last year we bought our first hybrids. This new way of thinking is catching on in the private sector. Our new baseball stadium, for instance, will be a LEED-certified building. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a rating system established by the U.S. Green Building Council.)
Was there a key moment for you, when you realized how important sustainable development really is for cities?
Diaz: I came to Miami from Cuba at the age of six. Miami is surrounded by outstanding natural beauty, including two national parks. So as a young kid, growing up in this area you are sensitized to this kind of environment and you start to appreciate it. I spent my formative years on the beach, took field trips to the Everglades, and got to realize that in Miami, in terms of nature, you are really part of something special. However, it’s also something very fragile. And this makes you think — hey, I want the same thing for my kids and their kids.