If you had the power of changing ONE aspect to improve Miami, what would it be? (high school, living in)

[TraderNYC]

Less bums and more b**bs, i would say, b**bs are much more nice to look at.

[valicky]

80's and 90's with high humidity making "feels like" temps in the 100's isn't extremely hot? We have months of that weather. I wouldn't want to walk in work clothes in those temps. I don't mind going to the zoo or beach because it doesn't matter if I get sweaty, my hair gets frizzy and I get to wear clothes suitable for that heat, but that's where it ends. We're in October and it's still too hot for walking in work clothes. Yes, umbrellas will give you a little tiny shade spot, but it's still hot and humid under it. Umbrellas also wouldn't do much good if you're caught in our torrential downpours either which happen daily for months at a time.

[unquiltom]

Originally Posted by amonte

Miami isn't extreme heat though. I've walked a lot of blocks with no shade and didn't sweat. I was just really hot and my face got the greasy type like when you get a sun tan.

Covering the sidewalks of Miami with shade won't be from one day to the other but it can be done and it won't actually take that long. Also, not all of Miami needs to be covered at first, just the part where a lot of people walk to get to work and such. Instead of walking you can take a public transit and get there with no sun exposure. Plus, there's a thing called bringing a small umbrella with you to protect you from the sun. It's a normal thing.

What's normal for you, may not be normal for others. I sweat like crazy just sitting in the shade on a hot, humid day. If I start to do anything remotely active, the sweat comes out in buckets.
I see some people walking around in this weather with long sleeves, jeans and a jacket, so it's obviously not affecting them the same as it does me.

[hurricaneMan1992]

Originally Posted by valicky

I don't think Miami will ever be a pedestrian city like NY. The weather is not suitable for walking for many months of the year. Maybe to go shopping I might be able to stand smelling sweaty, but not for work. Not to mention the daily downpours during the summer months. It's not usually a walkable rain shower. At least walking during a NY winter you won't arrive to work hot and sweaty or ready to pass out from a heat stroke.

I wonder how they do it in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumphur, and Bangkok? Tokyo in the summer is not very pleasant either. Or New York and DC, for that matter.

Note that normal commuting times are not during the heat of the day, and in the evening you're not necessarily as "odor sensitive."

Still, our public transportation system often leaves you walking a mile between the "work side" station stop and your job, or else your alternative is to wait 20-30 minutes--often without a suitable bus shelter--to transfer to another bus. Where local bus transfers are needed from the train, they should at least run frequently during peak commuting hours. NYers wouldn't put up with 20 minute transfers no matter what the weather were like.

[valicky]

Well, in the U.S, the alternative has to be better than driving in order for people to give up their cars. In NY, the alternative IS better than driving so people do it. Here, the mass transit would have to be WAY, WAY, WAY more widespread and WAY, WAY, WAY more frequent for people to give up their cars. And for at least three quarters of the population, I'd say they'd think it would be too hot and muggy to walk to the transit station to get to work feeling all hot and sticky. I wouldn't want to face a work day in sweaty clothes, feeling stinky if I could help it. I went out last night at 4:30 am and the sweltering humidity actually felt like a physical presence as soon as I opened the door. The humidity will be 100% by 7:00 am. That's the killer to our weather. Like I said previously, the dry, hotter, heat of Phoenix is actually easier to manage work-wise because you'd arrive at work not sweaty and stinky. And there it actually is cooler in the mornings and evenings. Also, keep in mind that while DC, NY and Tokyo have "not very pleasant" summers, we have that for a lot longer than just the summer. Yeah, I'm sure they foot it in many, hot countries, but I don't see it happening here unless something catastrophic happened where people just couldn't use their cars at all.

[cucudrulu]

Originally Posted by valicky

I don't think Miami will ever be a pedestrian city like NY. The weather is not suitable for walking for many months of the year. Maybe to go shopping I might be able to stand smelling sweaty, but not for work. Not to mention the daily downpours during the summer months. It's not usually a walkable rain shower. At least walking during a NY winter you won't arrive to work hot and sweaty or ready to pass out from a heat stroke.

The solution is arcades, leafy trees, not palm tress, water spray, airconditioned bus stops... With the right kind of architecture, Miami could be as pedestrian-friendly as NY. Miami also has very nice months.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992

I wonder how they do it in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumphur, and Bangkok? Tokyo in the summer is not very pleasant either. Or New York and DC, for that matter.

Note that normal commuting times are not during the heat of the day, and in the evening you're not necessarily as "odor sensitive."

Still, our public transportation system often leaves you walking a mile between the "work side" station stop and your job, or else your alternative is to wait 20-30 minutes--often without a suitable bus shelter--to transfer to another bus. Where local bus transfers are needed from the train, they should at least run frequently during peak commuting hours. NYers wouldn't put up with 20 minute transfers no matter what the weather were like.

Yep, NYC in the summer can be hellish and some of those train stations and trains don't even have adequate AC, yet millions of people ride that train EVERY day! So you are correct. Miami can do more to make the place more walk-able though, like planting trees on EVERY street so that sidewalks are shaded. That would go a long way by itself.

[valicky]

The alternative in NY is driving and that is even more hellish that the train ride. That's not the case in Miami. Driving isn't the best here, but it certainly beats the alternative. cucudrulu's solutions sound nice - the tree part should've always been a given in Miami anyway - but misters and arcades all over Miami? If Miami can't even handle planting shade trees or not cutting down ones that were there to begin with - misters and arcades won't be coming anytime soon either. Even if we had them, the alternative - driving, would still, most likely, be better. In NY, it's not, so you see people walking and on mass transit. The alternative to driving has to be better in order for people to give up their cars.

[hurricaneMan1992]

Not to mention if you sweat significantly or your knees or back ache during a 10 minute walk at 8 am, you're probably out of shape. If you've lived in Florida and acclimated, humidity should affect you when running, not when walking at a moderate pace without direct overhead sunshine. You're probably out of shape because you sit in cars too much, and sit all day at work, and quite possibly rush to get home to sit in front of a TV for 2 hours. Sitting can be just as bad as smoking. It's also possible to spend too much time in over-chilled a/c so the acclimation process doesn't fully happen.

(OR it may be you're over-dressed--you can carry a sport coat over your shoulder and put it on when you get indoors, for example)

[unclealbertt]

Originally Posted by valicky

but misters and arcades all over Miami? If Miami can't even handle planting shade trees or not cutting down ones that were there to begin with - misters and arcades won't be coming anytime soon either.

Isn't Miami21 supposed to be taking care of this?