Promoting Sustainable Transportation in Commercial Real Estate

Wrapped an inspiring day with Urban Land Institute at the Workshop on Sustainable Transportation in Commercial Real Estate in Miami. I am grateful to have been in the room with so many thoughtful minds pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

While much of the conversation focused on walking, biking, and transit, I appreciated the opportunity to discuss ride-share as one piece of the sustainable transportation puzzle. Supporting car-light lifestyles means making shared trips safer and more seamless, especially as we plan for a future that includes autonomous fleets and reduced private vehicle ownership.

One moment that stood out was Aaron Stolear, President of Development at 13th Floor Investments, who shared lessons learned from earlier developments that lacked adequate pick-up and drop-off space. In those buildings, resident frustration was frequent. In contrast, his newer transit-oriented developments include deliberate, well-sized queueing areas. These projects are also designed with 0.5 to 0.7 parking spaces per unit, which is significantly below the South Florida average.

Although residents have not voiced appreciation directly, that is often the case when things are working well. Quiet success is a sign that the infrastructure is functioning effectively. The decision to prioritize circulation over rentable space quietly enhances livability, reduces congestion, and improves long-term building performance. As ride-sharing and autonomous vehicles, such as Waymo, expand in South Florida, this kind of foresight will become even more critical.

This design decision also has broader community benefits. When pick-up and drop-off space is not planned correctly, vehicles often double-park in the street. This creates traffic backups and unsafe conditions as drivers are forced to merge unpredictably.

Another key theme throughout the day was the role of development in supporting sustainable transportation. This includes the location of a project to transit, which can lead to more developments being built without parking, thereby significantly reducing project and housing costs. It also includes how the bike room is intentionally integrated for ease of use, rather than treated as an afterthought. Equally important is the need for policies related to bike storage and parking requirements to be dynamic and calibrated to the needs of different neighborhoods.

During a discussion about the SMART Plan, which was framed earlier in the day by Eulois Cleckley, CEO of Friends of The Underline and former Director and CEO of the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works, I kept returning to the classic chicken-and-egg question in transit planning. For example, the South Corridor will use Bus Rapid Transit until ridership increases. But what are we doing now to build that ridership around future transit stops along the SMART Plan?

Are neighborhoods beginning to take action? Are they upgrading existing bus stops that already serve the routes where future SMART corridors are planned? Are they planting shade trees along pedestrian routes leading to those stops? Are they expanding protected bike lanes that connect to these future stations?

These kinds of early investments can support today’s riders, build momentum for future high-capacity transit, and help catalyze walkable, middle-density housing near these corridors.

Thank you to ULI, Matthew Norris, and everyone who participated and shared. There is a lot to reflect on, and even more to build toward.