Recently the Miami City Commission approved the Wynwood Neighborhood Revitalization District (NRD) Plan on first reading. The first of its kind in Miami, the NRD Plan sets forth new zoning regulations for Wynwood to encourage new residential development, including smaller, more affordable units of 650 SF or less. Commissioned by the Wynwood Business Improvement District, the NRD plan was developed by international planning firm PlusUrbia in conjunction with the City of Miami’s Planning Department. “We've worked on projects in cities across the globe and this is one of the most progressive plans we’ve ever created,” says Juan Mullerat, director of PlusUrbia.

The plan is an opportunity to bring more open public space and encourage a true neighborhood in a historically industrial district, Juan adds. The new plan would replace the existing zoning, which still considers the neighborhood industrial, something it's clearly not any more. It also sets forth several measures to protect the unique artistic and industrial characteristics of the district, while also introducing progressive concepts such as "woonerfs," or shared streets.