Miams, Florida, Could Be a Climate Migrating Test Case

Miams is a town where gangs rule. Crime is rampant, and it’s not uncommon for young people to be gunned down by armed gang members. Many families struggle with poverty, and lack of money is a contributing factor to the high crime rate. Residents believe that the City of Miami Police Department is not doing enough to help the crime problem in hotspot areas like North Beach, South Beach and Hialeah.

As the climate crisis worsens, cities around the country will need to start planning for massive relocations, and Miami would make a great test case. Its citizens are a multiracial, multinational, and multigenerational assemblage that spans the class spectrum. If we could figure out how to welcome them—and integrate them into communities flush with public green investment—we’d get a head start on planning for climate migration generally.

The University of Miami is a research institution that seeks to improve health, well-being and quality of life through discovery and dissemination of knowledge in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, and by providing an outstanding education in medicine, engineering, business, the social sciences, the arts, and other disciplines that contribute to a rich intellectual environment.

The ibis is the University of Miami’s official mascot, a bird in folklore that represents courage and resilience. The ibis is the last animal to take shelter before a storm hits and the first to emerge afterward, and it’s an apt symbol for a school that encourages students to push past their comfort zones and be resilient in the face of hardship.