Building Belonging, One Street at a Time

1 · THE QUESTION

What makes us feel we belong where we live?

For two years I’ve put that question to some of the world’s leading thinkers on cities. Their answers were never about towers or skylines. They were about small things:

A bench where neighbors stop to talk
A crosswalk a grandmother can use without fear
A shaded sidewalk and a park with something going on

“If you have public spaces for people, we will have people in the public space. If you have public spaces for cars, streets, avenues, and motorways, you will have cars.”
— CARLOS MORENO · creator of the 15-minute city, on Realtopia

When a street feels safe and welcoming, people come outside. When people come outside, they meet. That is where belonging begins.

2 · THE PROBLEM

In Miami, too many streets say “stay inside.”

Top 20
most dangerous metro areas in America for people walking and biking
Miami–Fort Lauderdale · Dangerous by Design 2026, Smart Growth America

Extreme heat keeps older adults and kids indoors. You can’t belong to a place you can’t safely walk through.

3 · MY FIRST STEP

From asking questions to taking action

When I asked Charles Montgomery, author of Happy City, how young people can shape better neighborhoods, he told me:

“We all have power to change our cities, but usually it means finding a group of like-minded people and working together with them.”
— CHARLES MONTGOMERY · author of Happy City, on Realtopia

Carlos Moreno also told me he is convinced the key to this change is in the hands of young people.

I told Charles I would try to play my part. This page is my first step.

4 · WHERE YOUR GIFT GOES

My like-minded people: Urban Health Partnerships

Since 2011, UHP has been building belonging in Miami one street at a time, always alongside the people who live there:

Little Havana: benches at bus stops, so older residents have a place to sit
Citrus Grove: a play trail around neighborhood schools
Overtown: walking routes and a mural, created with residents

Residents mapping out their own neighborhood at a UHP event.

I’ve started volunteering with UHP’s Healthy Streets & Public Spaces team, and for Give Miami Day I’m raising $2,000 for their work.