The Great Parks Summit 2008 took place March 14, 2008 at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens and brought leaders, visionaries, and activists together to share an inspirational vision for a more livable and sustainable South Florida.
The event marked the completion of the planning process for Miami-Dade County Park and Recreation’s new Park and Open Space System Master Plan, a policy framework and visionary document that will guide development and stewardship of parks and conservation open space into the 21st century.
The Park and Open Space System Master Plan began with the Great Park Summit 2006 when the Miami-Dade County community engaged in a dialogue about creating a sustainable South Florida through the lens of a park system. The new Park and Open Space System Master Plan envisions connecting communities through a public realm of parks, public spaces, natural and cultural areas, greenways, waterways and streets. These connections will form a green framework that will enhance the overall quality of life for residents and visitors, preserve and protect parks and open space, and achieve a strong position in the local economy.
At the 2008 summit, landscape architects, architecture and urban planning professionals, elected officials, governmental administrators, environmental activists, patrons of the arts, businesses, academia, and citizens engaged in a discussion about enhancing South Florida through innovative planning and stewardship of the public realm with a full day of lectures, a panel discussion, and exhibitions led by international leaders in public space advocacy.
It is clear that the creation of a model park system in South Florida cannot be considered as an isolated system, but one that is integrated into the overall fabric of the community. We hope you share with us our vision to create a vibrant community that provides residents and visitors of Miami-Dade County a greener, healthier place to live, work and play.
Herein is the program book highlighting the event and some of the Plan's advocates:
|
files, you can download 
