Miami is overdeveloped. There is construction almost everywhere and that is no exaggeration. While the need for additional tax revenue that these new condos and houses can generate is clearly understood, the hodge-podge of architectural styles and obstruction of air flow make the area look tacky. I'm just being real. It's analagous to a home that is remodeled without a real plan. You know those houses where the owner just adds a room here and there without considering the layout of the rooms in the house as a whole. And let's not talk about the view of Biscayne Bay that will soon only be enjoyed by those living in monstrous condominiums along the waterside.

With this construction boom also comes an airspace that covers vehicles with a film of dust each day. It is so disgusting. That dust represents a toxic environment; not to mention the dangerous debris.

To make matters worse, the prices of the condos are outrageous. A $400,000 starting price for a loft apartment in one of Miami's most blighted areas? Get real. Where are the people that can afford those prices? This cannot possibly last.

Miami's feeble attempt at viable public transportation still make a vehicle a necessity. The roadways cannot accomodate the increase in the number of vehicles. Commuting is much more time consuming and frustrating than in the recent past.

As more people come to Miami, others leave because they simply can no longer afford to live here. A housing scandal that displaced thousands of families and squandered millions of dollars exacerbates the situation.

There is development, which is fine. There is also ovedevelopment which is not. Miami is overdeveloped.

© 2006 VANESSA BYERS, Vanessa: Unplugged

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