CURB DANGEROUS AND NOISY USE OF FIREWORKS

THE CITY OF MIAMI MUST PROTECT QUALITY OF LIFE

I have proudly lived in Miami’s historic Shenandoah neighborhood for 24 years – pouring a good chunk of my life’s savings into restoring, repairing and maintaining a 100-year-old home just blocks south of Calle Ocho.

Most of the year, I have great neighbors in a great neighborhood close to everything.

But there are two times when life is unbearable.

Miami people love to shoot off fireworks and set off illegal explosive devices – firecrackers, cherry bombs, M-80s, etc. – on holidays.

Virtually none of these explosives are legal for home use and each year they cause many deaths and serious injuries around the nation.

 

 

HONORED TO HAVE 3 MILLION BLOG READERS

I HAVE SHARED MY UNIVERSAL DESIGN EXPERTISE BY POSTING ON MY BLOG 365 DAYS PER YEAR FOR MORE THAN ONE DOZEN YEARS

Universal Design in Avila, Spain

As an award-winning storyteller, I am proud that my humble blog has had more than 3 million unique visitors over its lifetime.

Recently, it has been getting 25,000 to 50,000 readers per day.

Wheelchair Accessibility consulting in Madrid Spain

My posts would fill the equivalent of 12 full nonfiction books.

I have successfully transitioned from an expert writer on planning…to an acclaimed planner focused on Universal Design, Inclusive Mobility and Aging in Place.

Universal Design Work in Madrid Spain

I still write.

I published independent journalism.

And I work as a marketer for a select few planning, architecture and transportation engineering firms that believe in Design for All and creating a better built environment for all ages, incomes and abilities.

Universal Design Work in Segovia Spain

The urban designer part of me has delivered keynote addresses at global gatherings of planners, engineers, architects and others who work on quality of life at a community and regional level.

I have also teamed with some of the best urban design and mobility firms to work as a subconsultant on Universal Design plus wheelchair access.

Inclusive Mobility consulting in Toledo Spain

I hope to soon announce a major collaboration with one of the best downtown development authorities in the nation.

Stay tuned.

https://urbantravelandaccessibility.blogspot.com/

HOTEL CARLOS V TOLEDO SPAIN = FULL SERVICE HOTEL

IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE

Hotel Carlos V is the longest operating full service hotel in historic Toledo.

Some trivia?

Its guests have included actors and actresses of the stature of:  Catherine Deneuve, John Wayne, Rock Hudson, Rita Hayworth, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Emma Cohen, Arturo Fernández and Johnny Depp.

 

 

HOTEL CARLOS V TOLEDO SPAIN = FULL SERVICE HOTEL

IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE

Toledo has so much going for it, I very highly recommend making it an overnight 2-day visit, rather than a day trip from Madrid.

The only downside of my Hotel Carlos V stay was the famous rooftop lounge, sporting the best vistas in all of the old city’s upper town, was closed for renovations. 

I knew this at the time of booking and staff said the room rate was discounted accordingly.

Still, knowing Carlos V’s perfect location and Toledo’s low rise buildings, it would have been wonderful to have a morning coffee or evening cocktail from the Azotea.

HOTEL CARLOS V TOLEDO SPAIN = FULL SERVICE HOTEL

IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE

Spanish plazas can generate late night noise, but at Hotel Carlos V -- I heard zero street noises.

I was not happy that my economy room was located right in front of the pair of elevators -- but Carlos V must draw a high caliber client, because I heard none of the loud talking often associated with tipsy tourists stepping out of an elevator.

This is not a little inn or apartment that you never get service from after getting the key.

This is a truly full service hotel.

HOTEL CARLOS V TOLEDO SPAIN = FULL SERVICE HOTEL

IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE

Hotel Carlos V Toledo’s breakfast was never ending. All kinds of hot foods, gourmet pastries, fruits, coffee, beverages -- all for 14 euros.

I went in May, an ideal time for central Spain, and the price was well below 100 euros for the room plus taxes.

My room was small, but very well appointed, spotlessly clean and with a comfortable bed and warm shower.

HOTEL CARLOS V TOLEDO SPAIN = FULL SERVICE HOTEL

IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE

Hotel Carlos V Toledo’s location is in the heart of everything. 

Footsteps from the bus the circulates between the Renfe train station and the core of the ancient city.

The hotel is next to the Alcazar and very close to the main town square.

The cathedral and all historic sites in the upper town are a 15 minute, maybe 20 minute at the most walk from Carlos V.

HOTEL CARLOS V TOLEDO SPAIN = FULL SERVICE HOTEL

IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE

I can't imagine staying at a property other than The Hotel Carlos V in Toledo.

It is a full service property with history and renovated rooms.

The staff is top notch -- one young front desk person went on a hunt through housekeeping with me to find a pillow more to my liking.

FORT LAUDERDALE’S THRIVE ART DISTRICT

MAY BE THE NEXT WYNWOOD – ONLY LESS EXPENSIVE AND WITH MUCH BETTER UNIVERSAL DESIGN TO BOOST WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

The Thrive Art District is just more than a mile (less than half hour walk) from the center of downtown Fort Lauderdale.

It is a hive of creativity nestled in the area of Historic Sistrunk, Progresso Village, and Flagler Village. 

It boasts upwards of 100 murals, cool mom & pop shops, places to get coffee, matcha and snacks plus a hip urban vibe.

Kudos to the developers for wheelchair ramps, barrier-free plazas and accessible parking.

The adaptive re-use of rundown warehouses space for local creative businesses did a great job of introducing accessibility for people with disabilities.

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST

There must be 1,000 historic buildings, boasting food, drink, dessert -- very nearby Hotel Miau Madrid.

I only used rideshare once -- on a rainy day when I was visiting an historic cemetery outside the old city.

The well-trained and warm staff gave suggestions for a pair of authentic tapas bars that were within 5 minutes walking distance.

Staff also respected my request for limited housekeeping. 

Many places ignore this, but Miau's team is on top of everything.

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST

The Hotel Miau Madrid's fridge is sleek looking and saves space with the wall mount. 

The only thing is it is cool, not really cold.

I could not find a knob to adjust it to a colder setting. 

While this was fine for sodas and bottled water, some milk I had for medication was not cold enough.

I worried a bit that it would spoil within a couple days, vs the 10 day expiry on the label.

 Once again, this is a very small deficiency at a very excellent boutique hotel.

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST

Hotel Miau Madrid reviews mention hallway noise and I must say they are correct.

It is odd that the double doors tamp down raucous sound from Plaza Santa Ana, but the interior modern renovation lets noise in.

Each night, I heard fellow guests talking in the hallway (the rooms are small, so groups in 2 or 3 rooms seemed to hover in the hallway at all hours. 

They were not drinking or making trouble -- just talking loud enough to disturb my sleep.

Breakfast starts at 8 a.m. It is lavish, so it is hard to complain. 

Plus I understand that Spaniards eat small breakfasts much later than Americans.

But maybe opening at 7 a.m. on weekdays and 7:30 a.m. on weekends would be a compromise. 

I'm an early riser. 

I had to kill time before the breakfast room (2 doors down from hotel) opened. 

Again, my words are more advice than complaint.

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST

The Hotel Miau Madrid's rooms are small but quite efficient -- with a wall mounted fridge capable of cooling a soda, beer and few bottles of water.

The price point for a perfect location in May was under 200 USD fully loaded -- delicious breakfast and taxes included.

Miau -- yes it has a cat theme in its logo, etc. -- is very close to Sol, the biggest transit station in Madrid. Anton Martin and others are close by too.

Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Opera, Prado, El Rastro, Gran Via and dozens of top areas are no more than 15 minutes walking distance.

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST

Hotel Miau Madrid's soundproofing for busy and boisterous adjacent Plaza Santa Ana is amazing. 

I could hear faint sounds, but the double doors provided quiet nights in a roof with a small balcony and historic views.

The breakfast is beyond lavish. 

Most free breakfasts are crappy little cold food huts. 

The buffet has variety, hot foods, gourmet coffee and a super hardworking staff person.

My bed was super firm and comfy.

The bathroom is large and the shower tube had lots of hot water.

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST

Hotel Miau Madrid's location is perfect. It is a 15 minute walk from virtually every museum, arts facility, jazz room, fine dining, mercado, tapas crawl, etc. that you would want to visit in heart of the city.

The staff is amazing.

This is a tiny, boutique hotel with barely a lobby.

I was not 100% sure it was staffed 24/7. 

Not only is it staffed, but its English speaking front desk crew is responsive in person and to emails.

Staff helped me plan for the trip and helped hugely during -- even got me a doctor in less than an hour when I couldn't shake a cold.

FROM WOOD BLOCKS TO CITY BLOCKS

 A YOUNG PLANNER’S GUIDE TO BUILDING BETTER PLACES

From Wood Blocks to City Blocks by Juan Mullerat is one of the most inclusive community planning books I have read.

The young community activists/budding urban designers address the needs of a person who uses a wheelchair for mobility.

The richly illustrated publication emphasizes the need for wide, unobstructed, well-maintained sidewalks to support mobility and freedom for people of all ages and abilities.

I collaborated with Juan Mullerat at PlusUrbia Design for a half decade.

It’s where I felt like a graduated from writer/marketer of planning – to person who could give keynote addresses on Universal Design and Inclusive Mobility to planners, engineers and architects.

I will take tiny credit for planting the Universal Design seed in Juan’s brilliant mind.

Both of us are Type A people with a clear vision and sometimes a hint of stubbornness about approaches to the built environment.

Our debates on wheelchair access, retrofitting old buildings, reconciling healthy design issues and aspects of Aging In Place – improved both of our professional approaches to urban design as a way of making the world a better place.

Kudos to Juan and the PlusUrbia team for embracing Design for All.

 

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

RESOURCES

8 80 Cities https://www.880cities.org

AARP Livability Index https://livabilityindex.aarp.org

AARP Future of Housing https://futureofhousing.aarp.org

American Planning Association https://www.planning.org/resources/equity

Wheel Pad https://www.wheelpad.com

Jeff Speck https://www.jeffspeck.com

New York Academy of Medicine/Age Friendly NYC http://imagenyc.nyam.org

Project for Public Spaces https://www.pps.org

LCM Architects https://www.lcmarchitects.com

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

Steven Montgomery is an Accessibility Specialist at Chicago-based LCM Architects, noted while longevity puts pressure on assisted living and skilled care (because people entering these care settings are doing so at a much later age) it seems to suggest that it may provide new opportunities for independent senior housing.”

“As for the built environment, universal design is the best option to facilitate aging in place,” Montgomery said.

“Because it is intentional by design to permit the widest range of users, including accommodation of future functional impairments, often associated with the aging process.”

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

Steven Montgomery is an Accessibility Specialist at Chicago-based LCM Architects, an ADA/accessibility and universal design consulting firm.

He said while there still is a market for active lifestyle retirement communities, the aging Baby Boomer population is “markedly more independent and increasingly more urban than the generation that preceded them.”

“The trend of delayed entry into senior settings is likely to continue as those in retirement hope to extend their independence even longer,” he said.

 

 

 

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

“One of the key risk factors for health – both psychological and physical -- is social isolation,” said Meg Walker, a Placemaking Consultant and Community Strategist and Professor at Pratt Institute.

Getting out is so important for seniors.

They need to be near a park, a grocery, a library, a place to meet other people.

We need to make more areas walkable, parks more inviting, universal design applied to all civic space – we need to make places for people.”

Walker sees a trend across the nation of people selling big houses in the suburbs and into cities, downtowns and missed use developments alive with amenities and activity.

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

Meg Walker is a Placemaking Consultant and Community Strategist and Professor at Pratt Institute.

She shared her insights when she was Senior Vice President of the New York-based planning non-profit Project for Public Spaces,

Walker has dedicated much of her career – as a planner, educator and elected official – to making streets and public spaces more walkable for human beings.

She said once the temporary need for social distancing has passed, planning for inclusive communities will be a key to supporting an aging population.