WHAT’S YOUR MODERN CITY’S EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO MOBILITY AND ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?
The Avila walls visitor reception area is connected by an accessible route and has manual wheelchairs available to borrow.
https://www.avilaturismo.com/en/organize-your-visit/avila-is-everyone
WHAT’S YOUR MODERN CITY’S EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO MOBILITY AND ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?
Once at the top of some of the best preserved city walls in Europe, disabled visitors can enjoy a flat, 100-meter stretch of the battlement walk.
https://www.avilaturismo.com/en/organize-your-visit/avila-is-everyone
WHAT’S YOUR MODERN CITY’S EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO MOBILITY AND ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?
An accessible portion of its famous city walls can be reached by ramp and elevator.
https://www.avilaturismo.com/en/organize-your-visit/avila-is-everyone
SAVING LIVES IS ESSENTIAL
I am begging Miami Mayor Eileen
Higgins to take swift action to collaborate with Miami-Dade County to reduce
unsafe conditions for pedestrians.
A Miami Herald story this week
documented that greater Miami is one of the most dangerous places for
pedestrians in the entire U.S.
I have supported and voted for Higgins
since she ran for elected office in the County.
I attended her kickoff meeting when
she successfully ran for mayor.
She has given me a proclamation for my
artistic work to support historic preservation.
I now call on my fellow believer in public service and colleague
to take decisive action.
A Chief Mobility Officer could save
lives and increase safe mobility for all.
A city executive focused on stopping pedestrian
deaths and severe injuries would be especially valuable for vulnerable
residents who are disabled, elderly or very young.
More than 1/3 of Miamians cannot or do
not drive.
That makes for a large constituency
that would benefit from wide, unobstructed sidewalks, stiff fines for cars that park on them, longer better protected crosswalks and street redesign that slows down our dangerous drivers and protects mobility by foot, wheelchair or bike.
I suggested the Chief Mobility Officer
position (full disclosure: yes, I would be interested in being the humble public servant who
takes on this noble role) at the outset of 2026.
But I have yet to hear from our city's progressive mayor.
Sorry that the Miami Herald chooses to keep this life safety story behind a subscription pay wall -- but you can get the gist from the free video at this link:
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/traffic/article316075848.html
THE CITY OF MIAMI MUST PROTECT QUALITY OF LIFE
Independence Day weekend is
approaching.
I dread it, because I will get only a
few hours of sleep on July 2, 3, 4, 5…
Fun can be had without detonating illegal,
dangerous explosives into the wee hours.
I sincerely hope our Mayor,
Commissioners, City Manager and police can tame this beast and improve our
quality of life.
THE CITY OF MIAMI MUST PROTECT QUALITY OF LIFE
Many take medications that create
noise sensitivity.
Most of us work for a living and
cannot suffer with a noise from dusk till 3 a.m. for three or more nights
leading up to and including July 4, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Little to no sleep, for days on end, three
holiday time per year, negatively impacts health.
To restore tranquility while acknowledging
some partying, I suggest a compromise.
Even though most of these dangerous
explosives are illegal, have “suspend the rules” period twice per year.
From 10 pm. to 12:30 am. on July 4 and
Dec. 31 – people can set off all the fireworks and noise makers they want.
The police will not intercede.
All other times outside those two
“immunity” windows, the police must go to the offending homes.
THE CITY OF MIAMI MUST PROTECT QUALITY OF LIFE
Some live inside and others in houses
that I have built for them.
The cats suffer with the noise.
Some have ran away, never to return.
Any vet or pet owner can verify that
hours of loud fireworks are torture for dozens of kinds of house pets.
I understand that people stay up till
midnight on New Year’s Eve.
I can put up with the sound of folks
talking to each other at the backyard barbecue.
I understand that Dec. 31, I will hear
music playing past bedtime.
I will tolerate it, so long as it is
not thundering at South Beach nightclub level.
But night after night of noise that
sounds like military artillery?
No, that is not appropriate for any
place.
THE CITY OF MIAMI MUST PROTECT QUALITY OF LIFE
It is abusive.
Endless noise -- that terrorizes pets
and triggers PTSD in humans -- is not essential to celebrating a holiday.
My house is old with thick cement
block for an exterior.
It has noise-insulating impact glass
in all windows.
None of that holds up to be
bombardment that denies sleep.
I have purchased white noise machines and
turned them up to the max.
I have tried earplugs and noise
canceling headphones.
None of it comes close to canceling
out the terrifying artillery noises.
THE CITY OF MIAMI MUST PROTECT QUALITY OF LIFE
Because of the warm winters, people
fire them off on Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Miami.
Shenandoah is one of dozens of
neighborhoods where the ear-splitting bombardment has gotten out of hand.
When I first moved here nearly a
quarter of a century ago, the noise was roughly limited to about 9 p.m. till
12:30 a.m. on July 4 and Dec. 31.
Now, it takes place from a dusk till 3
a.m. on Independence Day, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
People also fire off hundreds of these
noisemakers – long past midnight -- for days leading up to each holiday.
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.
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/
IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE
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.
IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE
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.
IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE
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.
IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE
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.
IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE
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.
IN PERFECT LOCATION AT AN STUNNINGLY GREAT VALUE
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.
MAY BE THE NEXT WYNWOOD – ONLY LESS EXPENSIVE AND WITH MUCH BETTER UNIVERSAL DESIGN TO BOOST WHEELCHAIR ACCESS
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.
WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST
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.
WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST
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.
WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST
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.
WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST
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.
WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST
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.
