STORYTELLER AND ADVOCATE
If there was one thing you could change, address, etc. about Miami, what would it be?
All politicians would be in it for the little guy, not themselves.
Elected officials would make decisions based on creating a
legacy of inclusion.
What are you looking forward to in 2023?
World travel and more work being an evangelist for
Universal Design and a barrier-free built environment.
STORYTELLER AND ADVOCATE
What’s your favorite local social media account and why?
@BecauseMiami, because it’s snarky, sardonic
and cynical.
If you could give any one piece of advice to locals, what would
it be?
Love people who are different than you. Learn from
them; drink in their culture.
How does Miami help you do what you do or influence your work?
I’m from Ohio. It’s sure nice to have warm, sunny winters.
That gets me going when I’m having trouble writing or launching a big project.
STORYTELLER AND ADVOCATE
Share your other top three destinations for where you’d go on your perfect Miami day.
(1) Miami Beach at 5:00 a.m. to run on the sand till
the sun rises.
(2) Ball and Chain in the heart of Calle Ocho
for great music, drink, and vibes any time — day or night.
(3) Play on the grass at William Jennings Bryan Park,
because I live on it and spent more than two years protecting the one acre of
greenspace from being paved over.
STORYTELLER AND ADVOCATE
What’s your favorite Miami memory?
Getting to create, from scratch, a revolutionary
course on Universal Design.
I taught it to graduate and undergraduate
architecture and urban design students at the University of Miami School of
Architecture.
If you could eat only one meal from a local
restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A BBQ steak sub, well done, on wheat, no cheese,
black olives as the only condiment, and hot cherry peppers on the side.
From Super Subs, an institution on Bird Road in
South Miami.
(I eat less than half the sub bun and have no fries or chips to keep it healthy!)
STORYTELLER AND ADVOCATE
What brings you most alive about the 305?
Walking for entertainment and exercise.
I lost 125 pounds eating healthier and walking from
my home in Shenandoah to the Miami River and throughout Little Havana.
I documented the Art Deco, Spanish Mission,
Mediterranean, and other 1920s to 1940s classic apartment, commercial, spiritual,
and single-family homes.
My images were part of a six month, one-man Local
Artist exhibition at the Art Deco Welcome Center in Miami Beach
It ran through mid-February 2024.
STORYTELLER AND ADVOCATE
Howdy, Steve! Who are you? What do you do?
I am a writer, visual artist, keynote speaker,
planner, educator, and advocate.
I work for myself, creating content about Universal
Design and a better built environment for people with disabilities.
My clients include the National Association of
REALTORS, the United Spinal Association, the American Planning Association,
Global Disability Inclusion Inc., and many others.
I also create workshops and speeches about how to
make cities more inclusive for all.
