Miami Herald and the Daily Business Review cite Earth Economics’ research on the economics of displacement in advance of final vote on Magic City Innovation District


Earth Economics’ recent research on the economics of displacement was recently cited in news coverage about community opposition to the Magic City Innovation District development project in Miami, Florida. The Magic City Innovation District (“Magic City”) is a seventeen-acre development slated to be built in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Florida. In advance of the final city commission vote to approve the project, scheduled for June 27, 2019, the Community Justice Project (CJP) and the Family Action Network Movement (FANM) partnered with Earth Economics to examine the potential environmental and social costs of the proposed development, including the household-level costs of displacement. In addition to raising questions about the true costs and benefits of the proposed Magic City project, the report aims to raise awareness among Miami decision-makers about the importance of approaching urban development through a holistic lens, taking both nature’s benefits and social wellbeing of underserved communities into account.

Wetland Rehydration Project Area  Copyright Earth Economics 2019

The articles describe the growing opposition to the proposed billion dollar development, including a rally that was held on June 20 to publicize Earth Economics’ research. Both articles highlight Earth Economics’ estimates of household-level costs of displacement, including an estimated $64 billion of costs over ten years, accrued by 3000+ households at risk of displacement throughout the Little Haiti neighborhood.

“The impacts of displacement are well documented − everything from upfront relocation costs, to increased commuting costs, to the cost of increased flood risk. Using publicly available datasets, the average financial cost of displacement to a Little Haiti household can be estimated,” (Earth Economics, Magic City Innovation District).

In the News

Little Haiti residents rally for a more ‘inclusive’ development ahead of Magic City Vote. | Miami Herald

Miami's Magic City Innovation District Could Displace 3,000+ Little Haiti Households, Study Says | Daily Business Review