Today we’re looking at those spaces that breathe life into a city: parks.

Park Land-Use in Miami-Dade County, Florida — 2013. Source: Matthew Toro

I kept it simple: only beaches, municipal-operated, and county-operated parks were included. These criteria effectively excluded the following uses, which are part of Miami-Dade County’s default “Park” category:

• Recreational Vehicle Parks/Camps
• Private Recreational Facilities Associated with Private Residential Developments
• Private Recreational Camps/Areas
• Cemeteries
• Golf courses
• Other Nature Preserves and Protected Areas, which, for the most part, are completely inaccessible for public recreation/leisure
• Marinas

And, significantly, this map doesn’t show Biscayne National Park, our local, primarily aquatic national park covering the bulk of central and southern Biscayne Bay.

What do you think? Where are more parks needed in our community?