Why Miami-Dade commissioners must sustain the mayor’s land-use veto | Opinion

By Jorge Perez, Chairman and CEO of the Related Group and Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation

Published in the Miami Herald, February 11, 2026

Miami-Dade County’s approach to growth has been shaped by a simple idea: boundaries, applied consistently, protect the environment, the Everglades, and the public interest. They also give developers the clarity and predictability needed to plan, invest, and build with confidence. That approach continues to guide how growth and environmental protections are managed across the community, including the responsible management of water resources that sustain both our economy and our environment.

The Urban Development Boundary (UDB) is one of the clearest expressions of that approach. It establishes where development belongs while safeguarding wetlands and water resources that support the Everglades and help reduce flood risk. Those same wetlands play a critical role in recharging the Biscayne Aquifer and are essential to ensure a reliable water supply for our community.

Protecting our wetlands is essential to Miami-Dade County’s resilience with a changing climate and a growing population. Everglades wetlands capture, store, and naturally filter rainwater, slowly recharging the Biscayne Aquifer, the primary source of drinking water for Miami-Dade County’s 2.8 million residents and countless tourists. These wetlands also act as natural buffers that absorb and slow flood waters, reducing damage to homes, infrastructure, and public systems.

As sea levels rise and aging water infrastructure is pushed beyond what it was designed to handle, protecting and restoring wetlands is not just an environmental priority, but a practical investment in water security and our region’s real estate and tourism-based economy.  

Read full OpEd at: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article314651198.html