Description
Book SynopsisSix-year-old Manuel Diaz and his mother first arrived at Miami''s airport in 1961 with little more than a dime for a phone call to their relatives in the Little Havana neighborhood. Forty years after his flight from Castro''s Cuba, attorney Manny Diaz became mayor of the City of Miami. Toward the end of the twentieth century, the one-time citrus and tourism hub was more closely associated with vice than sunshine. When Diaz took office in 2001, the city was paralyzed by a notoriously corrupt police department, unresponsive government, a dying business district, and heated ethnic and racial divisions. During Diaz''s two terms as mayor, Miami was transformed into a vibrant, progressive, and economically resurgent world-class metropolis.
In Miami Transformed: Rebuilding America One Neighborhood, One City at a Time, award-winning former mayor Manny Diaz shares lessons learned from governing one of the most diverse and dynamic urban communities in the United States. This first
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"Miami Transformed is the story of a doer, a big thinker with a passion for improving the lives of people. Manny Diaz is undaunted by the challenges that inevitably arise in government and business but always squarely focused on the agenda he has carefully set to reach his goals. That's the definition of a good leader, and that, based on my experience, is Manny Diaz." * Richard M. Daley, former Mayor of Chicago *
"Manny Diaz became the mayor of Miami during a critical time, when professional leadership was needed. He took the city to new heights and also represented Miami nationally and internationally as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Manny is a visionary leader who has never lost his footing or his roots. He epitomizes the immigrant success story and the fruition of the American Dream." * Eduardo J. Padrón, President of Miami Dade College *
"Under Mayor Manny Diaz's leadership and direction, Miami has undergone a great and sustaining transformation into a cultural hotspot and a hub for the 'creative class,' with a thriving business climate that is open, multicultural, and inclusive. Miami Transformed offers politicians and policymakers a blueprint for transforming their cities block-by-block into destinations for innovative businesses and entrepreneurs, building livable and safe communities for all." * Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class Revisited *
"Manny Diaz was a great mayor, and he will go down in history as one of our country's most innovative urban leaders because he put progress before partisanship-and because he never stopped asking 'Why not?' His legacy will be defined not only by a soaring skyline but also by cutting-edge policies that made Miami a national leader on urban issues." * From the Foreword, by Mayor Michael Bloomberg *
Table of Contents
Foreword
—by Michael Bloomberg
Introduction
Chapter 1. July 21, 1961
Chapter 2. The Lost Generation Finds Its Way
Chapter 3. Creating My Own Politics
Chapter 4. Two Six-Year-Olds
Chapter 5. The Choice for Change
Chapter 6. Now What?
Chapter 7. Grand Ideas
Chapter 8. Expanding Economic Opportunity
Chapter 9. Education
Chapter 10. Making Neighborhoods Safe
Chapter 11. Investing in Our Future
Chapter 12. Designing a Sustainable City
Chapter 13. Fostering Arts and Culture
Conclusion
Index
Acknowledgments
