The plan laid out a reimagining of Little Havana\u2019s SW 8th St \u2014 commonly known as Eighth Street or Calle Ocho, the Spanish translation \u2014 that aimed to bring a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere.<\/p>\n
The vibrant cultural hub has been a bustling thoroughfare for decades, lined with shops, bars, and restaurants. It\u2019s also home to renowned establishments like the historic Ball & Chain, Tower Theater, and the famous Domino Park \u2014 where mostly older Cuban residents gather to play dominoes while tourists watch.<\/p>\n
\u201cCalle Ocho and Little Havana are the heart of Miami,\u201d said Juan Mullerat, principal of PlusUrbia. <\/p>\n
The firm\u2019s plan sought to build on that identity with a plan that visualized what Calle Ocho could look like \u2014 if cars did not dominate the wide, three-lane, one-way street.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: DeSantis, Trump weigh impact of AI data centers as outrage builds in Palm Beach County<\/a><\/p>\n Instead, it would return the vibrant strip back into the two-way, two lane road it was before the late 1960s. <\/p>\n The plan asks for expanded sidewalks, dedicated bike and bus lanes, and wider crosswalks that would be hard to miss. Instead of painted stripes on the road, a mural of giant dominoes would symbolize the crosswalks.<\/p>\n \n 1 of 3 Render from PlusUrbia’s Calle Ocho Revitalization Plan, first introduced in 2015. <\/p>\n PlusUrbia<\/p>\n \n 2 of 3 Render from PlusUrbia’s Calle Ocho Revitalization Plan, first introduced in 2015. <\/p>\n PlusUrbia<\/p>\n \n 3 of 3 Render from PlusUrbia’s Calle Ocho Revitalization Plan, first introduced in 2015. <\/p>\n PlusUrbia<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aBy no means do we want to imply that Calle Ocho should be entirely pedestrian,\u201d said Mullerat. \u201cBut if we’re honest with ourselves \u2026 you experience great streets on foot. You don’t experience them by car.\u201d<\/p>\n The plan got community input, too. Mullerat, along with Megan McLaughlin, PlusUrbia\u2019s office director, spoke with residents and business owners about what they thought Calle Ocho needed.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of our projects begin with community outreach, but also a lot of research into the culture and history of a community,\u201d said McLaughlin. \u201cWhat creates its DNA, what gives its identity?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c[The community is] continuing to advocate for greater walkability, safety,\u201d she said. The firm also found that residents want to preserve the strip\u2019s historic architecture.<\/p>\n But since the introduction of the master plan a decade ago, the city has not picked up or signed off on any major changes to Little Havana\u2019s Eighth Street.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aYou always need a champion and you need that champion to stick with you for the longest possible period of time,\u201d said Mullerat.<\/p>\n Master plans for neighborhoods and cities, from idea to execution, take time, even decades. Meanwhile, politics tends to run in a four-year cycle. Urban planning and politics, Mullerat said, \u201care always at odds with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n \n 1 of 3 Little Havana’s Calle Ocho, or Eighth Street. Jan. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Sherrilyn Cabrera<\/p>\n \n 2 of 3 Little Havana’s Calle Ocho, or Eighth Street. Jan. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Sherrilyn Cabrera<\/p>\n \n 3 of 3 Little Havana’s Calle Ocho, or Eighth Street. Jan. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Sherrilyn Cabrera<\/p>\n Calle Ocho plan began with walks for cafecito<\/p>\n Megan McLaughlin, PlusUrbia\u2019s office director.<\/p>\n Mullerat and McLaughlin, who are married, lived three blocks away from Eighth Street when they conceived the idea for the Calle Ocho plan. The couple were enjoying Little Havana\u2019s urban life, which included regular morning walks for cafecito and an empanada.<\/p>\n But with two young children and a double stroller, they had some concerns about the narrow sidewalks and lack of safe crosswalks.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter how young or old you are, walking along Calle Ocho, we really could see that there were improvements needed,\u201d said McLaughlin.<\/p>\n PlusUrbia had worked on projects all around the world, including China, the Middle East and Latin America, but they hadn\u2019t worked on many projects locally.<\/p>\n Around the same time, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) launched its own study looking at mobility along Little Havana\u2019s Eighth Street and Seventh Street.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it was in our backyard, we thought, this is something we really do care about,\u201d said Mullerat. \u201cIt was very important that we got it right.\u201d<\/p>\n Juan Mullerat, principal of PlusUrbia.<\/p>\n It was the longest project the firm has ever embarked in, kicking off in 2014. Although PlusUrbia first released the plan to the public in 2015, it would not be finalized until five “very intense” years later.<\/p>\n The firm even presented the plan to former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez when he had just taken office in 2017. <\/p>\n
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