Smart growth and small business development in South Florida were the focus for five Cornell students serving as interns in the Cornell in Miami Program this summer.

Under the guidance of Gladys Diaz-Jourdain, B.Arch. '81, M.Arch. '82, urban planner and CEO of Urbaniza Investments -- a real estate, financing and urban planning and design firm -- the students completed a research study on live-work zoning for the South Ponce de Leon corridor in the city of Coral Gables, Fla.

The project offers ways to enhance the economic viability of this banyan-lined area and its "walkability" through a zoning overlay that embraces the possibility of low-intensity business uses. The zoning plan would allow for the first planned mixed-use development district in Coral Gables, dubbed "The City Beautiful."

"Live-work zoning allows small businesses to thrive, creates a safer environment for residents and brings improvements to the area," said Diaz-Jourdain, sponsor of the Cornell in Miami Internship Program. "This research study sheds light on the ways that smart growth and a thoughtful zoning overlay can support a city with a strong emphasis on quality of life, while bringing opportunity for small businesses and supporting the economic infrastructure at the same time."

Inspired by successful live-work zoning implemented in West Palm Beach, Fla., and Pasadena and Sonoma County, Calif., and other cities across the country, the study examines the possibility of creating a progressive, small business- and environmentally friendly live-work district in the South Ponce de Leon corridor (from Ponce Circle, south to Bird Road).

Small businesses support neighboring large commerce and retail businesses. Coral Gables is unique, says Diaz, in that innovation and preservation of the history and lifestyles of old Florida share equal importance. The city is also home to more than 175 multinational companies and a flourishing retail district with upscale shops, restaurants, cafes, theater and businesses.

"Live-work zoning for the South Ponce corridor makes good sense given the growth that Coral Gables has experienced in the last five years," said Christopher Bauman, B.Arch. '06, project manager of the research project and now a graduate student at Columbia University. "It's an important element in the overall urban plan of a city that believes in smart growth and supports the small-business community."

"Through this project, I have seen firsthand how I can make an impact not only on business, but on a whole community," said Stephanie Palacios, CALS '09. "The internship also gave me the opportunity to gain key skills in marketing, meet incredible professionals and learn, plan and follow through with specific business tasks."

The other interns this summer were Henryck Hernandez, Arch. '08; Radek Janowski, Hotel '08; and Jennifer Moon, Hotel '10. The Cornell in Miami Program, founded by Diaz-Jourdain in 1994, offers Cornell students from various colleges an opportunity to learn about cutting-edge community development strategies in an intensive seminar and then to apply the concepts in a real work setting.

Many students over the years have noted that their internship with Diaz had a big impact on their future careers, including Steve Fleisher, MBA '93, president of retail development for Stiles Corp. in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla; Michele Perez '96, regional director of Davis Bacon wage policy with Housing and Urban Development in Chicago; and Larry Lord '95, an investment banker specializing in housing finance with Lehman Brothers in New York and Bank of America in Chicago.

Camille Lepre '86 is a marketing and public relations consultant based in South Florida.