What is the Urban Development Boundary?
Created in 1975, the Urban Development Boundary (UDB) separates urban development from rural and open lands, by creating a vital buffer of land between metro Miami and the Everglades. It is an invisible line, mostly running north/south along the western edge, and east/west along the southern regions of Miami-Dade County. Beyond the UDB land is zoned for only low-density development and open lands, which protects large tracts of wetlands and agricultural areas. Miami-Dade is the only county in South Florida that created a UDB. Why is the “UDB” so important? The UDB helps to recharge our drinking water supply by keeping lands unpaved, it preserves our agricultural lands, and protects Everglades and Biscayne National Parks from being encroached on. The UDB also helps control flooding and prevents overcrowding of roads, especially in areas crucial for hurricane evacuation. Moving the UDB spreads finite resources (tax dollars) away from communities of need, and further burdens over-crowded
