Islandia: The Miami Beach That Wasn’t

In 1962, property owners incorporated The City of Islandia into Dade County. Encompassing 33 islands in Biscayne Bay, Islandia had a population in the single digits. Property owners lobbied for multiple different causeways from Mainland South Florida to their island community. They platted subdivisions. Everything seemed to be on track for major development of these “Pearl Islands” as Ralph Munroe called them. But then, the Federal Government decided to create Biscayne National Park instead. What can we learn from this rare tale of environmental success in South Florida? Jason Katz, publisher of Islandia Journal, will tell you all about it.

Jason Katz is the publisher of Islandia Journal, a (sub)tropical periodical of regional myth, folklore, history, and ecology. He is a contributing editor to Burnaway Magazine. Jason was born and raised in Miami.