Mapping Neoliberal Urbanism in Historic Districts

The Case of Ocean Drive / Collins Avenue in Miami Beach

EENS 6150 + EENS 6151 | Intro to GIS
Professor Keena M. Kareem
(Tulane University Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences)

In Summer 2024, I completed an intensive GIS course sequence through Tulane’s School of Science and Engineering, focused on developing applied skills in ESRI’s ArcGIS Pro. The curriculum combined lectures with lab work, covering core GIS concepts and technical processes: geographic data models, projections, coordinate systems, geodesy, digital editing, raster analysis, spatial statistics, terrain modeling, and spatial estimation.

For the final project, I used my fieldwork in Miami Beach to produce a GIS-based analysis of my thesis case study: the Ocean Drive / Collins Avenue Historic District. Using authoritative datasets from Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami Beach, I analyzed the district through the lens of neoliberal spatial restructuring. I incorporated Survey123 field data (surveillance and land use observations) into a multilayered analysis that explored ownership types, property values, building ages, and public safety infrastructure, using authoritative datasets from Miami-Dade County to ground the spatial data in verified records.

Key methods included:

  • Digitization and georeferencing of the district boundary

  • Attribute joins across multiple datasets (ownership, value, construction year)

  • 3D extrusion to visualize ownership regimes

  • Buffer and heatmap analysis around surveillance and law enforcement presence

  • Land use mapping and cross-referencing with valuation data

The final outputs—write-up, poster, and StoryMap—demonstrated how GIS tools can visualize the spatial logic of neoliberalism, particularly its influence on historic preservation, surveillance, and speculative real estate patterns in heritage districts.

Preserving in the Land of the Free [Market]

PRES 6910 |  Independent Study 
Professor Edson G. Cabalfin

This independent study examined the influence of neoliberal mechanisms on historic preservation in three Gulf Coast case studies: Miami’s Art Deco Historic District, the French Quarter in New Orleans, and the Third Ward in Houston. Drawing on site visits funded by the Ann Frank Masson Travel Fellowship, I developed a comparative framework analyzing how deregulation, privatization, speculative development, and state withdrawal shape preservation policy, architectural integrity, and cultural memory in historically significant neighborhoods.

Under the supervision of Dr. Edson Cabalfin, I conducted a deep literature review (5,000+ words) on neoliberal urbanism, finalized an IRB application, and designed an interview protocol for stakeholder engagement. Fieldwork included archival research, photographic surveys, and informal interviews with preservation professionals, civic actors, and residents.

The final deliverable was a data-backed analytical framework mapping the material and policy effects of neoliberalism across the three districts. This comparative matrix is grounded in primary research, structured thematic coding, and supported by archival and photographic documentation.

Key skills developed:

  • Comparative historical analysis

  • IRB protocol writing and interview design

  • Field survey and documentation in preservation contexts

  • Thematic coding and matrix-based analysis

  • Integration of literature review with empirical research

This independent study served as a pilot for my thesis and laid the groundwork for further research on the political economy of preservation in U.S. historic districts.

New Orleans, LA, USAinfo@madameguignol.com
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