CE 355 Fall 2013 Two Cities Proposal

Two City Pair: 1) Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL

2) Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
Miami, FL

Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

Population

5.6 million 1

2.5 million 2

City Size (estimated)

5,077 mi2 (36mi2 Miami

only) 3

13.92 mi2

Average High Temperature

84.3 F 5

91.1 F 6

Average Low Temperature

70.0 F 5

73.9 F 6

City Location

Coastal

Coastal

Elevation

0-53.2 ft

0-101.7 ft

Climate Classification 7

Tropical

Tropical

Latitude

26 N8

18 N9

Climate Classification:
Under the Koppen climate classification, Miami is classified as a tropical monsoon climate (Am)
and tropical savanna climate (Aw). Port-Au-Prince is classified as a tropical savanna climate
(Aw). Group A climates are the tropical climates. These climates are characterized by constant
high average temperatures and low elevations.7 These two cities have similar fluctuations in
temperature and are both coastal cities. They are located 8 degrees apart from each other in
latitude.
What Makes Cities Developed vs. Developing?
There are many different types of criteria which determine if a city is developed or developing.
Developing cities often experience lower standards of living than developed countries. There is
a lower literacy rate and less access to education. There is also a large amount of
unemployment, political unrest, and economic instability. Developing cities also have scarce
food resources and limited access to clean, safe drinking water. There is also a lower GDP per
capita in developing cities and unequal distribution of wealth. 10
Thirty-percent of Haitis population resides in Port-au-Prince. Ninety-percent of the jobs found in
the country are located within the city. This increase in urbanization is drawing more people to
the city, which is already unable to support such a large population. Haiti is one of the most
densely populated countries in the world. The citys infrastructure was not able to support the
large amount of people moving into the city, and people started building their own houses and
businesses. There are two very distinct sections of Port-au-Prince, one where there is access to
sanitation and water and another where the slums are located. There are usually no roads

between the slums, and the city is not set up in a grid. Access to water, waste management and
electricity are through privatized companies, where only the wealthy can pay for service. Even
when this service is provided, it is usually unreliable and variable in quality. Government since
1986 has been relatively unstable and no longer monitors the development of the city. Literacy
rates have been at a decline, with only half of the population being literate. The city has a large
problem with income equality. The richest 10% hold 50% of the wealth. The GDP of the country,
affected by the economic center Port-Au-Prince has been at decline, 2.2% of the GDP has been
lost since 1975. 12

Map Location of Cities: 11

Fig 1.1: Locations of Two Cities. Miami, Florida (Left). Port-au-Prince, Haiti (Right).

Sources:
1.
"Largest Urbanized Areas With Selected Cities and Metro Areas." Census Bureau. U.S.
Department Of Commerce, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 09 Sept. 2013. Retrieved from:
<http://www.census.gov/dataviz/visualizations/026/508.php>.
2.
"Haiti." UNdata. United Nations Statistics Division. Web. 09 Sept. 2013.
<http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=Haiti>.
3.
"Largest Urbanized Areas With Selected Cities and Metro Areas." Census Bureau. U.S.
Department Of Commerce, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 09 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.census.gov/dataviz/visualizations/026/508.php>.
4.
"Haiti." UNdata. United Nations Statistics Division. Web. 09 Sept. 2013.
<http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=Haiti>.
5.

"Average Weather for Miami, FL - Temperature and Precipitation." The Weather Channel. 09
Sept. 2013. Web. 09 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USFL0316>.
6.
"Average Weather for Port-Au-Prince - Temperature and Precipitation." The Weather Channel,
09 Sept. 2013. Web. 09 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/HAXX0004>.

7.
Schultz, Richard B. "Koppen Climate Classification." Geospatial & GIS. Elmhurst College. Web.
09 Sept. 2013. <http://www.elmhurst.edu/~richs/EC/101/KoppenClimateClassification.pdf>.
8.
Miami, Florida. Map.Google Earth. Google, 9 September 2013. Web. 9 September 2013.
9.
Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Map.Google Earth. Google, 9 September 2013. Web. 9 September
2013.
10.
Henderson, J. Vernon. "Cities and Development." Journal of Regional Science 50.1 (2010):
515-40. Social Science Research Network. Web. 9 September. 2013.
11.
Miami, Florida. Map.Google Maps. Google, 9 September 2013. Web. 9 September 2013.
Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Map.Google Maps. Google, 9 September 2013. Web. 9 September
2013.
12.
Forsman, Asa. Strategic Citywide Spatial Planning: A Situational Analysis of Metropolitan Portau-Prince, Haiti : Summary Report. Nairobi: United Nations Human Settlements Programme
(UN-HABITAT), 2010. Web. 09 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=3021>.