Miami has undergone a dramatic evolution in recent decades, but what will bring about the next change? Alicia Cervera Lamadrid explains.

From my childhood, I remember Miami as one big, loosely-defined neighborhood. Essentially, there were four primary areas where most Miamians lived: Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Miami Beach and Key Biscayne. At the time, Miami was still a “small town” with no traffic; you could drive from one end to the other effortlessly, park easily and almost always for free.

Fast-forward to today, and the city has completely transitioned to a bustling metropolis with never-ending traffic jams and only a faint hope of finding a parking space – at whatever price available. One positive result of that transition has been the emergence of more defined neighborhoods with unique characteristics and identities of their own, i.e. “The Roads,” Brickell, the Design District, Wynwood, East Edgewater, etc.

The clear definition of these individual Miami neighborhoods is an important, natural and exceedingly positive progression in our city’s evolution. In order to maintain an attractive quality of life for residents, a maturing city like ours must have a diverse slate of viable neighborhoods. With developed neighborhoods that are functional and fun, residents can live, work and play within a tighter radius. They can shop, work, entertain and enjoy life without needing to drive across town. (Just like they do in New York, Paris, Buenos Aires and other first-class cities).

For example: we’ve seen the area north of downtown develop very distinctive neighborhoods, such as the Design District, Wynwood and Midtown. More recently, with its residential development, East Edgewater has emerged as the premier neighborhood in this area.

Again, this trend is good for everyone; it makes understanding the city easier. When our counterparts in New York tell the world they have a “Soho loft” to sell, we immediately have a clear understanding of what that means, and what living in that area will be like for a prospective buyer. The same is now true in Miami, where you can say “a condo South of 5th,” and we all have a clear picture.

Miami-raised and Havana born, Alicia Cervera Lamadrid is managing partner of Cervera Real Estate and past chair of the Master Brokers Forum, where she serves as an advisory board member. She is one of South Florida’s preeminent leaders in the area of condominium and developer sales, having led the generation of nearly $8 billion since 2000.

Recognized as “2011 Condo Broker of the Year” by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, a “Miami Power Broker” by The Miami Herald, and one of the “Power Women of Miami” by the SunPost newspaper, Cervera Lamadrid has received numerous accolades and is a Lifetime Member of the Manchester Who’s Who Registry of Executives and Professionals.

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