AI-Powered Zoning Solutions at Miami Tech Mixer

On May 28, 2025, the City of Miami and citizenM hosted a Tech Mixer. It was held at the citizenM Miami Worldcenter hotel’s rooftop bar, with C3.ai as the guest sponsor. The event brought together tech leaders, government officials, and innovators. They discussed AI-powered zoning solutions for urban development. The event featured a panel led by Keith A. Carswell Director of the Department of Economic Innovation and Development. The panel included Tamara Allen Frost, MPA, AICP, Director for Zoning at the City of Miami, Arturo Duque Interim CIO – Director, Department of Innovation and Technology, and Trevor McLaughlin, Senior Director at C3 AI.ai. It addressed how these solutions could streamline zoning verifications for development in Miami that averages $4.5 billion annually in construction cost. The panel offered insights into AI’s transformative potential.

How AI-Powered Zoning Solutions Tackle Urban Challenges

Keith Carswell opened the discussion, emphasizing the importance of practical AI applications over theoretical approaches, focusing on real-world implementation.

Keith Carswell

‘It’s one thing to go to a seminar and talk theoretically about AI. But I think what’s equally important is identifying use cases, and then going through the process of actually implementation.’

Tamara Allen-Frost outlined the zoning office’s workload, underscoring its critical role in supporting Miami’s thriving construction industry.

Tamara Allen-Frost

‘We get approximately 450 to 500 zoning verification letters a year … to assist in the $4.5 billion in construction that’s in Miami. Annually.’

She then explained how the Miami 21 zoning code, adopted in 2010, poses challenges since many properties don’t conform, requiring extensive manual research.

Tamara Allen-Frost

‘So in 2010, the City of Miami adopted Miami 21, which is a form-based code. And there’s about 600 of them in the country. Right? There’s about 2%. And most codes are Euclidean-type codes. So it’s like separating land uses. Right? And separated like permitted uses, residential, commercial, and so forth. So the form-based code is really about potentially looking at the character of a block. Right? And maximizing that, allowing pedestrian access to come in and making sure that you are, your parking is not first in the city, making sure that the design of the elements in the community, making sure that it meets and feels as a neighborhood should be referred to land-use designation. So the problem is that because Miami was established 100 years ago and the code was completely different, everything is not conforming.’

Allen-Frost warned that errors in this process can lead to flawed development, affecting financing and growth across Miami’s construction sector.

Tamara Allen-Frost

‘It’s such a lengthy process to actually research and provide correct information, because if bad information goes out and bad information comes in, bad development.’

Efficiency Gains from AI-Powered Zoning Solutions

Trevor McLaughlin from C3.ai introduced their AI-powered zoning solutions, which deliver rapid, accurate answers to complex zoning queries using diverse data sources.

Trevor McLaughlin

‘We came up with this really interesting use case for being able to provide quick answers to very complex questions that are not necessarily uniform. They’re different across numerous boundaries of information sources.’

Keith Carswell highlighted how AI can enhance staff productivity, enabling them to focus on larger projects and countering job displacement concerns effectively.

Keith Carswell

‘We hear a narrative about AI replacing jobs, and so your team is looking at this as an enhancement, and that they can move on to do bigger projects and more, I guess, involved initiatives and stuff.’

Prioritizing Data Security in AI Adoption

Arturo Duque emphasized the importance of data security in AI adoption, noting that zoning data includes sensitive details like police addresses and federal building locations.

Arturo Duque

‘The zoning verification letters are based on GIS data, data that we get from the county, and a lot of the breakers are confidential, right? It’s confidentiality for, you know, police officers, different people that live in the city, we also have the federal building, so there is definitely confidentiality on that.’

Keith Carswell added that careful vetting of sensitive data, including details about elected officials and government buildings, is essential for responsible AI adoption.

Keith Carswell

‘There is sensitive data for elected officials where they live. Also with government buildings, we don’t want to share plans, that can be used in different ways other than just information.’

A Vision for Innovation and Collaboration

Trevor McLaughlin shared a vision for AI-powered zoning solutions that empower citizens to query property details, such as Airbnb eligibility, freeing experts for higher-value tasks.

Trevor McLaughlin

‘Ultimately, it’s a solution that the citizens can use. Make it outward facing, that you can log in as a citizen, as a business owner, as a homeowner, and ask questions. Ask questions about your property.’

Arturo Duque affirmed Miami’s commitment to leveraging AI for better public services, positioning the city as a tech innovation hub and inviting new partnerships to drive value.

Arturo Duque

‘AI is here to stay, and it is our intention to start delivering better services using AI. So we’re just scratching the surface. We’re just starting to get deeper into the technologies.’

Keith Carswell encouraged collaboration to grow Miami’s tech ecosystem through networking and partnerships, teasing an upcoming announcement on digital initiatives.

Keith Carswell

‘I want you to collaborate, partner, work together, make money. There’s nothing wrong with that.’

Pioneering Smarter Urban Development with AI-Powered Zoning Solutions

The City of Miami x citizenM Tech Mixer on May 28, 2025, highlighted AI-powered zoning solutions as a transformative tool for addressing urban challenges. C3.ai led the way in zoning innovation. The event featured insights from Keith Carswell, Tamara Allen-Frost, Arturo Duque, and Trevor McLaughlin, showcasing Miami’s commitment to efficiency, security, and collaboration while paving the way for smarter city development.