The New Deal in South Florida

Revealing how the New Deal impacted South Florida's design and development

The New Deal sought to restore national economic strength in part by reallocating resources and restructuring local landscapes. Few parts of the country were transformed as significantly as South Florida.

Blurring the traditional disciplinary boundaries of design history and political science, the contributors to The New Deal in South Florida explore the impact of a wide variety of New Deal projects on the region. They examine letters and photographs—many never before published—and public murals, housing, parks, and architectural and community design.

Heavily illustrated, this book offers historians and enthusiasts of Florida history a unique perspective on South Florida's growth during the 1930s. It reveals how Coral Gables, Miami Beach, Miami, and other communities were permanently altered by the impact of New Deal programs. It also reveals hidden gems of architecture and visual art that still exist today.

The work of editors John Stuart and John Stack highlights the importance of New Deal projects to the area's development into one of the nation's premier urban districts and tourist destinations.