As cities like Miami and Washington continue to grow, most people rarely think about the individuals helping decide what stays and what goes.
In a time when communities are seeking growth, opportunity and improvement, an important question remains: How do we improve our neighborhoods without erasing the culture that makes them unique?
Juan Mullerat is one of the people helping answer that question.
With more than 25 years of experience, Mullerat has designed communities across the globe. Born in Barcelona, a city rich in history and culture, he began his education in the United Kingdom before earning a master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design from the University of Miami.
“We are a very humanist profession; we need to know a little bit about health, architecture, social structure, culture and mobility,” Mullerat said while explaining the philosophy behind the Lattice planning process. “We use that knowledge to recreate a balanced environment for people to live and thrive in.”
Today, many people fear that when architects and planners arrive, gentrification may not be far behind. Rising costs can push out local businesses, longtime residents and the people who find comfort in the places they have always called home.
Through the Lattice approach, designers conduct extensive research and community engagement to better understand the needs and concerns of residents. The process combines planning, policy and design with the goal of creating communities that reflect the public’s vision while preparing for future growth.
Joseph Eisenberg, executive director of the Center for Comprehensive Planning, has worked alongside Mullerat since 2014 on planning initiatives in Miami. He believes preserving a community’s identity often begins with understanding what makes it unique.
“So many communities have rich cultural histories and distinct identities that are worth preserving,” Eisenberg said. “Unfortunately, many local governments are so preoccupied with day-to-day operations that preserving or enhancing these unique attributes are often an afterthought.”
According to Eisenberg, tools such as Lattice help planners and residents identify those characteristics and translate them into actionable goals for local governments.
Mullerat has worked on numerous projects with the support of nonprofit organizations and community partners. While the firm’s Miami office focuses heavily on South Florida projects, its Washington, D.C., office serves the broader metropolitan region, bringing community-focused and context-driven planning to local stakeholders.
The firm works alongside residents, business owners and policymakers to create frameworks that support long-term growth. Some of the projects receiving direct attention from Mullerat include Wynwood Norte, the Overtown Reinvestment Master Plan, PortMiami, Little Santo Domingo and Grand Avenue in Coconut Grove. Many of these efforts focus on transit planning, arts districts, historic preservation, public spaces and multimodal transportation improvements designed to better connect communities.
Eisenberg went on to say Mullerat’s approach is effective, as their projects together through the past years is proof of that.
“I’ve enjoyed working with Juan since we first met in Miami in 2014,” Eisenberg said. “We worked together on a transformational neighborhood plan for the Wynwood area. I’m always blown away by how Juan fights to do things the right way. He thinks outside the box to solve really complex problems and elevates Plusurbia’s work with visionary best practice.”
Wynwood Norte in Miami serves as one example of the work Mullerat and his team do.
Originally established as an industrial district in the early 20th century, the neighborhood became home to many Puerto Rican families during the 1970s. By the early 2000s, economic decline and industrial abandonment left portions of the community struggling with underutilized properties and limited investment opportunities.
In 2019, Mullerat and his team, in collaboration with C-Street, began work on a neighborhood revitalization plan for Wynwood Norte. Rather than focusing solely on development, the planning process centered on the concerns of homeowners and small business owners worried about displacement and the future of their community.
Acting as mediators between residents, policymakers and stakeholders, the team developed strategies that encouraged investment in vacant and underutilized spaces while prioritizing infrastructure, transportation improvements, sustainability and job creation.
The goal was not to replace the neighborhood’s identity, but to preserve its history while making it safer, more accessible and more livable for the people who call it home.
For Mullerat, every project becomes a lesson that informs the next.
“There are remnants of the last one because you learn, you adapt, you discover,” Mullerat said. “That’s what makes our profession very interesting because every time you do one project, you get a little wealthier from a knowledge perspective.”
Today, planners increasingly recognize that successful development is not measured solely by new buildings or completed projects. Instead, good planning is about creating communities that can thrive for generations while preserving the people, stories and culture that helped shape them in the first place.
