Emerging Risks and Housing Affordability Policy in Miami High‐Rises

ABSTRACT Recent advances in satellite‐based remote sensing and building performance measurement have raised critical questions regarding the long‐term settlement behavior of high‐rise structures situated on the complex subsurface of southeastern Florida. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) observations suggest that high‐rise towers may be experiencing long‐term settlement rates that exceed conventional engineering expectations. While these observations do not indicate imminent structural failure, they reveal a significant knowledge gap in predicting long‐term settlement of slender high‐rise towers. Simultaneously, post‐Surfside regulatory reforms have intensified financial burdens on condominium owners through enhanced reserve and inspection mandates. This paper argues that existing geodetic performance data for high‐rise building settlement justify a reconsideration of the current high‐rise permitting and oversight process. We propose a transition from entitlement‐based approvals to a performance‐based regulatory environment, supported by an independent expert panel to establish safety baselines. Central to our recommendations is a temporary approval moratorium on slender high‐rise towers. This pause would facilitate evidence‐based policy evolution, ensuring that developers assume financial and technical responsibility, appropriate to the level of risk, for long‐term geotechnical performance in an era of rapid urban intensification.