We sit down with Keith Carswell, director of economic innovation and development for the City of Miami, as part of The Drum’s Miami Report .

Miami has long been known for its sunshine and salsa, but if you ask Keith Carswell, director of economic innovation and development for the City of Miami, the real story now is cranes. Lots of them.

“We’ve got more cranes in the air than any other city in the country,” he says. “There’s an energy here that’s just different. Miami’s not just emerging, it’s exploding.”

The Drum has just opened its base in the city, so we caught up with Carswell to find out why Miami is suddenly on every creative company’s radar – from marketers to media execs, tech founders to festival producers.

Want to go deeper? Ask The Drum

And there’s plenty to talk about. Miami isn’t just hosting events, it’s hosting the events. There’s Art Basel, which has grown from a niche fair into a global mecca for collectors and creators. There’s Formula One, which has turned its annual street circuit into a playground for brands and billionaires. And Inter Miami – the football club co-owned by David Beckham – is breaking ground on a $1bn stadium complex, positioning the city as a new force in global sport.

“Miami has always had the ingredients – the climate, the culture, the connectivity to Latin America,” says Carswell. “What’s changed is how the world sees us. We’ve gone from being a tourist destination to an economic engine.”

That engine is increasingly digital. As part of its innovation agenda, the city is developing a digital twin – a real-time virtual replica of Miami that can simulate everything from traffic patterns to sea-level rise. “It’s about making smarter decisions,” says Carswell. “If we can model the city digitally, we can plan better, build faster and respond more effectively to change.” It’s a move that positions Miami not just as a cultural hub, but as a test bed for urban tech.

The corporate migration backs that up. Hedge fund giant Citadel has committed to making Miami its new global HQ, relocating hundreds of staff from Chicago and commissioning Foster + Partners to design a landmark waterfront tower in Brickell Bay. “When a company like Citadel moves its headquarters here, it sends a powerful signal,” says Carswell. “It shows that Miami is not just a lifestyle destination – it’s a serious base for business.”

And the numbers agree. Miami is one of the fastest-growing urban economies in the US, driven by a wave of investment and inbound talent. Venture capital is up. Creative firms are moving in. And the skyline, reshaped almost monthly, reflects a level of ambition that’s hard to ignore.

But the real X-factor? “It’s the people,” says Carswell. “The diversity, the hustle, the attitude – people here don’t wait for permission. They get on with it.”

The city’s leadership is also actively encouraging innovation, whether that’s through business incentives, infrastructure development or partnerships with the private sector. “We’re not just trying to attract talent – we’re trying to keep it here. That means building a city where people want to live, work and make their mark.”

With that mindset, it’s easy to see why The Drum is setting up shop in Miami. We’re not just here to report on the change – we’re part of it.

As Carswell puts it: “Miami is no longer the place you escape to. It’s the place you build from.”