What are the important issues for Miami, South Florida in 2022?

Will real estate prices keep rising in 2022? What about COVID and schools — will schools return to mask mandates, more COVID testing? And who will be the next school superintendents in Miami-Dade and Broward?

Will the tech bubble boom or burst?

What about politics and the upcoming 2022 elections, races for governor, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House and local elections?

Will conditions stabilize in Haiti, Cuba and Puerto Rico?

What is the outlook for South Florida’s sports teams in the coming year?

What are the major trials coming up in South Florida?

And will big events like the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and Jazz In The Gardens be held in 2022?

These are among the topics the Herald’s team explored in a series of stories related to the 2022 outlook. Here, then, is a look at what they found:

REAL ESTATE

Expecting to see a real estate bubble burst in 2022? Keep dreaming, real estate experts say.

This year Miami-Dade achieved a historic median sale price for single-family homes — $515,000 in May — and in June the highest number of deals closed in a single month in 30 years. Condominium sales have been strong, particularly on the coast. Five experts shared their insights on the regional housing market and all five anticipate similar robust activity to continue in the new year, but they differ on how long sales and median prices will keep advancing. Read more here.

COURTS

Two of South Florida’s worst tragedies will be the focus of major trials this coming year — a horrific mass shooting at a Parkland high school and the shocking deadly collapse of a beachside condominium in Surfside.

With the threat of COVID-19 having waned significantly, Florida courts are open and running again and 2022 is expected to bring a string of high-profile cases to state and federal courtrooms. Beyond some long-delayed trials, there are other significant events expected, including federal appointments by the Biden administration. The dates of those are not yet set and, like many trials, always subject to change. Read more here.

TECH

A confluence of factors in 2021 drove unprecedented growth in Miami’s tech sector. A steady stream of companies that had already staked out the region for growth early in the pandemic turned into an avalanche of newcomers from New York and California, as COVID-19 bore down. For social, health, political and economic reasons alike, they zeroed in on what the Magic City had to offer.

Can the industry perform a stellar encore in 2022? The Miami Herald asked five people inside and outside the sector. Read more here.

SPORTS

Could South Florida’s sports scene be on the verge of a breakout year?

The pieces are certainly there, the trajectory looking like it could head in that direction.

The Florida Panthers and Miami Heat, when healthy, both look like legitimate playoff teams. The Panthers have been one of the top teams in the NHL despite playing almost half of their games so far without their team captain and top player Aleksander Barkov. The Heat has been without Bam Adebayo for a month and played their share of games without fellow stars Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro as well and are still staying afloat in the standings. Read more here.

POLITICS

Heading into 2022, Florida will again be a hotbed for political activity. But this time with a once-a-decade flair.

Not only will Florida land in the national spotlight as Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio try to fend off Democratic challenges and the Republican-led state Legislature redraws the state’s political lines in a process that could have huge ramifications for Congress as the GOP attempts to retake control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

But other political activity on the marquee will include statewide races for the Florida Cabinet, ballot measures that could remake Florida’s multibillion-dollar gaming industry and an annual legislative session that DeSantis is poised to use to push hard-line policy issues, many of which are expected to mobilize conservative voters. Read more here.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

From earthquakes to sham elections, the assassination of a president, or the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Latin American and Caribbean countries faced economic and political setbacks in 2021 that will likely significantly affect their populations in the coming year and beyond.

The pandemic hit the region hardest, with Brazil, Mexico, and Peru topping the world charts of COVID-related deaths. Brazil alone reported more than 22 million cases and Cuba, with a bit less than a million, had the highest number of cases in the Caribbean. Many countries in the Americas, particularly the Caribbean, are still lagging in vaccinating the population, as the availability of shots has become a significant hurdle.

Increased poverty and instability have sent thousands of migrants to the U.S. southern border and the trend is unlikely to change next year. The rise of authoritarianism and populist governments in the hemisphere posed an added challenge to a U.S. administration that regards democracy and the fight against corruption as central pillars of its foreign policy. Read more here.

SCHOOLS

Of the changes to come in the new year for K-12 schools, one of the more consequential events will be the search for a new superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools. Outgoing Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Dec. 9 announced he would be leaving the district to head the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Another item for debate will be whether the state eliminates standardized tests, which was proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in September. DeSantis will likely continue targeting critical race theory and opposing any efforts to reintroduce a mask mandate in public schools. For higher education, addressing mental health issues, dealing with the COVID variants and student debt repayment will be issues in 2022. Read more here.

EVENTS

In the minds of organizers and event goers alike, 2022 was supposed to be the year things went back to normal in Miami.

After all, as COVID cases fell, fall events had returned in 2021. In October, Miami Carnival became the first Carnival in North America to return after the pandemic. The Miami Book Fair returned to Miami Dade College with in-person events and a street fair. Miami Art Week saw the return of mighty Art Basel and its many satellite shows, and such small theater groups as Miami New Drama and GableStage brought drama to dark, empty stages.

Miami’s entertainment scene, it seemed, was returning to normal.

Now, though, pandemic uncertainty has returned, and left organizers watching and waiting. Read more here