Plan NoBe provides the basis for public policy in the North Beach area of the City of Miami Beach regarding physical development. Plan NoBe establishes priorities for public-sector action while simultaneously providing direction for complementary private-sector decisions. The Plan and its guidelines serve as a tool to evaluate new development proposals, direct capital improvements, and to guide public policy in a manner that ensures North Beach continues to be the community that its residents want it to be. The Plan contains illustrative plans, diagrams, maps, and pictures to make concepts clear and accessible to City officials, residents, developers, community groups, and other stakeholders.

Direct community input shaped the ideas and recommendations found in Plan NoBe. The public process began in November 2015 with a kickoff session to introduce the community to the project and the consultant team. The design process centered around a Charrette—an intensive, open planning process that combines hands-on community brainstorming with "designing in public." In February 2016, the team set up a week-long Open Design Studio at the Byron Carlyle Theater. Over the course of a week, the team met with more than 1,000 interested residents and stakeholders over the course of a week including property owners, neighbors, merchants, developers, environmental specialists, historic preservationists and community leaders.

Five big ideas to revitalize the North Beach community emerged as part of the public process. These five consensus ideas provided an outline for Plan NoBe: make a town center, provide more mobility options, protect & enhance neighborhoods, better utilize public lands, and build to last.