After decades of falling into disrepair, the Design District was redeveloped in the early 2000s under the direction of developer Craig Robins, president and CEO of Dacra, and L Real Estate with investment from General Growth Properties.

[3] High-end brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada, Saint Laurent and Hermes are located in the Design District as well as two Michelin Guide listed restaurants by Joël Robuchon, other eateries by award-winning chefs like Michael Schwartz and celebrities like Gloria and Emilio Estefan; a public art collection with works from Buckminster Fuller, Marc Newsom and Urs Fischer as well as museums and galleries like the Institute for Contemporary Art, Miami, The de la Cruz Collection of Contemporary Art and Locust Projects.

Credited to starting the district is Craig Robins, who purchased many run-down buildings in the 18 square block area[5] and persuaded many top designers, such as Alison Spear, Peter Page, Kartell, and Luminaire,[6] as well as furniture and textile designer Holly Hunt[7] to open studios and showrooms in the area.

Throughout the 2000s, the Design District continued to grow in popularity, and with heavy public and private investment in the neighborhood, the streets and sidewalks were redone, and new trees were planted.

[8] In 2010, Dacra, of which Craig Robins is the founder and CEO, and L Real Estate (now L Catterton) formed a partnership to develop the Design District into a luxury shopping and lifestyle destination featuring prominent architects from around the world and flagship locations of fashion brands like Dior, Hermes and Louis Vuitton.

On 1 August 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel warning, advising pregnant women not to visit the Design District, Wynwood, and Midtown Miami areas to avoid getting the Zika virus.

[23] In October 2011, Hermes, Cartier and Dior announced plans to move their stores from Bal Harbour Shops to the Design District in late 2011 and 2012.

[25] The three-story, 13,000-square-foot Hermès store opened in November 2015 and is only the third U.S. flagship after Madison Avenue in New York City and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA.

[29] Casual options include OTL—a café by David Grutman, Craig Robins and the team behind New York City's the Smile.

[31] 2016 Food & Wine Best New Chef award-winner[32] Brad Kilgore opened the neo-Japanese restaurant Kaido in the Design District in December 2018.

Through exhibitions, programs, and collections, ICA showcases the work of established and emerging artists, and aims to advance the public appreciation and understanding of innovative and experimental art.

[44] The Design District has a public art collection with pieces on view throughout the neighborhood like Buckminster Fuller's Fly's Eye Dome in Palm Court, Zaha Hadid's Elastika in the Moore Building, Marc Newsom's Dash Fence, Urs Fischer's Bus Stop in Paradise Plaza and Fun Part 1 and Part 2 by John Baldessari located on City View Garage.

The Italian fashion and Design school has famous alumni like Domenico Dolce, Franco Moschino and Paula Cademartori.