Coral Gables, one of the 29 separate municipalities that make up metropolitan Miami-Dade County, was designed by George Merrick, the son of a Massachusetts minister. Merrick laid out the entire city as the "American Riviera" and a "new Venice," but relied on slightly sensational techniques to populate it. To lure prospective buyers from the north, Merrick offered steamship and bus service to Coral Gables, with transportation expense reimbursed for anyone who purchased land. He hired William Jennings Bryan to lecture on the merits of Coral Gables investments and engaged Paul Whiteman and the chorus of Earl Carroll's Vanities to entertain buyers. Houses were designed in Mediterranean-Florida style, with sections in French, Italian, Dutch South African, and Chinese styles to provide contrast. Today, Coral Gables requires that every new building be approved by its board of architects. The city includes eight planned entrances, two with arched gateways constructed of carved native rock, and 14 planned plazas.