KazPost

Kazakhstan News
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Miami’s New Underline Park Carves a Leafy Pathway Through the Heart of the City

Miami’s New Underline Park Carves a Leafy Pathway Through the Heart of the City

A barren space beneath Miami’s Metrorail tracks has been transformed into a lush landscape for relaxation and recreation.

After years of anticipation and fundraising, the first phase of the Underline in Miami officially opens today. Dubbed Brickell Backyard, the $16.5-million, half-mile project is the first section in what will eventually be a 10-mile-long linear park with 120 acres of open space.



Located in one of the densest areas of Miami-Dade County, Brickell Backyard faced "complicated construction conditions," says Irene Hegedus, Underline project manager at the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works. In addition to accommodating all transit lines with traffic improvements, the seven-block section required the installation of electrical lines and soil remediation-two of the biggest cost contributors-as part of its transformation into a safe, open public space.

The idea for the project stems from an unfortunate incident-in 2013, Meg Daly broke both of her elbows in a cycling accident. Unable to drive, she began taking the Metrorail to physical therapy and, while walking on a threadbare asphalt path beneath the tracks to the train, wondered if the underutilized space could be transformed into a park for the community.

Inspired by the success of the High Line in New York City, Daly left her job as the owner of a marketing agency to launch The Friends of the Underline, a nonprofit that advocates for the project and has secured over $120 million of funding for construction.



The Underline will include over 30 redesigned crosswalks, separated bike and pedestrian facilities, lighting, and enhanced wayfinding.



Dedicated off-road pathways for cyclists and pedestrians encourage alternative modes of transportation.

"Miami-Dade County is one of the most dangerous places in the country to walk and bike-it’s a young city that is built based on car travel," says Daly. "The Underline is reimagining our streets for all modes of transportation-whether that’s walking, taking mass transit, biking, or driving-which is a task that takes investment and vision."

James Corner Field Operations (JCFO), the design firm behind the High Line, won a competition held by Friends of the Underline to create a framework plan that envisions a sustainable multimodal corridor inspired by the arts, culture, and flora of South Florida and the Miami region.



The planting palette, created in collaboration with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, focuses on native species that provide habitat for pollinators such as butterflies.

JCFO also designed Brickell Backyard as one of the masterplan’s demonstration projects. Completed in December 2020 after two years of construction, the seven-block northernmost section of the Underline connects the Miami River to Coral Way with a procession of outdoor "rooms," each with unique programming.

The rooms include the River Room with views of the Miami River; the Gym, an active recreation space with sports courts; the Promenade, a public walkway with dedicated pedestrian and bicycle paths punctuated by community-oriented spaces (including a performance plaza and a 50-foot-long communal table); and the Oolite Room, a naturalized area with four butterfly gardens that highlights the existing oolite boulders.



The River Room, located between the Miami River and SW 7th St, provides a lush setting.



Individual tables for chess, checkers, and dominoes are located in the Promenade’s Game Room along the east side of SW 1st Court.

In addition to serving as a linear park and urban trail, the Underline is expected to be a catalyst for economic growth and healthier lifestyles.

"Research has proven that choosing to get around via walking or biking instead of driving can have a bigger impact on one’s health than even going to the gym," notes Daly. "We will also be offering free health and wellness programs along the Underline throughout the year, such as yoga, meditation, basketball, soccer clinics, and more."



A yoga class takes place on the Promenade’s Sound Stage Plaza, sponsored by Florida Power & Light.

"The Underline is truly a 10-mile neighborhood park, in which each section adapts and reflects the neighborhood and community in which it’s situated," continues Daly. "The first half mile responds to its community by offering gathering spaces for families, friends, and pets; an outdoor gym; access to nature with native plants and a butterfly garden; and a sound stage with free cultural, health, and wellness programs.



Phase 1 of the Underline was designed by JCFO. Phases 2 and 3 will use a design/build approach that follows JCFO’s master plan and Brickell Backyard’s design precedents.



The Underline’s custom stencil-styled typeface and spray-painted wayfinding references street art and graffiti.

The second phase, which extends to SW 19th Avenue with a length of 2.14 miles, is currently in the predesign stage headed by LEAD Engineering, and is expected to be completed by 2023. The third phase will add an additional 7 miles, stretching up to Dadeland South Metrorail Station, and completion is slated for 2025. The third phase will be bid out within the next few months.



The three-phase Underline will connect eight Metrorail stations and stretch 10 miles from the Miami River in Brickell to the Dadeland South Metrorail station. The linear park, which is located entirely on county-owned land, will also be the "spine" of a future 250-mile network of cycle and pedestrian trails.

"In planning for the second phase, we heard from the community that the priorities are safety and nature. In Phase 3, which will be near the University of Miami, we will adjust to that community and its needs by providing areas to exercise, play, and socialize."

The Underline is targeting completion by the end of 2025 to meet the deadline set by a $22 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant.

Newsletter

Related Articles

KazPost
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
An Ominous Shift in Warfare: Western Powers Risk War Crimes and Violate International Norms with Cluster Bomb Supply to Ukraine
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
Corruption in the European Parliament - Business as usual
UK Crypto and Stablecoin Regulations Become Law as Royal Assent is Granted
Paris Suburb Grapples with Violence as Curfew Imposed: Saint-Denis Residents Express Dismay and Anger
A Delaware city wants to let businesses vote in its elections
Alef Aeronautics Achieves Historic Milestone with Flight Certification for World's First Flying Car
Google Blocked Access to Canadian News in Response to New Legislation
French Politicians Advocate for Pan-European Regulation on Social Media Influencers
×