The Underline's Phase Two Along U.S. 1 Is Now Open

The Underline, the planned ten-mile linear park in Miami, celebrated the opening of its second phase today. It connects to the half-mile section dubbed Brickell Backyard, which opened in 2021, now making the total length of the park nearly three miles long.

The section of the second phase runs through the neighborhoods of West Brickell, the Roads, Silver Bluff, and Shenandoah. It also includes new amenities like the Hammock Playground (SW 15th Road and First Avenue), the Vizcaya Station Plaza, and a rain garden (SW 17th Avenue and U.S. 1).

"The pathway connects all the neighborhoods without having to bike or jog directly on U.S. 1," says Jamal Wilson, marketing manager for Friends of the Underline. "Taking away that stress about having to worry about your safety, combined with the serenity while being surrounded by native plants and trees, is an amazing experience — especially by Vizcaya. It's unreal."

When the Underline was first proposed in 2014, it seemed like a pipe dream. Miami isn't exactly known for helping ambitious projects like a ten-mile linear park get off the ground. In fact, green space and walkability seem to be very low on the list of concerns of city and county officials. But somehow, the Underline, led by founder Meg Daly, sold everyone on the idea of converting the underutilized bike path underneath the Metrorail parallel to U.S. 1 into a public park.
According to Wilson, the project was easy to sell because of its potential impact on the community. "It's understanding that Miami needed to rethink transit pathways in terms of mobility — being cycling and pedestrian friendly. And also that we're ground zero for climate change, and Miami residents feeling like they are part of the story of redeveloping and reimagining the public space into a more sustainable and resilient landscape."

The second phase puts some of those resiliency tactics into practice. First, native trees and plants line the entirety of the park, helping with drainage and soil erosion and providing an ecosystem for insects and animals. This improves the city's canopy, helping to keep the city cooler even as temperatures rise.
Then there's the rain garden, one-block-long bioswales, a green infrastructure that helps offset the impact of flooding and stormwater. The garden features drought- and flood-tolerant plants, permeable rock beds, and ponds. This is the first of several planned for the Underline, with more expected in the section being constructed in the third phase.

This section also includes the Underline's first playground, Hammock Playground, named after the hardwood hammock native to Florida. Located adjacent to Simpson Park, it features separate play areas for younger and older children and sculptures by Athena Tacha and Jeppe Hein. (Two murals, funded by the Hearst Foundations, will be completed later this year.)

Mirroring the Brickell Backyard section, which doubles as a community space complete with a stage for performances, an outdoor gym, picnic tables, and gaming tables, the Vizcaya Station Plaza is the second phase's gathering space and is expected to host free community programs. It also connects the station to the historic John Deering estate, which bears its name.
Ultimately, the Underline proves that this kind of project can work in Miami. With the third and final section opening in segments in 2025 and 2026, one can only hope that the Friends of the Underline continues to expand its mission and find new areas around Miami-Dade County to reimagine and redevelop.

"We are part of the High Line Network, which is a network of projects like this around the country," Wilson says. "The High Line symposium was in Miami last year, and we met with colleagues working on projects and trade ideas and lessons learned. It was an amazing experience and great to learn that we were not alone in getting a project like this to completion."