James Corner Field Operations – one of the studios behind New York’s well-known Substantial Line – has designed a new park for downtown Miami that would be constructed beneath an elevated rail line .
Doing work with the nonprofit group Pals of The Underline, James Corner Field Operations has conceived the 10-mile-prolonged (sixteen kilometre) park and urban trail for an beneath-utilised area below a portion of Miami’s MetroRail – a quick-transit program that opened in 1984 and runs through the city’s urban core.
The Underline is the most current in a string of park tasks focused on transforming spaces about urban infrastructure, following on from the achievement of the Higher Line. The New York park, developed on disused elevated railway tracks, was made by James Corner in collaboration with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro and landscape designer Piet Oudolf.
The Miami design would comply with the route of an existing bike trail called the M-Path. James Corner’s scheme calls for widening the bike path, in addition to generating a parallel pedestrian path that would measure at least eight feet (2.4 metres) in width.
The paths would wind through numerous ecosystems, “shaded by native plants that supply habitats for birds and butterflies.”
The park would attribute spaces for artwork and recreation, along with an spot for pop-up structures that could serve as small enterprise incubators. The prepare also consists of a bike tune-up station.
The Underline would stretch from the rail system’s Dadeland South Station to the edge of the Miami River, and would tie into other urban trails, each present and proposed.
“The Underline will be the spine of this long term network of 250 miles (402 kilometres) of trails,” stated the Pals of The Underline.
Related story: The Higher Line is a “pulling-back from architecture” say Diller and Scofidio
The purpose of the venture is to transform the land into “an iconic linear park, planet-class urban trail and residing artwork location,” the group mentioned.
The organisation hopes some of its advantages would consist of bringing communities closer together, enhancing pedestrian and cyclist safety, and creating over 100 acres (forty hectares) of open space with restored organic habitats.
New York-based James Corner Area Operations was picked to masterplan the park by way of a aggressive process that drew 19 applicants.
The firm’s team – including Pentagram and many other consultants – has been charged with preparing a framework scheme and a comprehensive prepare for two demonstration projects.
Pals of The Underline was founded by Meg Daly, a marketing professional who lives in Miami. The idea for the park stemmed from her private knowledge: Daly broke both of her arms in 2013, leaving her unable to drive. She started taking the MetroRail and would stroll underneath the tracks.
The existing site for James Corner Discipline Operations’ proposed Underline park
“In the shade of the tracks, she wasn’t that hot, even even though it was July,” stated the group. “She also noticed how wide the corridor is and that she was the only particular person making use of it. At that moment, she thought this land could be a linear park room and enhanced urban trail.”
Close friends of The Underline presented its first vision in July to city officials. The group is doing work to earn approvals and raise funds for the venture. Partners include the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces department, along with the county’s transit division.
The existing website for James Corner Field Operations’ proposed Underline park
The University of Miami College of Architecture is supporting the venture by offering student and faculty sources. In spring 2014, 10 students in a studio program designed an early idea design and style for the park. The college is now conducting a connected research on transit-oriented development.
Other recent schemes for urban parks include the Lowline in Manhattan, which would be constructed in an abandoned subterranean trolley terminal, and MVRDV’s proposal to convert a highway overpass in Seoul into a verdant public park.
