Media Contact:
David Jones
[email protected]
305-302-7817

Miami-Dade's The Underline receives prestigious award as top example of urban design intervention

MIAMI ( May 06, 2021 )

The Underline’s Brickell Backyard design team, James Corner Field Operations, was recently honored with the prestigious Monocle Design Award as “Best Urban Intervention” for 2021.

The Underline is a 10-mile multi-modal corridor transforming the space beneath Miami-Dade Transit’s Metrorail tracks. James Corner Field Operations master-planned the 10-mile project and designed The Underline’s first phase, Brickell Backyard, which opened to local, national and international accolades. A collaborative public-private partnership between Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW), the Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces (PROS) Department, and the non-profit Friends of The Underline, The Underline received one of only two 2021 Monocle Design Award issued in the United States.

“The Underline is a shining example of the many ways Miami-Dade County is working to create a more walkable, connected, people-first and transit-oriented community,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We appreciate this important recognition and celebrate all the effort put into this huge undertaking by everyone involved.”

With worldwide reach, Monocle magazine recently launched its inaugural awards, calling the designations “a formal recognition and celebration of the world’s best designers and new works of design.”

The honor of “Best Urban Intervention,” which will be published in the magazine’s May issue, notes that The Underline “does a lot with a little, taking under-utilized land beneath the city’s elevated railway and improving quality of life in a sunny city where most residents use cars to get around.”

“Since its opening, The Underline’s Brickell Backyard has been a place for family and friends to gather, for small businesses to connect with the community, and a way to make Miami’s Urban Core feel like a true neighborhood,” said Commissioner Eileen Higgins. “This project deserves every ounce of recognition it gets. Congratulations to the team on this prestigious and well-deserved award.”

Miami-Dade County recently celebrated the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of The Underline’s first half-mile segment, Brickell Backyard. The segment starts at the Miami River along SW 1 Avenue to SW 13 Street and features a gym area, a community stage, gaming tables, and a large communal dining table.

The Underline, which is expected to be completed by 2025, not only enhances the space underneath the Metrorail tracks, but will act as an economic catalyst and an example of urban innovation that all residents can enjoy.

“Since day one, we have prioritized human-centered design and our process began with listening to the community’s needs first.  This award underscores the immense contribution that world-class design has on the local community; providing meaningful public space and access to nature, while creating an inclusive connector for Brickell to all Miami-Dade County residents," said Friends of The Underline Founder and CEO Meg Daly. “Once completed, The Underline will be the spine of a countywide network of trails creating a more community-centered Miami-Dade.”

For more details on Miami-Dade Transit services, visit our webpage or download the GO Miami-Dade Transit app. Follow DTPW on social media on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram to stay in-the-know for departmental updates. Join Mobility 305 to receive monthly news and other departmental updates. For more information on The Underline visit theunderline.org.