Brickell Backyard’s design is organized as a procession of rooms including the River Room, Gym, Promenade, and Oolite Room, offering a combination of places for respite, social gathering, fitness, performance, art, and commuting. Brickell Backyard also provides lushly vegetated social spaces with planting inspired by historic plant communities that once dominated the area, anchoring the project in its location in South Florida. Starting with Brickell Backyard, The Underline is linking adjacent neighborhoods with downtown Miami and other destinations through its bicycle and pedestrian paths that directly connect with the Miami-Dade transit system.

In a city that has always been car-centric, this represents a fundamental shift. As a leading example for the region and by creating a central spine, the project sets the foundation for a robust network of sustainable mobility corridors throughout Miami. The Underline represents a new form of public space, leveraging existing infrastructure and pairing new natural habitats with multimodal paths that link directly to public transit. Reimagining what was once perceived as divisive infrastructure into an inclusive connector, The Underline fosters community.

As noted by Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor of Miami-Dade County, “[the] opening of the first phase of The Underline is the first step toward a people-first Miami,” representing a pivot in the city’s approach to public space.