Miami

A Community-Inspired Urban Greenspace Bringing Miami Together

Miami’s Underdeck will connect two communities – Overtown and Downtown – that have been separated by a highway since the 1960s. Through an unprecedented community outreach and engagement effort, Miami has intentionally centered community in the design of the new, world-class public space that will be built beneath a redesigned highway overpass. The Underdeck’s mile-long heritage trail and outdoor amenities, including an amphitheater, community plaza and children’s play area, will bring people together and bridge communities through shared space and experiences.

"This is the community’s project. We need to ensure that there are a plethora of voices at the table. Not only because that’s necessary to move this forward, but because that is what will make this public space great."
–Rebecca Mandleman, Chair, Underdeck Subcommittee Advisory Group

Reimagining the Civic Commons in Miami

Once known as the “Harlem of the South,” Miami’s Overtown community suffered significant residential and business displacement during the construction of I-395 in the 1960s. Over 85 acres of housing and commercial property were destroyed, and only 20% of the neighborhood’s population remained after construction was completed.

As Miami develops plans for the Underdeck – a world-class public space beneath a new I-395 overpass – they’re emphasizing a restorative effort to involve and value the voices of the historic Overtown district. In the project’s earliest planning stages, the Miami City Commission established the Underdeck Committee, a diverse group of community stakeholders responsible for facilitating public engagement and collecting community-driven recommendations on design, maintenance, governance and funding. The committee brings together community advocates and activists to share their perspectives while uncovering areas of congruent needs, expectations and priorities.

The result will be a grassroots blueprint for a unifying urban greenspace that reflects and includes the communities it bridges.

In Miami, we are thrilled about the Underdeck. We believe in the power of interactive and connective urban greenspace to bring us together and strengthen our city.

A Collaborative Effort

Convener

  • Townsquare Neighborhood Development Corporation (TSNDC)

Collaborators

  • Adrienne Arsht Center
  • Biscayne Neighborhood
  •  Association
  • Catalyst Miami
  • Circle of One
  • City of Miami
  • Community Work Training
  •  Program, Inc.
  • Downtown Neighborhood
  •  Association
  • Dunns Josephine Hotel
  • Eye Urban TV
  • GFO Investments
  • Greater Mercy Missionary
  •  Baptist Church
  • Greater Miami Chamber
  •  of Commerce
  • Hargreaves Jones
  • Jacober Creative
  • Jorge M. Pérez Family
  •  Foundation
  • LM Genuine Solutions
  • Miami Heat
  • Miami Parking Authority
  • Miami-Dade County
  • Omni CRA
  • Overtown Youth Center
  • Pérez Art Museum Miami
  • Phillip and Patricia Frost
  •  Museum of Science
  • Related
  • Southeast Overtown/
  •  Park West CRA
  • Simkins Industries
  • Stearns Weaver Miller
  • The Health Foundation of
  •  South Florida
  • The Melo Group
  • The Urban
  • Touching Miami With Love
  • Treo Group
  • Urban Health Partnerships
  • Urban Health Solutions
  • Urgent, Inc.
  • The JPB Foundation
  • John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
  • The Kresge Foundation
  • William Penn Foundation