This might just be the coolest inner-city park I've ever been to.

But this is not your average city park. This park? Was built with purpose. Let me show you why.

This is The Underline. It’s a 10 mile, linear park connecting downtown Miami to the surrounding neighborhoods in the south. And it all sits underneath Miami's regional metrorail.

This park has it all, including playgrounds, basketball courts, exercise equipment, soccer fields, picnic areas, a track, dog parks, and a lot more!

The project started in 2014 when locals identified the long stretch underneath the elevated railway as prime land for redevelopment. The goal was not only to host a collection of new recreational features for the public, but to also connect these and other destinations with a range of mobility options. And that's why it's so cool!

I think the real significance of this park though is how effectively it merges different modes of sustainable transportation into a single corridor. And one that feeds into downtown. Because in urban areas where land is valuable, density and multi-purpose land use is the name of the game.

For the 100,000+ residents that live within a 10 minute walk of the Underline, they have the option to walk, bike, scoot, or take the train to school, or the mall, or the hospital, or downtown, which are all connected. But if they drive, well, they'd miss out on the park and probably get stuck in traffic, even if there is more space for cars here.

“Looks like these guys should take metrorail!”

Another fun fact I learned is that the Underline is one of the segments of the East Coast Greenway, which is a long-term effort to connect the entire east coast from Maine to Florida with one long protected path. If you ever see these signs, now you know.

And that's the Underline, a wonderful example of urban mobility, placemaking, and human-centered design. If you liked this video, don't forget to like and follow.