Quote(https://photos.moderncities.com/Cities/Miami/The-Underline-/i-R9dQWJM/0/4df962ec/L/20210321_080919-L.jpg)
The first half mile of The Underline trail system is complete in Miami. Here is a look at the new The Underline in Brickell Backyard.
Read More: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/the-underline-opens-in-miami/
^This is a project that I see possible similarities with the Emerald Trail through Downtown Jacksonville. The space under the Skyway could much more than just a trail. It could be a linear park through the historic Northbank with sidewalk cafes, outdoor dining and recreational space connecting the riverwalk with downtown, James Weldon Johnson Park, FSCJ and Springfield's Klutho Park.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Cities/Jacksonville/Development/Emerald-Necklace-Trail-Master-Plan/i-kPxbNn9/0/d540317f/L/Slide138-L.jpg)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Cities/Jacksonville/Neighborhoods/Downtown-Northbank---January-2021/i-PK248z8/0/b95df2e4/L/20210110_113038-L.jpg)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Cities/Jacksonville/Neighborhoods/Downtown-Northbank---January-2021/i-mrgH9ft/0/75b79d36/L/20210110_123527-L.jpg)
Important to consider that Miami is the 4th most densely populated city in the US at 13k a square mile and Brickell has a population density of around 30k a square mile. Springfield by comparison is only around 5k per square mile. The Underline is needed to provide active recreational uses to an extremely densely populated area. It also will go by Coconut Grove, The University of Miami/Coral Gables, and end up at Dadeland/Pinecrest. Basically a path along the wealthiest and most built up commercial areas in Miami.
It's almost the exact opposite of the Emerald Necklace, in that it almost exclusively serves the wealthiest parts of Miami. Not an opponent of the Emerald Trail in any way, just want to point out they aren't totally analogous.
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In terms of comparing the Underline through Brickell to the Emerald Trail along Hogan Street, I don't think population density matters, it's the built environment. The built environment of Hogan Street between Bay and State Street presents a similar placemaking opportunity as the built environment of the Underline's first phase. There's an elevated transit line running down the middle of public ROW that is wrapped by buildings that are designed for pedestrian scale interaction. In fact, I'd argue that Hogan Street is more intimate and pedestrian scale, since the public ROW is more constrained. On the other hand, Brickell in that particular area is dense but also more autocentric. From this perspective, regardless of the population density, it provides an excellent opportunity to transform, revamp and placemake the Hogan Street corridor in similar fashion through the historic Northbank. By similar, I mean Hogan Street as a linear and lush space catering more to bike and pedestrian interaction through downtown. Certainly, that changes the one or two blocks north of FSCJ's campus but that's also park space where the Hogan Street corridor officially ends (ties into the Hogans Creek Greenway segment, which would be a vastly different context). Sorry for the confusion.
Quote from: thelakelander on April 05, 2021, 11:10:56 AM
In terms of comparing the Underline through Brickell to the Emerald Trail along Hogan Street, I don't think population density matters, it's the built environment. The built environment of Hogan Street between Bay and State Street presents a similar placemaking opportunity as the built environment of the Underline's first phase.
You don't think the fact that there are 92k residents in Downtown Miami with 32k in Brickell (and substantially more part time residents and visitors) makes the Underline more viable than the Emerald Trail with Downtown Jacksonville's population of 5k over 3.9 square miles? Or that there is a greater need to provide recreational opportunities for those residents? Or that in future phases, it will connect employment centers and commercial hubs to a scale far beyond the Emerald Trail?
Along the Underline:
-It's 3 miles from the University of Miami to Coconut Grove Station (where Miami Students like to go play) and 6 miles to Brickell
-It's 3 miles from Coconut Grove to Brickell and 2 from Viscaya Station to Brickell.
-It's less than a mile from the underline to the Miracle Mile in Coral Gables
-It's 3 miles from Dadeland to the University of Miami
The Underline presents recreational opportunities for a very densely populated area, and also makes it substantially easier for commuting to work or traveling to commercial areas via bike. Much like how Citibike is used to travel around Miami Beach via the boardwalk, the Underline will allow residents and visitors to travel the spine of the City and connect to many of the places they want to live, eat, work, and play in.
A Jax equivalent would start at Brooklyn Station and head south along Riverside (but Brooklyn would be full of 20-40 story residential buildings with 30k residents and the Northbank would have another 60k). It would then jump over to Roosevelt, but Five Points would be full of hotels and have triple the amount of restaurants and bars. It would then continue along Roosevelt with all the restaurants and shopping in San Marco, the Beaches Town Center, and Downtown St. Augustine being located in Murray Hill. Then continuing down Roosevelt, UNF would be located in Lakeshore. Then in Wesconnett, you add the St. Johns Town Center, Deerwood, and the Avenues.
Are there opportunities in the built environment in Jacksonville to build something cool? Sure. Is the Emerald Trail analogous to the Underline or is the market potential/economic development/tourism component similar? Not quite.
I don't see where a comparison of what type of environment is more applicable for a trail is relevant because the trail is coming to Hogan Street. So the trail is feasible, regardless of density and population and what it will or won't connect too outside of the Hogan Street corridor.
So I was looking at how to best maximize and utilize the streetscape of the Hogan Street corridor under the Skyway. Phase 1 of The Underline (only seven blocks between SW 13th and the Miami River) serves as a very good example of similar condition where underutilized existing street space has been revamped into something very useful and more than just 12-14' of pavement.
For example, what type of amenities should be included or how should the revamped streetscape and public realm connect to the urban environment of Hogan? In terms of its existing occupied buildings and those that are unoccupied but planned for redevelopment. Even though Jax isn't Miami and there's no Downtown Dadeland, UM or Coral Gables along Hogan Street, it can still have seats, public art, landscaping, outdoor cafes, etc. as opposed to concrete and asphalt.
We have an opportunity to change what's there on Hogan Street today because of projects like the Emerald Trail and U2C that will call for a retrofit of the corridor. I'm essentially talking about a streetscape project on Hogan Street, not the entire Emerald Trail network or comparing the entire proposed Emerald Trail to the entire Underline project.
This looks like a very cool idea, but I do want to point out that Miami and specifically Brickell is an area where lots of very wealthy people live, who absolutely love to drive around in their very expensive cars. So I'd be interested to see how much use this gets going forward.