Miami could be getting its very own long thin (vaguely "high-line"-ish) park underneath the Metrorail if South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard can convince the county to act quickly enough. And by quickly we mean by May 13, when the county will vote on whether or not FPL can drop some giant power transmission lines along the underutilized M-Path – that swath of land below the Metro that was originally intended for maintenance . Dubbed "The GreenLink", the proposal would span a continuous 10-miles through Pinecrest, South Miami, and Coral Gables, and includes renovations of bicycle and pedestrian paths, a landscape plan, and ideally some improved lighting and signage. While no money has been raised, a University of Miami architecture studio has dedicated its semester to documenting the land and designing potential master plans, some of which may provide a basis for future development.
Spearheaded by the non-profit organization "Friends of the GreenLink," the project has already been endorsed by various county agencies, including the Parks and Transit Departments, but the FPL vote could severely impact any immediate action. FPL spokesman Peter Robbins says the lines would have no impact on the park, and emphasizes that the company is fully supportive of the project. Like high voltage power lines and frolicking children can't get along, hand-in-hand merrily skipping along... oh, wait. Stoddard and other supporters claim the FPL lines would not only create a physical obstruction, but could potentially prevent people from using the GreenLink altogether due to correlations between transmission lines and Alzheimers... because there aren't any better arguments against giant power lines above a park.—Margina Demmer
· South Miami wants linear park under Metrorail [Miami Herald]
· Friends of the GreenLink [thegreenlink]
· Could A Spectacular Public Space Emerge Under The Brickell Metrorail Tracks? [Curbed Miami]