Inspired by the High Line in New York City, Miami is turning an overlooked swath of downtown into a 10-mile linear park complete with an outdoor gym, yoga promenade, and several butterfly gardens.

The first phase of the project — dubbed The Underline — opened last month. The Underline, which sits underneath the Miami Metrorail track, has an estimated completion date of 2025. "It's reimagining 10 miles, or 120 acres, of basically dead space below [the] Metrorail," Meg Daly, founder of the nonprofit behind the new park, told Fast Company.

When finished, The Underline will provide a 22-mile loop for biking, walking, and jogging. According to Fast Company, it's expected to take 5% of traffic off the local roads and to create a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists. And those pedestrians and cyclists won't need a car to get to The Underline, either.

"As long as you have access to mass transit, you can get here, and that's very unusual for parks and for green spaces — a lot of times you have to drive there," Daly told Fast Company.

Miami is among several cities around the world that have embarked on linear park projects inspired by the High Line in recent years. London, for example, is creating an elevated park to connect Camden Town with King's Cross Station. And in Shanghai, officials turned an old airport runway into a walkway for bikers and pedestrians.

Daly said having to take Miami's Metrorail after breaking both of her arms in 2013 inspired her to take action. While walking to and from the train, she discovered the space underneath the track and set out to create the downtown oasis.

Meena Thiruvengadam is a Travel + Leisure contributor who has visited 50 countries on six continents and 47 U.S. states. She loves historic plaques, wandering new streets and walking on beaches. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.

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