LUDLAM TRAIL
LUDLAM TRAIL
Andropogon collaborated with SOM to develop a vision for a new 6.2-mile linear park running through the heart of Miami-Dade County. Set within a 100’ wide, partially abandoned Florida East Coast Railway right-of-way, the proposed trail corridor will serve as the main spine for a new network of cultural sites, civic spaces, infrastructure, residential areas, public schools, parks, transit hubs, greenways, and natural resources. The Ludlam Trail has the potential to transform the urban core of the County, creating a vibrant pedestrian and bicycle open space corridor connecting diverse neighborhoods, open spaces, and cultures across Miami.
The Ludlam Trail is a green infrastructure connector that comes alive through a careful examination of the current conditions of the site, the historic ecological and cultural opportunities that still exist, and the future growth and changes anticipated in this region. Through careful study of both current and hidden topography, extensive natural and constructed water systems, and indigenous plant communities on-site and in the region, Andropogon hopes to help create a new set of spaces for Miami that celebrates the unique attributes of the place. A nascent landscape of prairie grasses, tall pines, palms, and hardwood hammocks is already overtaking the corridor. Strategic interventions will elevate these natural states to reveal landscapes uniquely suited to each specific location. Though the site is straight and evenly wide, the design pushes to create dynamic change, using the trail and the spaces surrounding it to create moments of connection to the existing neighborhoods, providing buffers where needed, and celebrating unique moments of water, ecology, and cultural significance.