Naturalized Highways | Palmetto Expresway

Miami-Dade County, FL

FLASLA Award of Excellence

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At Curtis + Rogers we believe that we have the ability and responsibility to positively impact our cities, people, and environment through thoughtful design.  With that approach, we have re-envisioned three interchanges along a harsh portion of the Palmetto Expressway.  A vision inspired by the existing industrial environment, lost natural environments, and the motorist experience.  We focused on naturalizing the interchanges via ecological patches that can serve as habitat rich stepping stones that allow the highway to serve as a facilitator in re-establishing natural systems.  These systems would introduce native plant communities, bird habitat, and pollinator habitat to the urban matrix.  At the same time, they will display native vegetation to motorists while enhancing their experience and cognitive state by exposing them to nature.  All with a goal to make a positive and enduring impact on our environment and those that inhabit it.