Miami Beach Seawall Walk
A 9-mile resilient promenade that doubles as the city's flood defense.
The pitch
A 9-mile elevated promenade behind the dunes, raised 14 feet above mean high water. Promenade by day, deployable barrier by emergency. Lined with shaded benches, food kiosks, outdoor showers, and four public restrooms per mile. Replaces the current seawall, which is failing.
Why now
Miami Beach has spent $500M+ on flood pumps that are already overwhelmed during king tides. The existing seawall is a patchwork of fifteen private and public sections built between 1932 and 2018. Any storm event past Cat 2 overtops it. A unified, elevated, public-realm-first solution costs roughly the same and yields a defining piece of city infrastructure.
Where it fits
Continuous from Government Cut to 87th Street. Connects to the boardwalk, Lummus Park, and 21 cross streets. Bike lane on the west side, pedestrian on the east, dunes-buffer in between.
Specs · back of the envelope
- › Length: 9.0 miles continuous
- › Elevation: +14 ft MHW · Cat 4 surge rated
- › Width: 24 ft (12 ft pedestrian, 8 ft cycle, 4 ft furniture zone)
- › Materials: bone-white precast concrete, basalt aggregate
- › Amenities: 36 restrooms, 18 kiosks, 14 outdoor showers
- › Estimated cost: $620M · 6-year build