Canopy Park at Five Park
Canopy Park is a transformational public green space that reimagines climate-resilient urban living at the gateway to Miami Beach. Completed in May 2022, this three-acre park is the centerpiece of the Five Park development, converting a former parking lot into a lush, high-performance landscape that restores native habitat, mitigates flooding, and connects the South of Fifth neighborhood to the city’s Baywalk through a new pedestrian bridge.
Designed by ArquitectonicaGEO, the park embodies Miami Beach’s commitment to resilience, ecology, and public life. A model for nature-based solutions in coastal communities, Canopy Park integrates bioswales, sculpted berms, a flood protection basin, and a 25,000-gallon underground cistern that captures stormwater for on-site irrigation. This infrastructure enables the park to manage runoff from a 100-year storm event while reducing potable water use.
The planting design restores four key South Florida ecosystems—Coastal Dune, Maritime Hammock, Saltwater Marsh, and Pine Rockland—featuring over 221 trees, 121 palms, and 2,500 shrubs (70% native). The native plant palette supports pollinators and migratory birds, strengthens biodiversity, and eliminates the need for synthetic fertilizers or excessive maintenance.
Amenities throughout the park serve people of all ages and backgrounds: a botanical garden, dog run, outdoor gym, event lawn, shaded gathering areas, and a custom-designed children’s play area by MONSTRUM. Public art and shaded walkways encourage year-round use and community interaction. Multiple access points and an internal 1.3-mile loop connect each program element while reinforcing walkability and visual connectivity across the city.
Sited at a low-lying coastal edge, Canopy Park also serves as a living classroom for sea-level rise adaptation and urban sustainability. The park’s soil was remediated and rebuilt, and on-site nurseries allowed for the preservation and replanting of over 100 mature canopy trees, achieving a 100% survival rate. Reclaimed limestone boulders excavated from site foundations were reused as sculptural seating and habitat elements.
With its layered ecological systems, sculptural design, and commitment to environmental stewardship, Canopy Park is more than a civic space—it is a living laboratory for the future of coastal cities.
