We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Meg Daly a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Meg, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?
My parents moved to Miami in 1960. It was a young city that had enormous potential. As my dad once said, “if you want to do something in Miami there are no barriers for entry. But you will probably do it by yourself.”
My parents were doers. If they saw a problem, the didn’t just complain, they tried to fix it. When I was around 8 years old, they were outraged that the Biltmore hotel, one of the architecturally significant structures in our suburb Coral Gables was going to be torn down for residential development. My dad the attorney worked on the legal reasons this shouldn’t be done. My mom the activist mobilized here 4 children to get petitions signed on the weekends. We marched around the neighborhood weekend after weekend getting signatures from neighbors and strangers (if I came back with too few, I had to get at least 10 more before I got a bologna sandwich for lunch). I didn’t know at the time, they were teaching me to sell a story, activate believers and mobilize people to create a movement.
Meg, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
In 2013, I had a bike accident and broke both of my arms. Since I couldn’t drive myself to physical therapy, I decided to take the Metrorail near my home and walk the rest of the way to my destination underneath the train tracks. Even in July, it didn’t feel hot in the shade of the tracks. I noticed how wide the corridor was and how much space there was … and I was the only person around.
There was magic in walking and not driving past this dead space below Metrorail. Slowing down and experiencing my city on foot allowed me to see an opportunity I had driven past my whole life. The opportunity was 120 acres of available land to repurpose into biking and walking trails, pollinator gardens, lush native landscaping, gathering spaces for play and recreation, free community educational and cultural programs, and an outdoor public art gallery.
Miami is one of the most dangerous places to walk and bike in the United States. We are at risk for flooding and sea level rise. We have a limited mass transit system and a city designed for cars and not people on foot or bike. We want to be part of the solution to all of these challenges. A safe place to walk and bike. Multimodal transportation. Urban reforestation. Attracting residents to mass transit. Offer healthy lifestyle options for people of all ages and abilities. Connect people to place to build a stronger more engaged community. Build a better city for the residents of today and tomorrow.
Since founding our non-profit, Friends of The Underline has been committed to transforming the underutilized land below Miami’s Metrorail—from the Miami River to Dadeland South Station—into a 10-mile linear park, urban trail and public art destination.
Through a public/private partnership with Miami-Dade County, a vibrant and engaged board of directors, public and private donors and hundreds of volunteers, The Underline is becoming an example for repurposing unused land into a public park and community space and asset.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I thought up The Underline, the first person I spoke to was my father. At the time, I was leading a bootstrapping start-up software company that was already a full-time job, as Chief Marketing Officer.
Both during and after his life, my dad was a local legend. He invested over 20 years building Miami’s first world-class performing arts center, created an organization to teach underserved kids how to play music, saved the historic Biltmore hotel and fought to save the Everglades. All while leading a large law practice.
When I had the “crazy idea” for The Underline he said it was the best idea he had heard of in a long time. The Underline became my passion and mission to heal the community, vastly improve pedestrian safety and restore nature. I sought my Dad’s advice on everything from how to work with a grumpy commissioner to design intent.
I was 53 and he was 83 when we started working together. He was brilliant and vital and died before his time due to complications from heart surgery. I was devasted personally and professionally. But the project was moving fast, and I had to dig deep to carry on without my father and partner.
Four years later, I still cry when we break ground on construction, cut a ribbon when we open, or reach a watershed moment. I am consoled because my daughter and my dad’s best friend are deeply involved in the project, representing three generations of my family and the wisdom and mentoring of my father through his friend. I hope my destiny is to pass on all the lessons my dad and others have taught me through my work on The Underline ensuring others too, can transform their cities and themselves.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn thinking I could do everything by myself. And, that began with breaking my arms in a bike accident. I couldn’t cook, feed or even go to the bathroom by myself. It was humbling and empowering at the same time because when I had to ask for help, I found people really wanted to help me.
Work on The Underline taught me the same lesson on a much larger scale. With a project so big, without any professional skills like urban planning, architecture, landscape design, law, engineering or public policy, I had to ask for help from a lot of people. Everyone I engage has the advice that helps me make more right decisions than wrong ones. And, again, they donate their time and smarts generously. This is also true of our county, municipal and state partners. From administration to elected officials, they too bring enormous intelligence to the project ensuring we have a community moving a project forward, not just a person.
Contact Info:
- Website: theunderline.org
- Instagram: @theunderlinemia
- Facebook: @theunderlinemia
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theunderlinemia
- Twitter: @theunderlinemia
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBB72ZQFGUvNVex_1XeR8ug
Image Credits
Robin Hill Isaac Pineda