A pedestrian road that shops, restaurants, galleries and more, Lincoln Road Mall has become one of the most popular attractions in Miami Beach, Florida. This urban oasis is the result of a vision to create a promenade that would enable audiences to engage with one another and with the culture of the entire region.
Creating an Urban Oasis
When it was cleared of the mangrove trees that filled the island in the early 1900s, Lincoln Road became the town’s social center. Envisioned as a Main Street for Miami Beach, it would eventually feature premium retail destinations that made it a hub of activity and a prominent shopping destination.
Congestion and competition across the region compelled the city of Miami Beach to contract architect Morris Lapidus to create a new plan for Lincoln Road in the 1950s. His redesign of Lincoln Road would see six blocks remove all automobiles, transforming it into a pedestrian mall that was further enlivened with shade structures, black and white pavement, planting beds and numerous water features. Many of these features reflect the Miami Modern Architecture that Lapidus pioneered.
Positioned as the “most magnificent mall in all of the Americas,” the new Lincoln Road was opened to the public in 1960. It is regarded as one of the first instances in the United States where a major thoroughfare was closed to traffic and pedestrianized. This urban oasis both embraces and reflects the culture of Miami Beach, enabling a powerful impact for the businesses that shape it and on the audiences that visit the street on a daily basis.
Experiencing Lincoln Road Mall
Lincoln Road features a state-of-the-art multiplex cinema and numerous architecturally acclaimed buildings. It is also lined with mainstream clothing stores such as ZARA, Gap, Anthropologie, Forever 21, NIKE, Athleta and many more. A variety of restaurants and cafes are interspersed amongst these establishments, with umbrella-covered outdoor seating that allows audiences to experience all of these elements in numerous ways.
Lincoln Road Mall events range from Farmer’s Markets to Antique Markets to free movies. Morning yoga classes are hosted throughout the year along with outdoor concerts. Additionally, numerous pieces of public art are displayed throughout the area, all of which are connected to the culture of the community and region, cultivating new monuments that attract the interest of residents and visitors.
Lincoln Road Mall continues to expand, as developments in 2006 saw the permanent closure of traffic on the west end of the mall for the purpose of extending it further, highlighting how the original vision for the space continues to evolve. These developments have enabled it to become a highlighted feature in maps and guides to the city.
The oldest pedestrian mall in Florida, Lincoln Road Mall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. All of these developments highlight what it can mean for a vision to redefine the present while opening up incredible opportunities for the future.
A Legacy Connected to the Present and Future
Lincoln Road Mall has become one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Miami Beach with premier shopping, restaurants, and nightlife as well as South Beach classic architecture and Miami style. These activities and features are the result of a vision to redefine the area in a way that would make sense for the present and future of the entire community, defining a legacy that continues to make a positive impact on the culture and economy of Miami Beach.
