In recent years, Downtown Miami has the third greatest concentration of high-rises in the United States and is home to many major museums, parks, education centers, banks, company headquarters, courthouses, government offices, theaters, shops and many of the oldest buildings in the city.

Urban development began in the 1890s with the construction of the Florida East Coast Railway by Standard Oil industrialist Henry Flagler down to Miami at the insistence of Julia Tuttle.

[4] With recent mass construction of high-rise residential buildings and office towers, Downtown has experienced large growth, with new shops, bars, parks, and restaurants opening up, attracting many new residents.

The CBD is bound by Northeast Sixth Street to the north, Biscayne Bay to the east, and the Miami River to the west and south.

The majority of Miami's historic buildings are located in this district, including Flagler Street, museums, libraries, offices, schools, the vast majority of local, county, state and federal government offices and courthouses, and Miami's Historic District and Government Center.

The Arts & Entertainment District is an urban neighborhood with numerous hotels, and high-rise residential buildings.

Pace Park, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, and the (former) Miami Herald headquarters are located within the district.

In the 2010 US Census, the racial makeup of Downtown was 57.6% Hispanic of any race, 30.8% White (non-Hispanic), 7.2% Black, and 2.9% Asian.

[12] 2009 Census projections indicate that the area's residential base has increased from 40,000 to 71,000 since 2000, with an expected Downtown population of 85,000 by 2014.

The Metromover is a free service and stations can be found at roughly every two blocks in Downtown and Brickell.

Venetian Causeway is a popular bicycle commuter route that connects South Beach to Downtown.

[14] In the 2025 and 2030 long range transportation plans, Miami's commuter rail system, Tri-Rail, has envisioned moving to or adding service on the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) corridor, which runs along the region's densest neighborhoods, parallel to Biscayne Boulevard in Miami, and Federal Highway in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Miami's Downtown Development Authority along with Miami-area politicians are actively lobbying to bring Tri-Rail to the city core.

Downtown has about 20 million square feet (1,900,000 m2) of office space, and is the central financial and business hub of South Florida.

[16] Some private companies with headquarters in Downtown are Akerman LLP, Arquitectonica, Espírito Santo Financial Group, Florida Justice Institute, Greenberg Traurig, Holland & Knight, Macy's Florida, Miami Herald, Miami Today, Shutts & Bowen, Terremark Worldwide, Vector Group, World Property Channel, and Zyscovich Architects.

[18][19] Public organizations with their main offices in Downtown include, the central offices of the Beacon Council, the Downtown Development Authority, Miami-Dade County government, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami Police Department, Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation], and other City of Miami departments despite city hall's location in Coconut Grove.

Several countries have consulates based in Downtown, most of which are located along Biscayne Boulevard and Brickell Avenue.

Japan opened a consulate in Miami after Japanese investors purchased several major real estate properties in Florida.

The area is 260 acres (1.1 km2) large with 43 different buildings mostly owned by private entities and the local government.

Bayfront Park hosts many large outdoor concerts such as Warped Tour and Ultra Music Festival.

[41] Downtown is home to many city, county, state, and federal courthouses, jails, judge offices, and law firms.

During the Miami building boom of the first decade of the 21st century, 23,628 condominium and apartments were built[48] in numerous high-rise towers that quickly transformed the city.

Downtown also reported an average commercial asking rate of $36.33, making it the eighth-highest in the nation after Manhattan, Washington DC, Fairfield County, Connecticut, San Francisco, and Boston.

Downtown has Miami's largest concentration of hotel rooms, and is the city's hub for business travellers.

This area is called the Miami Jewelry District and comprises four Downtown blocks from Miami Avenue to SE 2nd Av on Flagler Street and NE 1st St. After many years of decay, recently, much focus has been placed on revitalizing Flagler Street to its former grandeur.

In recent years, a renewed investment interest has been placed on Flagler Street, and many new restaurants and stores have opened up, new landscaping and pavers have been placed, as well as enforced security and tourist guides.

These new parks have brought more green space, benches, art, and rest areas to the street.

Bayside Marketplace was built in 1987, and is one of Miami's most visited tourist attractions averaging over 15 million visitors a year.