Why the Oakline?

Two of Raleigh's greatest assets sit three-quarters of a mile apart, yet they can feel like they're in different cities.

Downtown Raleigh is in motion. The Omni Hotel, Red Hat Amphitheater, Convention Center expansion, Salisbury Square, Rockway, and City Gateway are reshaping the urban core with more than $2 billion in public and private investment. At the same time, Dix Park is emerging as a transformative regional destination, with Gipson Play Plaza already hinting at the park's incredible potential and a new phase of development on the horizon.

The space between them should be one of Raleigh's great walks. Instead, pedestrians face steep terrain, busy multi-lane roads, railroad crossings, and sprawling intersections that make the journey difficult, discouraging, and inaccessible for many.

The Oakline changes that.

By creating a safe, level, car-free, and tree-canopy connection, the Oakline replaces barriers with a gallery of experiences. It links neighborhoods, cultural destinations, and regional trails into one cohesive, walkable network while serving as green infrastructure that supports stormwater management, urban cooling, and ecological resilience.

But the Oakline isn't just a connector. It's a destination.

Storefronts, public art, dining, and gathering spaces transform the walk into an experience. Elevated above traffic, visitors encounter sweeping views, birdsong, sculptural forms, and quiet moments in nature that make the journey as rewarding as arriving. The Oakline deepens Raleigh's connection to its history, its natural systems, and its people.

The Oakline isn't just how Raleigh gets from downtown to Dix Park. It's how Raleigh shows the world who it is.