The High Line: An Elevated Park in New York City

photos by Dave Schumaker

The High Line is a novel park that opened in Manhattan’s West Side last summer. What makes the High line so interesting? It was built on an elevated railway that originally opened in 1934 and was in use until 1980.

After sitting in disrepair for almost 20 years and eventually slated for removal, local residents banded together in 1999 and proposed that the elevated railway be turned into a park. Construction began in 2006 and the first section of the park opened in June of 2009. It’s a brilliant example of reclaiming unused urban property and turning it into something that benefits a community.

When the High Line is completed in 2011, it will span nearly 1.5 miles in length and feature many plants native to the New York City region. This design video shows what the park will look like when fully complete.

Interestingly enough, the High Line has inspired further consideration for reclaiming urban landscapes across the country.

In San Francisco, an architecture group has proposed that the soon-to-be-replaced eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge be converted into a mixed use development.