PROJECT SUMMARY
The Design Trust jumpstarted the High Line’s conversion from derelict railway to 1.45 miles of open space. Our feasibility study catalyzed efforts to save and reprogram the High Line by inspiring Mayor Bloomberg to rescind the demolition order on the rail line. The project served as the basis for an ideas competition that received 720 proposals and informed a rezoning plan that established the High Line Transfer Corridor, facilitating its use as a public open space.
The High Line park has become one of the most active public spaces in New York City – a “must see” for over seven and a half million residents and visitors from across the nation and globe each year – and has inspired similar initiatives in other cities to repurpose abandoned and derelict infrastructure. Joshua David, Co-Founder of Friends of the Highline, reflected on the project: “If you look at the planning study now, it’s remarkable how much it described what would happen in the years to come. It created a kind of road map for the High Line’s transformation.”
Learn more about our project partners, fellows, activities, and outputs on our full project site.
