On Tropolism we found a few pictures of one of the nicest restructuring projects currently running: the re-skinning of New York’s former High Line. The photos are taken by the Friends of the High Line, the driving force behind the plans to turn the High Line into an elevated park or greenway, similar to the Promenade Plantée in Paris. In 2004, the New York City government committed 50 million dollars to establish the proposed park.
The new High Line is being designed by the (landscape) architects of Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Section 1, from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, is under construction and is projected to open by the end of 2008. Section 2 (20th Street to 30th Street) is projected to open in 2009.
The High Line project stimulates thinking about creative solutions for re-using city space and also contributes to what we would call the ‘Age of Experience’. The Age of Experience forms an important part of nowadays metropolitan culture, in which the creation of extraordinary experiences becomes more and more important for contemporary cities in order to attract spoilt cosmopolitans and develop an innovative atmosphere.
—Sources: Tropolism, Friends of the High Line, Wikipedia
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