High Line New York Greenway

The High Line was the most acclaimed landscape project of the early 21st century. It is a 1.6 km) greenway built in New York City, on what was formerly an elevated section of the New York Central Railroad. The idea was inspired by the Promenade plantée in Paris. But the High Line was a non-profit charitable project launched by local residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond. The High Line was designed by the James Corner landscape architecture firm Field Operations, with help from and architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The planting design was by Piet Oudolf. It has surprising views of New York and the Hudson River and the walk includes:  naturalized plantings, herbaceous planting, lawns, meadows, seats, walks and much else.

James Corner used the High Line to illustrate his understanding of landscape urbanism (in a chapter., 'Terra Fluxus', in The Landscape Urbanism Reader (ed Charles Waldheim, Princeton Architectural Press, 2006). Corner associated the approach with horizontal alignments, green infrastructure, environmental technology and an ecological approach.

Lecture by Robert Hammond 'High Line: the inside story of New York City's park in the sky' A visit to the High Line with Ella Morton