Generally people think their city development plan and decision making is up to city planners, architects and the local authorities, which is no surprise as this fields are difficult subjects to approach because they take a lot of time and effort to understand. Furthermore there can be hundreds of solutions and different approaches to different problems included in these subjects, which creates quit a mess. Therefore the language, technicality and expertise can be off putting for amateurs. However people can take an active part in their city’ s development by taking matters into their own hands changing their city and making it more sustainable as explained by the example of the High Line in New York an elevated park created out of unused train tracks.
The first thing to do for the people living next to the, since 1980, unused train tracks was to take matters into their own hands, to be able to save the structure and change it into the now existing park. In the beginning it is important to state that the project of High Line could have been hardly realizable if it was not for the organization Friends of the High Line who made it possible to save the train tracks, passing through 2.33 km of Manhattan, and change it into an elevated, public park opened in 2009. Thinking about the importance of this organization it cannot be avoided to explain how Friends of the High Line was created. "İn the summer of 1999, we both read a newspaper article, which said the High Line was going to be torn down. We didn't know each other then, but we had each become fascinated by the High Line and the opportunity it offered. Hoping to find a group working to save it, we went to a community board meeting, where we met and started Friends of the High Line." (David & Hammond, 2008, p. 7). After that another important aspect was to get enough support from the people in the neighborhoods as well as find supporters in the whole world. In an interview to CNN the two founders of Friends of the High Line said that the first to hold on to the idea and say, this is a strong thought we want to support it, were architects, art galleries and artists situated all around the area where the High Line passes by (Rawlinson, 2007, para. 12). By getting the support of the surrounding area the driving power behind Friends of the High Line was created. But the High Line project did not just get admirers in New York but in the whole world as the founders explained in the interview; throughout the country from across the sea and in the city about 10.000 cooperators have been found (Rawlinson, 2007, para. 13). The supporters all over the world are an indicator of the success and approval of the project and Friends of the High Line was one of the most important component in improving it. Because as, Amateau argues; especially Friends of the High Line caused people to look at the structure in a different way (Amateau, n.d., para. 13). Because the people creating Friends of the High Line were the first once to see the opportunity this train tracks offered.
Another important job of Friends of the High Line was to fund a part of the money for the construction of the High Line. To the question, of the interviewer, "what do you plan to do next?" Josh David answered; there is still a huge amount of work left to do, such as collecting private money to finials the building process and pay for the park's expenses and the building process has also only just started (Rawlinson, 2007, para. 22). By putting the construction phase and the problem of financing the expenses into the same category the founder of Friends of the High Line shows how important it was to be able to collect the money. Also the major credited Friends of the High Line for their contribution to the project when he said; Friends of the High Line, the organization leading the project, contributed $44 million of the total expense of $152 million for creating the primary two parts of the high line (Pogrebin, 2009, para. 11). To make it clear about 29 % of the needed money was funded by Friends of the High Line. And with this help of Friends of the High Line and the support around the world, the people of New York had the power to make something out of the unused train tracks.
The next step for the development of the High Line "phenomena" was that it changed the city of New York, a process which was not plannable, like the park itself, and partly not intended. Nevertheless the High Line changed the entire neighborhood which it goes through, as Progrebin states; in the area designing and building of about 30 developments is going on (2009, para. 9). A development which is surprising as these area also once benefited from the High Line economically, as it transported the cargo from the sea-port to the factories nearby and the other way around. But this second spring of the High Line brought the neighborhood a very different kind of development as many cultural buildings and artistic stores opened up in the neighborhood. Even the Whitney Museum of American Art was convinced to construct a museum in the area of the newly created High Line which changed the surroundings to make it a significant hotspot (Taylor, 2010, para. 8). Which shows us how much of a change took place in these area, as the quality and value of the ground near the High Line increases.
Another factor indicating the importance of the High Line and the change it made possible in New York is that many people from around the world approve of the project and come to get ideas for their own city and its individual city-development. Such as Hong Kong and Rotterdam city planners who hope to get a new perspective, Jerusalem authorities looking forward to come or companies from Singapore visiting the landscaped ways going from Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street (Taylor, 2010, para. 7). Being a unique example of people changing their city the High Line has many new ideas to give people inspiration. As Taylor explains this also happening in Philadelphia, because there the reading viaduct is planned to be converted into an elevated park which is a very similar project to the High Line. Before the High Line opened the project had little perspective as Ms. McAnarney explained, but the High Line created a spark and helped to make convincing the city authority easier (2010, para. 9-13). So the High line does not only change the neighborhood nearby but also effects projects and city planners all over the world. All these factors are an indicator of the change triggered by the construction of the High Line.
At the end it is important to talk about the design of the High Line which was created and planed by "Field Operations and Diller Scofidio & Renfro". The initial design concentrated on capturing as much of the existing charm of the High Line and implementing new elements, like scripted pathways and the feeling of greenery coming out of the paths. As the founders explained in an interview to CNN; to create the feeling of greenery connected with the walking paths a planking system is used that gives the vegetation the possibility to grow out of the paths (Rawlinson, 2007, para. 9). The idea of capturing the charm of the already existing is a design element that is used in many parts of the project. The major stated that over 100 types of plants were used in the design who were influenced by the already growing seeds which overtook the structure after the usage of the tracks stopped (Pogrebin, 2009, para. 9). Also here the approach to use the already existing is seen clearly, as it is the same in the design of the train tracks seen through the paths. To minimize the ecological impact and value of the design, a lot of the initial steel rails are repaired to be reused ("High line", n.d., para. 3). To summarize the main design idea was to use most of the parts of the High Line, just reshaping some of it and adding some new elements to create the now existing park.
To finalize the explanations of the design of the High Line also the sustainable design features must be illuminated. As interpreted in the section above already existing plants were the main inspiration for the plant selection, which also has another advantage as explained on the official website of Friends of the High Line; the initial microclimate growing on the High Line is the base for the new park landscape. The set up created on naturally growing plant communities, makes the park well-adapted, site-specific and possible to reduce water and resource usage. ("Plant Selection and Sustainability", n.d., para. 3). The reduce water usage is achieved because; the majority of the plants used on the High Line are drought-tolerant and planted in areas which permit to hold high amounts of water, because of that design additional watering is not needed often. ("A Commitment to Sustainable Operations", n.d., para. 2), same as the reduce resource usage is accomplished by; reducing the re-instalment amount created through plant failure with native species which are developing better in the local climate ("Plant Selection and Sustainability", n.d., para. 4). Also taking these design elements into consideration it is not forbidden to state that this project is a sustainable project taking maters of sustainability serious.
İn conclusion, the High Line project is a perfect example of people caring about their city and not leting their citys future be defined by the ideas of architects, city planers and local autohirities. İt claerly stands out that Friends of the High Line took an vital part in the realization of the project by helping funding the money, mobilizing against the demolishion and bringing the area into a new area of development. As an architech i care about my city and about the buildings of it but i kind of have to because it is my proficion, but i think it is everybodeys right to care about their city unfortunatly projects like these, projects where the users are also the architects are very rare which is almost a shame.
References:
Amateau A. (n.d.).
Retrieved from http://www.nyc-architecture.com/CHE/CHE029-TheHighLine.htm
Burohappold Engineering (n.d.) High line.
Retrieved from http://www.burohappold.com/projects/project/high-line-160/
David J. & Hammond R. (2008). Friends of the High Line. İn P. Hazari (Ed.), Designing the High line Gansevoort street to 30 th street (pp. 7). New York, Finlay Printing
Freinds of the High Line (n.d.) Plant selection and sustainability.
Retrieved from http://www.thehighline.org/about/sustainable-practices
Freinds of the High Line (n.d.) A commitment to sustainable operations.
Retrieved from http://www.thehighline.org/about/sustainable-practices
Progrebin R. (2009, June, 8) First part of High Line is ready for stroling. New York Times.
Retrieved from http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/first-phase-of-high-line-is-ready-for-strolling/?_r=1
Rawlinson, L. (2007, March, 19) Q&A: Friends of the High Line İnterview. CNN.
Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/03/15/highline.qa/
Taylor K. (2010, July, 14) After High Line’s succses, other cities look up. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/arts/design/15highline.html
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