The High Line: The park that almost wasn’t

Years of community advocacy followed by over two years of intensive construction were needed to convert each section of the High Line from an abandoned rail line to a public landscape.

Funded by the nonprofit organization Friends of the High Line and through community outreach, the structure was reinvented as a space filled with gardens, art, food, and entertainment for everyone to enjoy.

Photo by Jim Shaughnessy

Site preparations

The construction teams removed all the material that had accumulated on top of the structure over the decades, including the original gravel ballast and steel tracks, as well as decades of debris and soil. Each section of rail was tagged and surveyed before being moved to storage.

Many of these original rails were later returned to their exact coordinates, seamlessly integrated into the modern landscape design.

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Photo by Barry Munger

Restoration

Once the surface had been cleared, attention turned to the massive steel structure itself. Despite years of neglect, it remained structurally sound, as it had originally been engineered to support the weight of two fully loaded freight trains.

To prepare the steel for its second life, the teams followed a rigorous restoration process.

Using a mobile containment tent, they sandblasted 25-foot sections at a time to remove the original lead paint safely. The steel was then coated in a fresh layer of paint, carefully colour-matched to the original industrial hue of the High Line.

Minor concrete repairs and waterproofing were carried out to ensure that the structure could withstand the elements for another century.

Photo by Timothy Schenck

The new landscape

The final phase involved installing the living elements that define the High Line experience today, including the pathways, greenery, and furniture. Precast concrete planks were placed on top of pedestal supports to create a void beneath for irrigation and electrical wiring.

In areas where stairs were added, the steel girders were removed, allowing visitors to walk through the structure and view the massive steel framework up close. Energy-efficient LEDs were installed near the ground to illuminate the path, minimising light pollution and preserving the city’s night sky.

The High Line's distinctive 'planking' system creates a seamless transition between the hard concrete paths and the lush, naturalistic plantings, reminiscent of the way nature reclaimed the tracks during their years of abandonment.

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Chronology

1999
The concept for a unique public space was born when Joshua David and Robert Hammond met. They formed Friends of the High Line to support saving the railway, which was in danger of demolition.

2001
New Yorkers are being encouraged to appreciate the High Line's potential as a result of images of its wild, self-seeded landscape taken by photographer Joel Sternfeld.
 
2003
The High Line is the inspiration for a worldwide competition. People were invited to come up with ideas for what the High Line could be, from whimsical to fantastical.
 
2004
Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Piet Oudolf won a design competition by capturing the magic of the wild High Line in their vision for the future public space.
 
2006
The first two sections of the High Line, between Gansevoort and 30th Streets, have officially broken ground, and construction has begun.
 
2009
The first section of the High Line opened. The Friends of the High Line launched community programming and a dedicated public art programme in the park.

 2012
After years of advocacy, the final stretch of the High Line between 30th and 34th Streets was officially transferred from CSX to the City of New York in the summer of 2012.

 2016
The High Line Network launches to support and promote the development of infrastructure reuse projects across North America. 
 
Today
The High Line continues to provide a unique insight into what makes New York City special. It is evidence of what can be achieved when the community unites with a shared aspiration for the future, and it fosters and nurtures boundless aspirations. 

Source: The High Line

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