New York's High Line: Why cities want parks in the sky

[John Ashworth]

New York's High Line: Why cities want parks in the sky

By Robin Banerji 10 October 2012 Last updated at 10:34 GMT
BBC World Service

Once an elevated freight railway track, New York's High Line is now an oasis for pedestrians. It has been so popular that other cities are following suit, with plans to replicate the formula in London. What is the secret of its success?...

to transform the abandoned railway line into a wildly successful new kind of public space - part-beach, part-park, and part-promenade...

There is another downside, too. Such developments mean disused lines cannot be once again brought back into their original use.

"The Docklands Light Railway [in east London] runs on viaducts that were long abandoned... We must be careful not to prejudice potential future railways."...

[John Ashworth]

The real wacky races: The weirdest ideas for a new way to get to work

[John Ashworth]

New York’s High Line: A public art space done right

Railroad tracks have given way to an open-air museum at the popular Manhattan park...

[John Ashworth]

New York's High Line hit by hardy cockroaches never before seen in US