Name: Building a park in the sky
Uploaded: 2011-06-30T14:54:00Z
Duration: 5 min 24 s
Description: New York was planning to tear down the High Line, an abandoned elevated railroad in Manhattan, when Robert Hammond and a few friends suggested: Why not make it a park? He shares how it happened in this tale of local cultural activism.

New York was planning to tear down the High Line, an abandoned elevated railroad in Manhattan, when Robert Hammond and a few friends suggested: Why not make it a park? He shares how it happened in this tale of local cultural activism.

Building a park in the sky

Transforming a mile-and-a-half of rusted rail line into an urban oasis changed the city’s fortunes and spirit. Once slated for demolition, the High Line now draws two million annual visitors and has generated half a billion dollars in tax revenue. The project ignited architectural creativity and brought people together in unexpected ways, even inspiring New Yorkers to hold hands as they strolled above city streets.