Twenty years ago, transforming an industrial relic into a public park seemed like a far-fetched idea. But by collaborating with an array of community leaders, organizations, elected officials, and supporters, we were able to create an extraordinary public space together.

The High Line’s success has helped make the crazy credible. As cities become denser and land for traditional parks becomes scarce, citizens all over the world are looking to reclaim underutilized infrastructure and reimagine it as public space.

We believe in the transformative potential of these projects and the value of connecting the people who are bringing them to life. That’s why we’ve established the High Line Network, a peer-to-peer group of infrastructure reuse projects across North America. Working collectively, our goal is to help projects learn from each other so that all of these spaces can reach their full potential.

We at the High Line are always learning, too. As the challenges faced by our community and city continue to change, we must continue to adapt so that the High Line remains a space that inspires and serves our neighbors and New Yorkers. Just as other infrastructure reuse projects have learned from our experiences, we too are learning from them how to foster unique, community-driven public spaces.

Today, we’re proud to launch the High Line Network publicly at network.thehighline.org.

This new site includes profiles of the 19 projects that are part of the network – from The Underline in Miami to Waterfront Seattle. The site is also the first of its kind to collect news from across the web on the growing field of infrastructure reuse, and showcase it in one place. We hope the High Line Network site will become an important resource for anyone interested in learning more about this field and how these complex projects are created and sustained.

The network formed more than a year ago, and during that time projects have been sharing experiences and knowledge on a range of topics – from public engagement to fundraising, and from social equity to operations:

• The 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C., has shared their process of working with residents of the Anacostia neighborhood to build an extensive equitable development plan, which will help the project bring social, environmental, economic, and health benefits to neighboring residents.
• Buffalo Bayou Partnership in Houston has helped network projects – especially those that run alongside waterways – understand the complexity of operating and maintaining a public space that simultaneously serves as a flood control channel.
• The River LA team in Los Angeles has inspired the network with its ambitious plan to rethink all 51 miles of the LA River, and has shared how they’re leveraging design and advocacy to create thousands of acres of accessible, open space that can help revitalize underserved communities.

Friends of the High Line and the High Line Network are excited about this opportunity to highlight the work these projects have been doing. We look forward to sharing more updates and more features soon.

To stay up to date on the High Line Network and to get the top stories from the field of infrastructure reuse delivered to your inbox, sign up for the High Line Network’s newsletter.

SUPPORT
The High Line Network is made possible by the founding support of The JPB Foundation and The Tiffany & Co. Foundation.