Learning from the High Line

The Highline day and night

Vancouver consultant Solomon Wong was in New York for a weekend, and made it a priority to see the newly opened Highline — a crumbling elevated rail line in Manhattan, transformed into a pedestrian greenway — both day and night. It's just possibly the most significant new public space in North America. You can see his Picasa slideshow here.

I'm planning a trip to NYC and definitely looking forward to seeing the High Line but my snarky question is not whether it is great — I bet it is — but does it offer any specific lessons or models which can be applied elsewhere? What can we learn from the High Line? My sense is that the High Line is so sui generis that it offers very few lessons which people would be happy to apply elsewhere (beyond the excellent lesson not to be small-mind and rules things out prematurely.) For example, in Seattle one might argue that the Viaduct should be preserved as a walking space even if we build the Tunnel. (Neither is likely, actually.) I think an awful lot of people would be appalled by that idea — but why not? The High Line is a huge bulky presence; so is the Viaduct but with far better views. The High Line is probably a great park and certainly a great media event. But what can we learn from it? What can it teach us that can be applied in other cities? Besides the big one that we should not be scared to use our imagination and to dream? Which is no small part of the High Line's brilliance and could be sufficient. (Question meant sincerely.)