Around the World, Cities Imitate the High Line

The High Line's brand of urban reinvention has caught on, sparking a number of similar projects throughout the world. In addition to disused rail, many projects repurpose old road infrastructure.

1 minute read

May 1, 2016, 5:00 AM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


High Line park NYC - Manhattan - New York City

David Berkowitz / Flickr

The High Line concept has grown into something approximating a movement. Grace Chua writes, "Every month, it seems, another city announces plans for what inevitably gets marketed as its 'version of the High Line.' [...] As the New York comparisons stretch, the very phrase 'High Line' is morphing into a catch-all synonym for what urban planners would simply call a 'linear park.'"

This piece looks at several re-purposing concepts throughout the world, including the following:

  • In Seoul, "the city government is turning a nearly 1-kilometer (half-mile) section of [a disused overpass] into a pedestrian walkway linking Seoul Station to downtown neighborhoods."
  • In Tel Aviv, "the city council approved an ambitious, US$525 million project to cap part of the highway with a rooftop park."
  • In Rome, a team funded by Renzo Piano transformed the area under a viaduct into a space for arts, exhibitions, and workshops. 
  • In Philadelphia, the Reading Viaduct Project envisions an elevated park very similar to New York's own.

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