High Line

As the High Line has been re-zoned into a park, the project assigned the entire surface to open spaces and recreational areas. In addition, the High Line provides different venues to rent out for public and private events.

The High Line regeneration project significantly boosted private investments in the surrounding area, attracting a total of around USD 2 billion to enhance and improve the area’s appeal. The private investments led to the development of 29 new construction projects in the neighborhood. The redevelopment project also provided a substantial boost to local employment. The project created around 12,000 new jobs, including 8,000 construction jobs throughout the redevelopment process. The real estate market of the surrounding area experienced a significant benefit, with property values of both existing buildings and new constructions rising rapidly after the completion of the project. After the opening of the park, apartments within a one-third mile radius of the High Line saw a 10% increase in value within a year. The project generated an important public revenue stream, as the High Line generated around USD 1.4 billion in tax revenues. The local economy experienced a significant positive impact from a marked increase in local tourism as well. In 2015, 31% of visitors to the High Line came from New York, with a total estimated 5 million tourists per year.

As the renovation converted a significant portion of the High Line into gardens and green areas, the project brought significant environmental benefits. Firstly, the project established more than 15 different planting zones which have been equipped with more than 150,000 trees and plants. The plantation covers mainly native, drought-tolerant and low-maintenance plant species in majority produced by local growers sustain the local economy and environment. The abundance and variety of plants and trees helped to increase the area's biodiversity by more than 200% by providing a natural environment for birds, insects and different animal species. In addition, the implementation of pollinator-friendly practices including gardening interventions and bee houses further improved local biodiversity. The vast green area provided with plants and trees significantly reduces emissions by sequestering over 7.3 tons of CO2 per year. Besides improving biodiversity, the green areas work as an extensive green roof. The pathways are built with porous materials, allowing an increased drainage of rainwater. In addition, the green roof reduces stormwater runoff by around 80% and tempers the flow of excess water into the sewer system, thus improving rainwater and stormwater management. The retention and collection of rainwater significantly reduces the consumption of water for irrigation, employing extra water resources only in occasional cases. The green roof function of the High Line also helps to reduce the heat island effect experienced in the city. In addition to reusing rainwater for irrigation purposes, the project employs a circular approach to fertilize the gardens. The High Line employs an on-site composting technique where coffee grounds from the High Line’s Café and seasonal plant cutback are reused to produce high-quality compost to fertilize the planting zones and gardens. This on-site compost production system reduces also transportation costs and pollution generated by acquiring materials from a separate compost facility.

The redevelopment of the High Line served to create a vibrant community providing activities for families, children and elderly people. The site hosts several different educational activities and public programs, with a total of around 12,000 children engaged each year. The programs and initiatives offered by the project spans from skill-building activities for young people on ecological horticulture, mobility and wellness activities for the elder population, in-school and after-school activities to engage young students in environmental education, and social events to promote and foster civic engagement. In addition, the High Line became a renowned event venue hosting several different cultural and recreational events every year. The site frequently hosts public shows and music performances, art exhibitions, cultural events and activities, as well as private events and gatherings. Lastly, the renovation tried to improve the digitalization of the project by creating a free-to-use app for tourists and visitors to explore the history, environmental features and art exhibitions present on site.

The High Line redevelopment won the Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design of 2017.

The redevelopment of the High Line has been mainly funded from public resources from the Municipality of New York, with support from the National Government of New York and the Federal Government. In addition, the project has been funded with private resources and donations from the non-profit organization Friends of the High Line. The organization and the Municipality of New York established a Public-Private Partnership to develop and manage the entire project.

The total cost of USD 152.3 million for the redevelopment project has been mainly covered by the Municipality of New York which provided around USD 123.2 through public investments. The Federal Government provided fundings for USD 20.3 million, and the National Government of New York contributed to the project by investing USD 400,000. From the private side, the non-profit organization Friends of the High Line contributed with a total of around USD 300 million collected from private donors. In addition, the organization established a license agreement with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation to receive the rights to manage the High Line project. The amount collected from private donations has been employed during both the construction and the ongoing maintenance of the park.

Harvard Graduate School of Design (2018). High Line wins 2017 Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design. Accessed on 11/07/2024. Available here.

Image from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, retrieved here.