High Line: pffft.

In an op-ed article in Saturday's New York Times, Witold Rybczynski attempted to douse the enthusiasm that has surrounded New York's High Line Park for the past few years with a bunch of sour grapes wrapped up in a wet blanket. His critique is not leveled directly at the High Line, rather he scoffs at the idea that the park can serve as a model for "landscape urbanism." Not only does Rybczynski feel the High Line is not a transferable template for projects in other cities, he goes so far as to lump the concept of an elevated park in with other failures of urban planning: skyways, downtown shopping malls, and, of course, the monorail:



Despite bordering on being mean spirited, Rybczynski raises some valid points: The High Line is built on a unique stretch of raised track that weaves between architecture that is significant in its own right, i.e. the IAC building designed by Frank Gehry, and it is located in a neighborhood already full of history and attractions-specifically art galleries, which draw the sort of crowd that might get worked up over new trends in urbanism. Where else in America, Rybczynski asks, will we find the resources and the conditions that have made the High Line such a success? And what about that $150 million price tag?

While he's right that projects like the Sixth Street Embankment in Jersey City are unlikely to draw visitors from across the globe-probably not even from across the Hudson-Rybczynski's cynicism seems a bit premature. The High Line's focus on quality materials, high-end design and "relentlessly hip" marketing is of course part of its appeal, but it is also a part of its context. Surrounded by contemporary art galleries and expensive high-rise apartment buildings in Chelsea, the High Line needed to fit in, or it would have failed. While it is a somewhat perverse case of "urban revitalization" since it would be hard to argue that Chelsea really needed that kind of investment compared to other areas, the cost-44 million dollars of which came from private contributions-is a reflection of the neighborhood's character.

So, to make this template work in other settings where private and municipal money might not be so readily available, let the projects' purposes fit their context. Create elevated parks that serve the needs of their neighborhoods while reflecting their character. Most likely this will mean forgoing some of the High Line's extravagances, like the wine porch (?) and Renzo Piano restaurant that will be unveiled with the opening of the High Line's second section. Besides deflating the bloated budget of the project, eliminating these sorts of expensive features will likely bring projects more in line with the tastes of communities that aren't part of lower Manhattan. Surely, we can find some of those elsewhere in America.

Relentlessly hip? Nooo... The video below is from the same Parks Department that also produced this.