The High Line represents a modern epic tale of how two men battled to save a disused 1930s rail structure and turn it into an eco-friendly park and community space that winds through the high rises of New York City. Co-founder Robert Hammond tells Julie Cramer about how the grand vision became a reality


A long High Line journey: Founders (top right, left to right) Joshua David and Robert Hammond have worked tirelessly on the project


How did you first become involved with the High Line project? After both reading a New York Times article about the proposed demolition of the High Line, Josh and I con- nected at a community board meeting in 1999, where we were the only two people in the room interested in sav- ing the High Line. We exchanged cards and within months the Friends of the High Line was more formally created, with the goal of preserving the entire historic structure.


What was your vision for it in the early days? Has your vision changed significantly over the years? At that first meeting, during a presen- tation by CSX Transportation (the rail company that owned the High Line), they breezed through all the possi- ble uses for the High Line other than demolition; a park was one of them. That idea was very abstract at first and took shape as we spoke to more peo- ple in the community and reached out to others undertaking similar projects, and eventually became more concrete through the design competition and subsequent work with the design team.


ISSUE 1 2012 © cybertrek 2011


What response did you get when you first launched an ideas competition? We received over 750 proposals from 32 countries from a diverse audience: schoolchildren, architects, designers, and members of the public. Some of the most unusual included a mile-long pool and a twisting rollercoaster.


Why did you choose the designers/ architects that you did? The design team of James Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Piet Oudolf really understood how to keep the magic of the High Line with their design. I remember Ric Scofidio said in a presentation of the project: “My job as an architect is to save the High Line from architecture.” It was compelling that their proposal focused on stripping away and exposing the structure instead of adding to it. Also Piet Oudolf’s vision for the plantings evoked the self-seeded landscape of the High Line we'd all come to love.


What are the main project elements? The High Line is a mile-long, soon to be mile-and-a-half-long elevated park [with the development of the High Line


at the rail yards]. The best part is that it gives you a new way of seeing and experiencing New York City. It’s more than a park – it’s also a cultural centre for the community that includes pub- lic programmes, school programmes, art installations, performance art, and most recently, food offerings that are as unique as the High Line itself.


Where has the main funding come from for the different stages? The first two sections cost US$153m (£98m). The City of New York contrib- uted $112.2m (£72m); the Federal government gave $20.7m (£13.2m); the State of New York contributed $700,000 (£448,000); and $19.4m (£12.4m) was raised by Friends of the High Line and developers.


What does it cost to keep the High Line running?


The operating budget of the High Line is $3m per year, and that’s all paid for with private funding. Custodians, gardeners, greeters, docents, pro- gramme staffers, bathroom attendants – every employee you see on the High Line is employed by Friends of the


Read Leisure Management online leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital 33


PHOTO BY JEFFREY DONENFELD COURTESY FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE


PHOTO: IWAN BAAN


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76