NY High Line Influencing Other Projects

New York’s High Line has been a smashing success - so much so that other cities are now trying to emulate it. Los Angeles is working on its own version called the Harry Bridges Boulevard Buffer - a 12 hectare, 9-block wide swath of land in the Port of Wilmington. And while the Buffer doesn’t extend along an abandoned railroad like the High Line, it does have one thing in common with New York’s project: it’s transforming an urban eyesore into a public space.

The park, designed by Sasaki Associates, will stretch 914m and feature a flat lawn along with a walkway 15 feet above. Harry Bridges Boulevard Buffer will also offer fountains, groves an amphitheater, lawns, and multiple pavilions. Multiple pedestrian bridges will ease congestion.

Sustainability will feature prominently, with solar panels, drought-tolerant plants, tree planting, and bioswales all integrated into the park.