Repurposing spaces for better human experiences
Something new from something old
I think a lot about experience and the design of everyday things.
As part of the human condition we become familiar with scenery and objects around us.
We’re aware when something has changed slightly.
Example: When leave town for a few days and return I’m convinced “new” landmarks and buildings have appeared. Did they? No! I’m just noticing these objects for the first time — or seeing them in a new light.
The example I’ve chosen is the old west side highway in New York City. Built in 1847:
It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan’s largest industrial district. No trains have run on the High Line since 1980.
The highway was almost obsolete from the start. The lanes were too narrow and in 1973 a section of it collapsed under the weight of a dump truck! Eventually the highway was shut down citing that “better means of transportation was available”.
Many proposals were submitted on what to do with the land. What did they suggest? Some wanted commercial development and others wanted the highway restored.
One group named “Friends of the High line” had a better idea. They wanted the old rail tracks to be repurposed into a park.
On a recent trip to New York City I had a chance to visit the High Line Park.
The High Line is a public park built on an historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. It is owned by the City of New York, and maintained and operated by Friends of the High Line. Founded in 1999 by community residents, Friends of the High Line fought for the High Line’s preservation and transformation at a time when the historic structure was under the threat of demolition.
I was blown away by this vast sweeping park in the middle of the city. It run’s directly through sections of urban housing and retail spaces.
Not only did this project revive the old highway, it brought new life into Chelsea and the Meatpacking district.
I took notice of the foliage planted in the tracks, chaise lounges on rails, tall glass viewports, artists creating, families strolling, and people genuinely enjoying themselves. This improvement in the way humans interact with the world around them is well received.
The work that went into it
It wasn’t easy.
Converting each section of the High Line from an out-of-use railroad trestle to a public landscape entailed not only years of planning, community input, and work by some of the city’s most inventive designers, but also more than two years of construction per section.
And the architectural landscaping
It didn’t happen overnight
The High Line’s planting design is inspired by the self-seeded landscape that grew on the out-of-use elevated rail tracks during the 25 years after trains stopped running. The species of perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees were chosen for their hardiness, sustainability, and textural and color variation, with a focus on native species. Many of the species that originally grew on the High Line’s rail bed are incorporated into the park’s landscape.
What’s my point?
We’re living in a time when humans are willing to pay more for experiences then for expensive goods. It’s time to give them what they want! Rich user experiences taking place in their everyday lives. The experiences they can touch, see, smell and interact with and the ones that evoke an emotional response. Heck, they should’t exist digitally at all! Let’s give them delight in real life.
Let’s make this a better world, one unused highway at a time!
