MIT SENSEable City Lab. "Under the Elevated" Seeks to Transform Space Beneath NYC Bridges and Subways into Usable, Non-Scary Areas | Inhabitat New York City. The High Line made a name for itself by turning land atop an elevated rail line into a flourishing park, but can the same be done for spaces underneath these kinds of structures? The Design Trust for Public Space is embarking on a plan to transform areas under New York City’s plentiful bridges, elevated highways, subways and rail lines into places for community engagement and artistic inspiration. Their project, Under the Elevated: Reclaiming Space, Connecting Communities, will bring together local community leaders, planners, architects, artists, and cultural organizations to develop strategies to maximize the functionality and use of these often-abandoned and sometimes downright scary areas.
“Much of the space below NYC’s elevated transit infrastructure is composed of either parking, storage, or vacant space. We see an opportunity to increase the functionality of these spaces and identify permanent or temporary uses that will enliven the public realm of neighboring communities. Future Cities Lab. Eltis - The urban mobility portal - Show video - Trott Elec - The sidewalk that provides energy. 10 Landscape Design Projects That Turn Damaged and Neglected Spaces Into Healthy, Beautiful Environments. The High Line Park in NYC. Photo by Jill Fehrenbacher for Inhabitat Landscape architects frequently work to transform areas that contain industrial and toxic waste, infrastructure no longer in use, or land affected by war, natural disaster or disuse. These neglected places, while often having a negative impact on the environment and surrounding community, are simultaneously part of our cultural heritage. To highlight the significance of these spaces, and the potential that they hold to become something more than a blight, we’ve gathered up a series of projects that illuminate how designers use unlikely opportunities to transform landscapes into spectacular spaces—all while preserving their historic and cultural meaning.
These 10 case studies showcase the creative approaches global city governments, preservationists, developers and the design community have taken to transform marginalized places into healthy and meaningful environments for everyone to enjoy. Photo by Kongjian Yu, Cao Yang.