Comment 116151

By Noted (anonymous) | Posted January 19, 2016 at 11:20:39

I agree that the Claremont is a great canvas, and also that the success of any revisioning will rest upon budget, political will, focus and execution. It's a 2km stretch that could be impactful beyond its measure.

The High Line, while oft-invoked, is a good yardstick from a vision standpoint, though its particular ambitions were feasible because of a budget (around $100K/meter) in step with some of the world's most valuable real estate. It's also a curfewed space, which is probably not something that Hamilton would find palatable or practical, and a public park maintained by a nonprofit group (which raises 98% of its annual budget). It's also notable that the project was driven from the get-go by that nonprofit. It took several years before NYC bought in, and almost another decade before the ribbon was cut. Even with all the pieces in place, patience and purpose will be tested.

In the abstract, though, THL's mix of boulevard, art, green space and performance and its creative repurposing of infrastructure is a strong model to follow. As it has been. For example:

Chicago > bloomingdaletrail.org / the606.org
Philadelphia > therailpark.org / readingviaduct.org

Permalink | Context

Events Calendar

There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?

Recent Articles

Article Archives

Blog Archives

Site Tools

Feeds