The High Line in Manhattan was an abandoned elevated railway that was reused as an urban renewal project. Built in the 1930s, it fell into disuse by the 1980s. In the 2000s, Friends of the High Line advocated to preserve and reuse the structure as a public park. The project transformed the area, increasing property values and catalyzing new development. It proved successful by using various funding mechanisms and zoning incentives to develop in stages while protecting the rail infrastructure under federal rail banking policies.

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URBAN RENEWAL CASE STUDIES
URBAN RENEWAL OF RAIL YARDS
A case study of High Line, New York
CONTEXT
The highline is an urban renewal scheme for the unused railway trail going through the city of
Manhattan , new york. Built it in 1930 as part of the west side improvement plan by Robert Moses , it
was used heavily till the 1960’s. by the 1980’s the plan to revive the rail system started and was
strongly advocated by friends of highline. It became a very successful project as an urban renewal
scheme as the ripples of the landscape project caused an increase in the real estate values. Thus it
caused a land use change in the area.
References
David 2002, reclaiming the high line, design trust for public space, New York
Gopnik Adam, A walk on the highline, The New Yorker, 21 may 2001
Jacobs Karrie, The new train of thought, New York magazine, 12 October 1988
Lobbia .J.A, One track mind, Village Voice, 21 January 2001
City zoning maps
www.wikipedia.com
www.standardhotel.com
www.backspace.com
CONTEXT MAP
Source: Google earth
Department of Urban Design
School of Planning and architecture, New Delhi

2. HIGHLINE, WEST MANHATTAN, NEW YORK HIGH LINE FACT SHEET
Source: Reclaiming the highline report
Source: Reclaiming the highline report
’ Source:architecturelab.net
’
Source: Reclaiming the highline report Source: freetoursbyfoot.com
03.1 URBAN RENEWAL OF RAIL YARDS- A case study of High Line, New York Anjith Augustine SPA UD I 587

3. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE ‘HIGHLINE’
1911- west side improvement trust
1999- CSX forms and assume control of conRail invites
1924- order to remove all on grade rail
proposals. Highline is formed
1925- Manhattan borough president Julius miller plan of double
2000- Two separate commissions to study as per the proposal
decker rail road. Later termed as the west side improvement
of FHL
plan
2001- Design trust for public space meet with CPO. ULURP filed
1926- by amendment 300 million dollar bonds for construction Four options considered are:
against CPO demolition
1927- exchange of real estate and easements between city and
Still CPO demolition talks are going on. If it happens easement Demolition and development
rail authority
rights will be diverted back to land owners. CEQR- (city Transit oriented reuse
1928- new york city grade crossing elimination act
environment quality review) to be done before doing so. Commercial reuse
1932- land below bought by railroad in 350 transactions
1934-60 – fully operational Open space reuse
1963- south block destroyed later Jane Jacobs initiated renewal
1976- ConRail formed. High line became their property URBAN DESIGN VISION
1983- Notice to insufficient running costs. 90 days to sell for
To tap the potential of the revelatory
govt purposes. 120 days to sell to any buyer. Congress pass movement of the rail near the yards by
national trails system act to protect the abandoned trails. from the open view of the rail yards
1989- Oblitz organization plans to buy it, but opposed by 20th to 26th – to be kept as a cultural
Source: Reclaiming the highline report
Chelsea Property Owners.(CPO) corridor
Built only on one side and keep the river
NEW EXTENSIONS PROPOSED FOR THE HIGHLINE EXPANSION side vacant
14th to 20th- passing through buildings,
provides opportunity for the owner to
start second layer of commercial like
Chelsea market
Source: curatormagazine.com
03.2 URBAN RENEWAL OF RAIL YARDS- A case study of High Line, New York
Source: Reclaiming the highline report
Anjith Augustine SPA UD I 587

4. EXISTING LAND USE
• Mi-5 landu se less intense manufacturing
and other land uses like housing and
community facilities max far-5
• Community facilities 6.5
• Mi-2 and m1-3 heavy manufacturing
• Art uses line the highline
• Pressure from land owners adjacent to
change the land use predominantly
manufacturing
Source: Reclaiming the highline report
Source: curatormagazine.com
PROPOSED LAND USE
• Allowed residential mix on the lower areas
• 11th street night clubs boon and bane in
disguise- hence controlled land use
modifications
• Glaesvroot to be preserved as heritage
03.3
Source: Reclaiming the highline report
URBAN RENEWAL OF RAIL YARDS- A case study of High Line, New York Anjith Augustine SPA UD I 587

5. PROPOSAL FOR RAIL YARDS MECHANISMS USED TO PROTECT
• Under the rail trail policy protecting abandoned rail lines by preserving it
without shutting the options for further development(Rail Banking)
DEVELOPMENT STAGES
• First stage- only making walk able, with certain necessary requirements and
maintenance. Project cost- 150 million dollar
• Second stage- inserting art related facilities, retail etc as the fund comes in
which provide eye on street
• Benefits- developments up to 2 billion dollar
• 29 new projects,2500 dwelling units,1000 hotel units,500000 sq.ft office space
• Third stage- rail yards re-development, construction of anchor buildings at the
edges of the high line. Estimated cost for rail yards 90 million dollar
Source: Reclaiming the highline report
FUNDING MECHANISMS ADOPTED
• Various stake holders to get the rail board permission like FHL, CSX, mixed use,
Olympic authority, convention center expansion, city, state authorities,
community, private owners
• Creation of various districts
• Zoning incentives for retaining and preserving district and TDR.
• Business improvement district( BID) which levy extra charges to be used for
development
• Tax increment financing( TIF) issues bonds for development in downtrodden
districts and cover taxes with extra revenue
• Transportation equity act which allows highways funds to be used for OTHER
MODES
Vision by Manhattan borough president • Congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program
Source: Reclaiming the highline report • Federal transportation bill 2003 many projects can be included in the project
head.
• Maintenance funds from BID and conservancy a non profit organization
• Botanical garden- authority found the place apt for the botanical garden
missing only in this borough.
LEARNINGS
• The possibility of using different rules regulations and acts which are efficient if
used properly to guide proper urban design efforts. India also has similar
varieties which can be put to use.
• Different funding mechanisms used where project is intelligently phased and
money is cashed in from different govt. sources like protection acts and rail
banks etc. Even in Indian context similar efforts are relevant given our multi
pronged development agencies and policies. It is the efficient way of utilizing
these resources that makes the project feasible.
• Development is an initiative backed by people who use the space. Thus it is
also understood that the brightest of ideas needs to be generated at the grass
root level.
VARIOUS PROPOSALS • Also the success of such small interventions leading to dramatic changes in the
• Extension of convention center urban fabric says that it is not always the scale of the input but the timing and
• Olympic center stadium approach that matters.
• • To tackle the various real estate stake holders is the trick to success.
03.4
Mixed use development
URBAN RENEWAL OF RAIL YARDS- A case study of High Line, New York Anjith Augustine SPA UD I 587