The Manhattan High Line started as an elevated freight railway in the 1930s. After falling into disuse in the 1980s, two local residents fought to transform it into a public park. They founded Friends of the High Line to advocate for preservation and redevelopment. After overcoming political and legal hurdles, the group secured funding and support. Construction began in 2005 and the first section of the High Line park opened in 2009, now receiving over 4 million visitors annually.

1. The Project Management of
The Manhattan High Line
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2. The Manhattan High
Line started its life as
an elevated industrial
freight-railway that ran
directly through
various factories in
Manhattan’s West
Side.
In 2009 after nearly
30 years of neglect
and disuse it
reopened as a linear
park that sits 30 feet
in the air.
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3. 3

4. “6.7 acres of public space in a city where parks are lacking in number.”
(Schneider 2007)
4

5. The last train ran on
the High Line in
1980 and up until
redevelopment
began in 2006
naturally seeded
shrubs, grasses and
flowers grew out of
the ballast..
Some locals felt
that the High Line
was a valuable part
of Manhattan’s
history, others felt
it was holding up
economic
development.
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6. The High Line came under threat of demolition
from Mayor Giuliani’s administration.
Two local residents Joshua David
and Robert Hammond took up
the challenge of saving the High.
Line.
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7. AIMS–
To tell the story of the High Line from the mid
eighteen hundreds until the present day.
To explain how the High Line made the transition
from a rail line to a park.
To discuss the problems encountered and the
solutions found.
To evaluate the leadership, the management of
resources and the success of the final product.
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8. WEST SIDE FREIGHT LINE
Manhattan’s waterfront along the Hudson River had become highly
industrialised and in 1847 the City of New York authorised street
level railroad tracks to run down Manhattan’s West Side.
8

9. THE WEST SIDE COWBOYS
By 1920 at grade
crossings had caused
so many accidents
and deaths that men
on horseback were
hired to ride ahead of
trains waving red
flags to warn
pedestrians.
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10. THE ELEVATED WEST SIDE FREIGHT LINE
1927- Proposals are made for an
elevated rail line to remove freight
trains from New York City’s streets.
1931- Construction begins on the
elevated section of the West Side
Freight Line.
1933- The first train runs on the
High Line.
10

11. 1960 - The demand for freight train
services decreases, due in part to the new
interstate highway system allowing an
increase in freight truck usage.
1980 – The final
train runs on the High
Line, reportedly
carrying three box-cars
full of frozen turkeys.
11

12. 12

13. David and Hammond
met in 1999 at a
community board
meeting which had been
held to discuss the future
of the High Line.
At this meeting CSX
Transportation (owners of
the structure) introduced
the idea of creating a trail.
Realising that they were
the only people interested
in saving the High Line
they decided to join
forces.
13

14. Neither David or Hammond had any
experience in preservation, architecture,
horticulture or working with the
community or The City.
Phil Aarons (principle of a local real
estate firm )was one of their early allies.
Aarons organised and paid for the group
to become legally incorporated as a nonprofit.
14

15. The first challenge faced by
Friends of the High Line gaining
getting support.
A brochure was designed and
Hammond persuaded a business
contact to design a logo for free.
The printing of the brochure was
directly funded by donations from
the community.
15

16. CSX allowed Friends of the High
Line to bring potential supporters
up onto the High Line.
This trick helped to gain the
support of City Council members
Christine Quinn and Gifford Miller.
The Municipal Art Society, the
Design Trust for Public Space and
three local art galleries also pledged
support.
16

17. The Chelsea Property Owners were the biggest opposition that
Friends of the High Line had other than the Giuliani administration.
In 1992 they successfully petitioned for a Conditional Abandonment
Order from the Surface Transportation Board.
While the Conditional Abandonment Order was in place the Surface
Transportation Board would not issue a Certificate of Interim Trail
Use.
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18. There were numerous groups with interests in the High Line.
CSX Transportation
The owners of the underlying land
The local community
The city government
The federal government
A strategy was formed to
legally oppose demolition
until Giuliani term-limited
out at the end of the year.
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19. At the start of 2002 Michael Bloomberg was
elected as mayor, Gifford Miller was elected
speaker of the City Council and Amanda
Burden was appointed as Bloomberg’s
Planning Chair.
An economic feasibility study
requested by Bloomberg predicted an
additional $75 million in revenue
over 20 years.
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20. ROUTE MAP
Re-zoning of High Line District and transfer of development rights
Property owners remove objections
Certificate of Interim Trail Use
Ownership transferred to City
High Line Rail Banked
20

21. RAISE PROFILE – RAISE FUNDS
Lobbyist hired in Washington
Full time fund raiser hired
$15.75 million given by City Council
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22. WINNING DESIGN
4 teams paid to develop ideas.
The winning design incorporated a
lot of the original flora and the
tracks.
Revealing the structure.
“The design consistently blurs the
line between nature and
architecture.”
(Schneider 2007)
22

23. In 2005 rezoning was completed, the property owners
withdrew their objections, a Certificate of Interim Trail
Use was issued and a trail use agreement was negotiated.
The City Council raised their funding to $61 million.
$18 million federal funding was also secured.
A corporate funding scheme was organised.
Roughly $50 million was also given in private donations.
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24. In February 2005 with
community and government
backing and millions of dollars
of funding in place construction
began on the High Line.
Section 1 opened 4 years
later.
In the first 2 years more
than 4 million people
visited.
There are around 300
events scheduled on the
high line each year.
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25. HURDLES
STRENGTHS
Community .opposition
Resource management
Political opposition
The ability to inspire
.people
Lack of expertise
Funding
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26. THE END
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