With travel restrictions requiring quarantines for many out-of-state visitors to New York City, the normal hordes of tourists on New York's High Line will be absent for months to come.
Washington Post columnist Adrian Higgins checks in the with the High Line in New York City, which has been vacated during the pandemic much like it was before its famous adaptive reuse and evolution into a tourism magnet and a controversial symbol of gentrification.
Now, with the city taking tentative steps to reopen and travel restrictions into New York in place, the High Line is likely to evolve again. Higgins writes:
In the interval between limited reopening and a world back to normal, whenever that may be, the High Line will become something closer to its original idea, a quirky postindustrial gift to the West Side. It may become for New Yorkers what the cultural treasures of Florence and Venice are now for their citizens: havens devoid of the hordes of out-of-towners.
According to Higgins, the Friends of the High Line is actively discussing how to implement and enforce social distancing on the eight-foot wide path, but no decisions have been made yet. It also "may take years for New York to return to the level of tourism — some 65 million visitors a year — it attained before the coronavirus crisis," according to Higgins.
FULL STORY: The High Line has been sidelined. When it reopens, New Yorkers may get the park they always wanted.
Debating the Legacy of the High Line
A new debate has emerged, starting from a source very close to the project, about the effects of the High Line in New York City.
Manhattan’s Population Is on the Rebound
After the ‘urban exodus’ brought on by the pandemic, most of New York City’s boroughs are regaining their population.
Winter Is Coming—Capitalize on It
Outdoor dining programs have provided relief for local restaurants and retailers, while offering an oasis of social life for residents. The winter months will challenge that momentum, but creative, flexible approaches can save the day again.
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Washington State Plans Ambitious ‘Cycle Highway’ Network
The state is directing funding to close gaps in its existing bike network and make long-distance trips more accessible.
Homeowners Blame PG&E for Delays in ADU Permits
The utility says it has dramatically reduced its backlog, but applicants say they still face months-long delays for approvals for new electrical work.
Rethinking Wildfire Defense: How a Landscape Approach Can Protect Neighborhoods
Post-fire analysis of the Eaton Fire reveals that a landscape approach — including fire-resistant vegetation, home hardening, and strategic planning — can help reduce wildfire risk, challenging assumptions that trees and plants are primary fire hazards.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland