An op-ed by Kerri Culhane, associate director of Two Bridges Neighborhood Council, asks "what is the Lowline, and who is it for?"
Culhane's op-ed argues against the Lowline from every possible angle. (The Lowline is a high profile, proposed repurposing of the former Delancey Street trolley terminal on the Lower East Side of New York City into a subterranean park.) Some of the op-ed's strong comments (among many):
- "As the Lowline juggernaut gains more high-profile supporters, it should strike anyone that there has never really been a meaningful community vetting of the proposed use for the MTA trolley turnaround. Two Bridges has suggested to our elected officials and the community board that the space be assessed as a potential bus terminal; but without celebrity support, our proposal has fallen on deaf ears."
- "If the $70 million estimated cost of the Lowline were spread out among our existing under-resourced local parks, the number of residents that could be served would far outstrip the number served by the Lowline."
- "The High Line has much more than the Lowline ever could—namely seasonal variety and views—but both are implicitly designed to attract real estate investment and tourists. For local small businesses and low-income residents, the High Line has been a disaster."
FULL STORY: Op/Ed: Is the Lowline a “Community-Driven Park” or a Trojan Horse?
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research