
London's Answer to New York's High Line? You Must Be Joking - edward
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/jul/10/tide-elevated-walkway-greenwich-peninsula-london-new-york-high-line
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blakesterz
That's pretty interesting. Has anyone else walked it? Is it really that bad?

I remember thinking The High Line was the dumbest idea ever, and then I walked
it. It's really interesting, way more fun than you'd guess a 40ft wide park
would be.

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esotericn
I mean, for one, the High Line is actually in Manhattan, whereas this thing I
hadn't even heard of is out in Greenwich.

And not even the lovely Greenwich Village, but the newbuild soulless
peninsula.

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thawaway1837
What makes the HighLine great is that it was a repurposed abandoned railway
track. Much of its value comes not from its actual form and structure but from
the fact that they made something out of junk.

The efforts to recreate a High Line from scratch defeats the entire purpose.
As great as the High Line is, you can do much better if you’re creating
something completely new.

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erentz
And that this “junk” abandoned space had become overgrown with vegetation,
supporting wildlife already, which inspired the whole idea IIRC.

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Dirlewanger
Really depressing to read. I can't help but arrive at the cynical conclusion
that cities will just continue to be converted into soulless "junkyards of
half-baked ideas and botched plans" as the article describes. Why can't cities
issue public contests for plans and let anyone submit designs? Slightly
related: probably the most famous example of this in the US is the Vietnamese
student that designed the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. Many people _hated_ it
at first (especially veterans), but now it's one of the most unique and lauded
war memorials in the world.

We need more of that in urban planning, not development firms half a world
away designing them.

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jessaustin
Maya Lin is an American of Chinese descent.

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mmusc
London has already several hidden paths that follow ancient streams and old
railway tracks. They aren't as famous so stumbling on these hidden gems are a
real treat.

Having to create a new artificial one defeats the purpose..

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kbob
Is the High Line a question that needs answering?

The one time I visited it, it was crowded shoulder-to-shoulder, and getting
through the people was distracting enough that I barely saw the scenery.

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ng12
You have to go off-hours. It's really nice late night on a weekday.

That said -- that's why it needs answering. It's a walking path that's proven
incredibly popular among both New Yorkers and tourists.

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SideburnsOfDoom
FYI, there is also a plan for something high-line like in the area of Kings
Cross to Camden in London, also on disused elevated railway tracks.

It seems to be about half as long as the NYC High line though.

[https://www.camdenhighline.com/](https://www.camdenhighline.com/)

