1. The High Line
Urban Planning: City Hall
Erisa Gjinaj
Arts in NYC
10.23.12

2. Timeline
 The High Line project was first initiated through public support.
 After much debate, it gained city support on behalf of Friends of
the High Line (David & Hammond). City support – a City Council
resolution advocating for the High Line’s reuse in March 2002.
 October 2002: Studies are used to economically rationalize the
project. The intake of new tax revenue through the use of such
public space is shown to outweigh the cost of production.
 City policy is constructed to preserve the High Line. The City files
with the federal Surface Transportation Board for railbanking.

3. Timeline (Cont’d)
 Two years later, the State of New York, CSX Transportation, Inc.,
the City of New York, and the Surface Transportation Board jointly
file to railbank the High Line.
 June 2005: The Surface Transportation Board issues a Certificate of
Interim Trail Use for the High Line, enabling construction.
 November 2005: The City takes ownership of the High Line from
CSX Transportation, Inc. (as donated by the company).
 April 2006: The first phase of construction on Section 1 of the
High Line begins. The moment is celebrated with the lifting of a rail
track.

4. Government
 During the Giuliani Administration (1994-2001), the High
Line was destined for demolition.
 In 2002, the Bloomberg Administration backed the project,
requesting authorization from the United States Surface
Transportation Board to create a rail banked trail on the
site.
 As a result, the area had spurred residential and
commercial development, benefiting the city both
economically and culturally.

5. Funding
 Section 1 & 2: $152.3 million
 Design & Construction (opened area): $86.2 million
 Government Funding:
 City - $112.2 million
 Federal Government – $20.3 million
 State - $400,000
Remaining costs are covered by public and private
organizations.

6. Future
 September 20, 2012
 Mayor Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn,
and Friends of the High Line Co-Founders Joshua David and
Robert Hammond marked the start of construction on the third
and final section of the High Line.
 It is to be located between West 30th and West 34th Streets
(north and south), and 10th and 12th Avenues (east and west).
This extends a half mile beyond the current northern end of the
High Line.
 The extension is estimated to be $90 million and will occur in 3
phases (the first is projected to be open in 2014). It is to be
funded by public and private means.

7. The High Line is
property of the City
of New York and
under the jurisdiction
of the Department of
Parks & Recreation.

9. Sources
 http://www.thehighline.org/about/high-line-history
 http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.c09
35b9a57bb4ef3daf2f1c701c789a0/index.jsp?
pageID=mayor_press_release&catID=1194&doc_name
=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom
%2Fhtml%2F2012b%2Fpr275-
12.html&cc=unused1978&rc=1194&ndi=1
 http://www.thehighline.org/blog/2012/09/20/groundb
reaking-at-the-rail-yards
 http://www.nycedc.com/project/high-line