New Members Expand the Reach and Expertise of the Network
New York, NY (February 6, 2023) ——The High Line Network today announces that it has welcomed ten new members into its community of nonprofit infrastructure reuse projects. Since its inception by the High Line in 2016, the Network has grown from an initial group of 19 projects now to 47, highlighting the growing sector of transforming underutilized and abandoned infrastructure into new urban landscapes that value public spaces. Redefining what parks can be, these hybrid spaces are also public squares, open-air museums, botanical gardens, social service organizations, walkways, transit corridors, and more. Members of the Network also commit to creating a world where people have access to vibrant public spaces that center local communities, build civic connections, support environmental resilience, and foster equitable community development.
The ten new members of the High Line Network are:
- Emerald Trail | Jacksonville, FL The Emerald Trail will connect 14 urban neighborhoods to each other, downtown, and the St. Johns River and includes the ecological restoration of two urban creeks, Hogans Creek and McCoys Creek.
- CityArchRiver | St. Louis, MO Gateway Arch Park Foundation is reimagining, connecting, enhancing, and transforming St Louis’s famous Arch and surrounding park for future generations, which includes Park Over the Highway and the renovation of the St. Louis Waterfront, and more.
- Englewood Agro-Eco District | Chicago, IL This future 2-mile linear park is transforming a vacated rail corridor into a naturalized space for residents to enjoy and use to connect deeper with nature. The Trail will also serve as a connector between Englewood’s growing network of urban farms and gardens to strengthen local food access, health and wellness, and employment within the neighborhood.
- Piers Park III | Boston, MA Drawing on more than a century of expertise in public open space management, The Trustees is transforming an abandoned pier adjacent to Piers Park and Piers Park II into an iconic new park, free and open to all, working closely with the community.
- Jacksonville Riverfront | Jacksonville, FL An emerging linear network of planned destination parks, trails, and green spaces along both banks of the St. Johns River, Jacksonville Riverfront is connecting new and existing residential, commercial, and institutional uses to active and vibrant greenspaces, parks, and bike and pedestrian pathways.
- Rock Island Bridge | Kansas City, KS Flying Truss is reclaiming the historic Rock Island Railroad Bridge as America’s first trailhead and entertainment district over a river.
- Southern Gateway Park | Dallas, TX This park will become the heartbeat of Southern Dallas, reconnecting historic Oak Cliff and igniting environmental, economic, and community revitalization.
- The Underdeck | Miami, FL A transformative mile-long linear public space due for completion in 2026, will build community, bridge neighborhoods and cultural assets in downtown Miami, and reconnect Overtown to the heart of downtown Miami.
- The RiverFront | Omaha, NE Founded in 2018, The RiverFront combines three parks in the heart of downtown Omaha into one identity. After undergoing renovations, the three parks now connect, serving as a gathering space between the historic Old Market and vibrant north downtown Omaha.
- Willamette Falls | Portland, OR The nation’s second largest waterfall is a place where multiple histories and cultures converge. The Willamette Falls Trust, an Oregon-based philanthropic-focused nonprofit and inter-tribal organization, is redefining how Indigenous communities can work with governments to preserve, restore, and advocate for sacred sites with shared histories.
“I’m excited to welcome these ten new members to the High Line Network because they represent some of the most exciting projects being developed right now in North America,” said Alan van Capelle, Executive Director of the High Line. “These new members are smart, creative and strategic and I look forward to working alongside each of them.”
These projects expand opportunities for knowledge and resource sharing among Network members, bringing in new voices and representation to the fold. They also amplify the Network’s reach among different cities and communities across North America. From an inter-tribal-led organization reusing an industrial site and waterfall, to an eco-district weaving communities through urban agriculture practices, creating new ways to promote peer-to-peer learning is a key aspect of the High Line Network’s impact.
“I’m thrilled that we’re able to bring this exceptional group of public space leaders into the High Line Network—they bring important new experiences to our peer learning community on what it means to embed equity in public spaces,” states Asima Jansveld, Managing Director of the High Line Network. “The Network will continue to support and challenge our members to drive actively towards dismantling the impacts of infrastructural racism in their communities.”
New members were selected through the Network’s second open call this winter, in response to a growing recognition of the infrastructure reuse field as a powerful tool for increasing public green spaces across urban cities. Infrastructure reuse projects can bring tremendous and much-needed social, health, environmental, and economic benefits, and new members were chosen based on their commitment to building the Network’s leadership to address these goals across North America.
The High Line Network provides both practical implementation support and inspiration for members to build these positive impacts for as many people as possible, especially longtime residents of their neighboring communities. As a program of the High Line, the Network remains grounded within its own infrastructure reuse project in New York City, committed to become a better civic connector for its own neighborhood.
For more information about the High Line Network, including a full list of all members, visit network.thehighline.org/projects/.
Support
The High Line Network is made possible by the founding support of The JPB Foundation. Other major support provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
About the High Line Network
Presented by the High Line, the High Line Network is a group of infrastructure reuse projects—and the people who help them come to life. As cities become denser and land for traditional parks becomes more scarce, residents are finding creative ways to bring greenspace to their neighborhoods. Projects in the High Line Network transform underutilized infrastructure into new urban landscapes. Redefining what a park can be, these hybrid spaces are also public squares, open-air museums, botanical gardens, social service organizations, walkways, transit corridors, and more.
For more information about the High Line Network, please visit network.thehighline.org.
About the High Line
The High Line is both a nonprofit organization and a public park on the West Side of
Manhattan. Through our work with communities on and off the High Line, we’re devoted to reimagining public spaces to create connected, healthy neighborhoods and cities.
Built on a historic, elevated rail line, the High Line was always intended to be more than a park. You can walk through the gardens, view art, experience a performance, enjoy food or beverage, or connect with friends and neighbors—–all while enjoying a unique perspective of New York City.
Nearly 100% of our annual budget comes through donations. The High Line is owned by the City of New York and we operate under a license agreement with NYC Parks.
For more information, visit thehighline.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Media Contact
Janelle Grace | High Line | 646.774.2536 | janelle.grace@thehighline.org