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The High Line–world’s most innovative urban park (so far)– opened last week in New York City. Betsy and I visited it today. It’s beautiful, functional, and inspiring.

The High Line was an overgrown and abandoned elevated railroad line slated for demolition in a decaying neighborhood. A couple of dreamers with no particular qualifications met at a public hearing and advanced the idea that it should become a new public park. Ten years later, it is so. (History, Design Slideshow, my photos)

We were impressed by a number of things.

The merging of old and new, industrial and natural. (right)

The success of the social design and the instant community (below; note the kid- and wheelchair-friendly bleachers)

And the unity-in-diversity of the vistas.

And above all the demonstration that regular people can turn radical visions into life-enhancing realities.

I found Thomas Frey of the Genessee Valley Land Trust (and former Monroe County Executive) watering a tree at a new park on the corner of Clifford and Conkey Streets. Adjacent to that park (he explained) runs the former track of a CSW Railroad Spur that went from the Power Plant in High Falls all the way up to the top of the Genessee River near Charlotte. Tom helped the City of Rochester obtain a $2 million grant that will turn that trackbed into a bike path in the next year!

Besides offering to help us advance the Rochester Greenway, Tom told me more than I could fully absorb about the history of the various rail lines that criss-crossed Rochester in the past and provides us with such interesting opportunities for the future. What I *was* able to absorb is now recorded on the google Earth map at http://RochesterGreenway.org (and above right).

The conversation will continue.

This blog chronicles the progress of the RochesterGreenway project.

Presumably you’ve already been to
http://RochesterGreenway.org?
If not go there! Then come back.

Today I initiated this blog, where you may find day by day updates on the project.

On the right you’ll find a clipping service, featuring items of interest (if you’re interested in this kind of thing) from around the web.

Co-editors, apply within!