Urban landscapes are ever-changing due to population growth and the need for infrastructure development. By 2050, 68% of the global population will live in cities, or an additional 2.8 billion more people than today.
The consequences of the growing population in cities are evident. For instance, a study estimates that air pollution kills almost 9 million people yearly.
Green spaces such as lawns, parks, riparian strips, patches of bush, civic gardens, and roadside berms are gradually shrinking. These spaces are paved and built into buildings, residential areas, car parks, or road extensions. The increasing impact of climate change, environmental degradation from rapid urbanization, and the urban heat island (UHI) can make these green spaces more valuable than ever.
A growing body of research shows that we must let nature back in to cope with the adverse impacts of rapid urbanization and population growth.
Green spaces provide environmental services like filtering stormwater flows, absorbing excess runoff, and storing it underground, which can help prevent flooding.
They also cool the surroundings, hence combating the effects of climate change and the UHI effect. Plants and trees absorb carbon emissions while creating a natural environment that provides residents with recreational and social opportunities and spaces.
Studies have shown that access to green spaces enhances residents’ mental and physical health, including lowering blood pressure, promoting positive mood and creativity, and lowering anxiety, which are benefits of green spaces and parks.
According to Planetizen, gaps in green spaces and parks are noticeable in low-income and colored communities in urban and rural areas in the US. These communities have 40% less access to green spaces, which makes them more vulnerable to the effects of urbanization and climate change.
Given the escalating effects of urbanization and climate change, the question arises: How can cities effectively incorporate green spaces in dense and overcrowded areas? This is a challenge facing urban planners and policymakers to ensure a sustainable and livable future for our cities.
In the early 2000s, New York City took on the ambitious project of repurposing an abandoned 1.45-mile railway line in Manhattan, originally slated for demolition. The elevated railway, constructed in the 1930s, was revitalized into a stunning public park known as “The High Line,” which officially welcomed visitors in 2009.
This unique park boasts verdant vegetation strips and inviting lawns designed to foster natural growth and versatile pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. With strategically placed benches, visitors can pause and savor the picturesque cityscape, which includes sweeping views of the Hudson River (Cilento, 2009).
“The High Line” in New York City was celebrated for its recreation of the natural environment. It became an example of how other cities can transform derelict infrastructures like outdated railways, roadways, and industrial sites and spaces into green spaces and parks for the public to enjoy.
Other cities are quick to follow, but this time, they ensure that the transformation is equitable and accessible across the city’s various demographics, such as income and racial groups, and prevent the gentrification and subsequent displacement of low-income neighborhoods that ensues after development.
ArchDaily features the US cities influenced by the “High Line Effect,” transforming underutilized spaces into green spaces, public parks, and areas that help address past economic and social inequality disservices while promoting community connectivity and wellbeing. This includes:
- The Underline in Miami, Florida, wherein the city plans to transform the land below its Metrorail system into a 10-mile linear park and urban trail expected to be completed in 2026;
- The Buffalo Bayou in Houston transforming the once relegated drainage ditch into a much-need parkland with hike and bike trails for the community;
- Philadelphia’s Rail Park, a 3-mile linear rail park under completion that aims to connect its historically divided communities;
- Washington DC’s 11th Street Bridge Park. “The planned park will transform an obsolete freeway bridge into an elevated public space with gardens, performance venues, and recreational areas connecting the diverse neighborhoods of Capitol Hill and Anacostia” (Gattupalli, 2024).
Renovating and repurposing abandoned infrastructure in the United States can bring about a lot of benefits. It can help revitalize communities, promote sustainability, and improve the well-being of residents. At the same time, it can address the issues stemming from urbanization and climate change.
By creatively repurposing abandoned infrastructure, communities can unlock many opportunities for the city and its communities.
Sources:
Mair, C. (n.d.). City life: Why are green spaces important? Natural History Museum. Retrieved from https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/why-we-need-green-spaces-in-cities.html
Gattupalli, A. (2024, June 3). The High Line Effect: Transforming Abandoned Infrastructure in the United States. Arch Daily. Retrieved from https://www.archdaily.com/1017239/the-high-line-effect-transforming-abandoned-infrastructure-in-the-united-states
Cilento, K. (2009, June 9). The New York High Line officially open. Arch Daily. Retrieved from https://www.archdaily.com/24362/the-new-york-high-line-officially-open
Harding, T. (2022, May 19). Neighbourhood green space is in rapid decline, deepening both the climate and mental health crises. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/neighbourhood-green-space-is-in-rapid-decline-deepening-both-the-climate-and-mental-health-crises-183389
Richardson, M., Passmore, H., Lumber, R., Thomas, R., & Hunt, A. (2021, January 31). Moments, not minutes: The nature-wellbeing relationship. International Journal of Wellbeing. Retrieved from https://www.internationaljournalofwellbeing.org/index.php/ijow/article/view/1267
Ionescu, D. (2023, October 17). Parks Departments Try to Build New Green Spaces on Shrinking Budgets. Planetizen. Retrieved from https://www.planetizen.com/news/2023/10/126010-parks-departments-try-build-new-green-spaces-shrinking-budgets
Burnett, R., Chen, H., Szyszkowicz, M., Fann, N., Hubbell, B., Pope III, C. A., … & Spadaro, J. V. (2018). Global estimates of mortality associated with long-term exposure to outdoor fine particulate matter. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(38), 9592-9597.
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