If you have, and if you remember it, it is a sort of elevated, above ground urban park that used to be a railway track.
Something similar is being created here in London and it is called the Camden Highline.
The London version would run from Camden to King's Cross.
Like the New York High Line the railway line would be an abandoned one, nature would be left to do what nature normally does - grow everywhere.
And the walk would offer some greenery in this area that doesn't have much.
But unlike New York's High Line, Camden's would have a still-functioning railway line next to it.
Fortunately, these are not high-speed trains that could sweep us away, but a slow line and therefore slow passing trains could increase the atmosphere of the walk.
It seems that the inhabitants of the area are very happy with the idea and therefore we can hope to see it within a few years, by 2024 it seems.
The Camden council would also see economic benefits from it, the line could become a tourist attraction and attract more people to the area.
The works on the brand-new Camden Highline are proceeding at full speed and for those who do not live in London and are unfamiliar with this project that will enrich the panorama of London, this is an architectural renovation of a railway viaduct in an elevated park (about 8 meters above the ground) which will be totally walkable and will become a pedestrian area.
The project is currently involving and employing thousands of people and, once completed, it will benefit entire neighbourhoods.
People living nearby (and we are talking about populous neighbourhoods) will find themselves near their homes a green space of a considerable size, where to enjoy nature, where to relax and where to sit and enjoy a coffee in a panoramic café or attend artistic performances or get involved in solidarity activities “above” London.
The urban redevelopment operation is the result of the work and joint pressure of thousands of residents and merchants who pushed and financed the project.
It is no coincidence that the Highline is also seen by those directly concerned as a way to connect the different neighbourhoods more closely, creating a greater sense of community.
The association that is in charge of the project, the Camden Highline Charity, has launched a competition giving away a money prize for the team that had come up with the most compelling and interesting design for the viaduct.
Among the projects presented, they chose the one that focused most on the concepts of sustainability, accessibility and innovation.
And this is precisely the connection with New York.
The founder of the eponymous architectural studio also designed the NYC Highline, which is one of the primary sources of inspiration for the inhabitants of Camden.
In any case, the winners of the project, who in any case will always collaborate with local authorities and associations to respect their wishes and needs, have made it clear that the two projects have only a few points in common, the London one being totally new.
The Highline will be just minutes away from the Camden Town Underground station and from the Camden Market and the park will be surrounded by roads, but thanks to the new crossings it will be much easier to arrive there using public transport.
The route then will proceed towards Camden Road and this is the widest section as it includes the empty platform of the nearby station, Camden Road Station.
It will be an ideal place, therefore, for community activities, in view of a probable connection between the Highline and the platform.
It seems we will have to wait until 2024, the year in which the first section of the beautiful city park should be inaugurated, to see exactly the layout and how it will look like.
For sure it will be amazing and a place of great leisure and relaxation.
It will probably have a bicycle lane too and it seems it will be connected to the nearby canals too.
Camden - nearby canals
