Urban Redevelopment

Perhaps the highways and bridges that fill many major cities could be put to better use. Such is the thinking behind MVRDV's One Green Mile, which turned a large disused area underneath an overpass in Mumbai into a greenery filled community space.

The iconic Lingotto factory in Turin, Italy, is a building beloved by architecture fans and petrol-heads alike. Previously home to Fiat's manufacturing and testing facilities, it has now begun a new chapter hosting a huge rooftop garden.

Space is always at a premium in major cities, but maybe we could address the issue by building on unused rooftops. To highlight this, MVRDV has constructed a raised walkway with a series of paths and exhibits above the streets of Rotterdam.

NYC's High Line elevated park has been such a success that it's been copied in a number of cities worldwide. Manchester, in England, is the latest, with plans underway to transform one of the city's former railway viaducts into a raised park.

New York City's High Line is slated to be expanded following an announcement by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The project aims to improve pedestrian access in the area and its first phase will reportedly cost roughly $60 million.

Sasaki has transformed a dilapidated airport runway in Shanghai, China, into a public park. The project retains elements of the original airport while integrating sustainable design like recycled materials and rainwater collection.

New York City's High Line elevated park proved such a good idea that it's since been replicated around the world, including Seoul's Seouullo and Sydney's Goods Line. Londoners will soon be able to enjoy something similar too, courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Neiheiser Argyros​.

It's always interesting to see how well fanciful renders translate into an actual project and the MVRDV-designed Seoullo 7017 Skygarden is no exception. Following the concept's unveiling a couple of years ago, the highway-turned-walkway/park has now opened to the public.

New York's developing Hudson Yards neighborhood, of which High Line at the Rail Yards is already a part, will soon be home to a new public space with a unique artwork. Vessel will comprise a 150-ft tall "geometric lattice of intersecting flights of stairs" designed for climbing and exploring.

New York's massively successful High Line has spawned several similar projects around the globe, but an even more unusual park could now be coming to the Big Apple. Following years of planning, the underground Lowline park has finally received a conditional thumbs-up from officials.

A new train station in the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung will be the centerpiece of a larger transport hub that will boast a huge swathe of new public space and knit together the local area. Kaohsiung Station will cover an area of 8.5 ha (21 ac) and boast a 35,000-sq m (376,700-sq ft) green canopy.

Cities everywhere are undergoing somewhat of a green renaissance, with public spaces and linear parks being built around existing infrastructure and buildings. In Düsseldorf, Germany, however, the buildings themselves are being greened, with hedged façades and a green roof that forms a park.