Urban Redevelopment
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A New York bridge that's been closed for over 40 years has been renovated and reopened. The High Bridge is a new pedestrian and cycle link between the Bronx and Manhattan. It is a public park space in itself and unites over 125 acres of green space for residents of both boroughs.
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A new public park and trail system will open in the US city of Chicago this weekend. The 606, so-called because of the Chicago ZIP code prefix, is built on the former route of the Bloomingdale Line railway track. Its centerpiece is a 2.7-mi (4.3 km) elevated recreation and cultural trail.
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Dutch architecture firm MVRDV has unveiled plans to transform a large stretch of unused raised highway in Seoul, South Korea, into a pedestrian-friendly space filled with greenery. The Seoul Skygarden is due for completion in 2017.
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JCFO, the company behind New York's High Line, has been selected to transform land below the city's Metrorail into a linear park and urban trail. The planned use of existing rail infrastructure for the Miami Underline mirrors its London namesake and the New York Lowline.
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Getting around the streets of any busy city can be slow and frustrating. One concept for making it easier in London, however, would see pedestrians and cyclists moved below the streets. The London Underline concept proposes using the city's disused tunnels used as a network of cycle and footpaths.
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Squeezing public spaces into cities that are increasingly built-up gets ever more difficult. One unusual solution is to build such spaces underground. That's the plan for New York's planned Lowline park, which will see an old trolley terminal renovated and illuminated with sunlight via fiberoptics.
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There have been a number of suggestions for redeveloping Battersea Power Station over the years, including adding a rollercoaster to it. Earlier this year, however, plans were released for its redevelopment as a new town center. Details of roof gardens for the site have now been revealed.
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Washington's 11th Street Bridge Park will be "a place of exchange" with programmed outdoor spaces and active zones. The design, by OMA and OLIN, was chosen after a seven-month competition to design the new civic space. It was chosen unanimously by the competition jury and topped the public poll.
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Friends of the QueensWay is looking to transform a portion of the abandoned Rockaway Rail Line into 3.5 mi (5.6 km) of recreational walking and biking trails.
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The third section of New York's iconic High Line was opened at the weekend. The High Line is a 1.45 mile (2.33 km) long public park created on an old raised rail freight line. Following the opening of the High Line at the Rail Yards, it now stretches from Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street.
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The Swedish firm White Arkitekter are the winners, with ARUP and Gensler, of an international competition to redevelop the area of Queens, New York, which was badly hit by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The new master plan addresses extreme weather, sustainability and social integration.