Lowline (park) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lowline |
|
|---|---|
Artist's concept of the proposed park design
|
|
| Type | Subterranean urban park |
| Location | Manhattan, New York City (adjacent to Essex Street station) |
| Created | 2021 (planned) |
| Status | On hold |
| Website | http://thelowline.org/ |
The Lowline, also known as the Delancey Underground, is a super cool idea for a park. It's planned to be the world's first underground park! This park will be in Manhattan, a part of New York City.
It's located beneath Delancey Street on the Lower East Side. The space used to be an old trolley terminal. Building the Lowline started in 2019, but it's currently on hold. This is because they need more money to finish it. The name "Lowline" reminds people of the famous High Line park, which is an elevated park built on old railway tracks.
Contents
What is the Lowline?
The Lowline is designed to be a park built completely underground. Imagine a park with trees and grass, but instead of being outside, it's under the city streets!
The people behind the Lowline, James Ramsey and Dan Barasch, came up with a clever way to get sunlight underground. They plan to use "remote skylights." These are special devices that collect natural light above ground. Then, they direct this light down into the park space below.
This means real plants can grow even without being directly under the sun. On cloudy days or at night, extra artificial lights would help keep the park bright. The underground area is quite large, with ceilings about 20 feet (6 meters) high. It stretches for three city blocks. This space was once used for streetcars that crossed the Williamsburg Bridge until 1948.
How the Lowline Idea Started
The large underground area has been empty for over 60 years. James Ramsey, an architectural designer, was inspired by the High Line park. He thought, "Why not an underground park?" He started working on the technology needed for this project in 2009 with Dan Barasch.
They first shared their idea with the public in 2011. Many people became very excited about it! In 2012, they raised over $150,000 from more than 3,300 supporters on Kickstarter. This money helped them create a small test version of their solar lighting system.
Community Support
Many important people and groups have supported the Lowline project. These include U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and local community groups. They believe the Lowline would be a great addition to the city.
The project team also worked with experts to figure out how much the park would cost. They also planned how it would make money in the long run. The Lowline was even featured in Time magazine as one of the best inventions of 2015!
The Lowline Lab
To show people what the Lowline could be like, a special place called the Lowline Lab opened in October 2015. It was a test site, located a few blocks from the actual proposed park.
The Lab used the same sunlight-directing technology planned for the real Lowline. It showed how plants could grow in a simulated underground environment. The Lab had over 70 different kinds of plants and more than 3,000 plants in total. They grew using a mix of natural sunlight and artificial lights. The Lowline Lab was open to the public until February 2017.
Park Approval and Pause
The city approved the Lowline project to develop the old trolley terminal. The land for the park will be bought by the city from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The park's design will also fit in with a nearby development called Essex Crossing.
Building the Lowline depends on getting money from private donations and public support. As of 2019, construction was underway, and the park was expected to open in 2021. However, in February 2020, the project was put on hold. This happened because they couldn't raise enough money to continue building.
