Chicago to Build an Elevated Park Following the New-York Example
Chicago City officials recently unveiled the proposed concepts for the long-delayed Bloomingdale Trail, a proposed park and multiuse path of nearly three miles that would be built atop a dormant elevated railroad line on the city's Northwest Side. It also would help connect other parks throughout the area, reported the Chicago Tribune.
As reported The inhabitat, the Bloomingdale rail line once served as an important transport corridor, but was then abandoned in the early 1990s. Since the late '90s, the idea has been floating around to convert the elevated rail line into a public park. The Bloomingdale Trail and Park has been in the works for many years now, but significant progress has recently been made.
Designed by ARUP, with the help of Ross Barney Architects and Michael van Valkenburgh Associates, the elevated trail and park will be 4.3 kilometers long and will feature bike and pedestrian paths. The gently curving and undulating trail will allow bikers to go up to 32 kmph, and there will be separate paths available for pedestrians. What is not used by paths will be available for public art, lighting, play areas, seating, and vegetation. The landscaping will encourage new wildlife to converge in the city and will contribute to an improved environmental quality.
The path would be at least 3 meters wide, with 0.6 meters of clearance on each side for a total of 4.2 meters. About 1.9 kilometers of the trial would have a separate pedestrian path that would run parallel to the multiuse path. Visitors would reach the trail, now raised about 4.6 meters above street level, from eight access points. The design team is proposing 8 access points along the path spaced at about 800 meters apart. In the beginning, the rail line was built to keep people off of it, but now the line will encourage access via sloping parks.
The multiphase project is expected to cost about US$ 70 million, when it's all said and done, but the first phase should cost about US$ 46 million. To date the city has collected US$ 37 million in federal anti-congestion and air-quality funding and US$ 7 million more was just donated through private funding. The design team is still working out the details, especially with regards to privacy for neighbors of the park and safety issues, but they hope to begin construction in 2013 with parts of the park open by 2014.
For Bloomingdale Trail project as a starting point served the famous suspension park High Line in New York. This band of flowers, trees, shrubs, viewing platforms and walkways were built on the basis of the long abandoned "suspension" railroad. On April 10, 2006, Mayor Bloomberg presided over a ceremony that marked the beginning of construction. The park was designed by the James Corner's New York-based landscape architecture firm Field Operations and architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, with planting design from Piet Oudolf of the Netherlands and engineering design by Buro Happold.
The park was so attractive, that in 2010 was decided to increase its length by half. In 2011 this idea was brought to life. On March 12, was unveiled the initial design concepts for the rail yards section of the High Line. Friends of the High Line released the initial design plans for the third and final section of the High Line at the Hudson Rail Yards. The renderings from architects James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro are available on the High Line's website (and our photo gallery!), and they show the final section of the elevated park incorporating familiar elements, as well as several brand new features. The design will be closely integrated to the massive Hudson Yards development.
The newly revealed renderings show the architects' initial visions for the final section of the High Line, but the details are not finalized The third section's total cost will be about US$ 90 million (which comes from donors, not the city's pockets), and it will be open to the public by spring 2014.
As reported The inhabitat, the Bloomingdale rail line once served as an important transport corridor, but was then abandoned in the early 1990s. Since the late '90s, the idea has been floating around to convert the elevated rail line into a public park. The Bloomingdale Trail and Park has been in the works for many years now, but significant progress has recently been made.
Designed by ARUP, with the help of Ross Barney Architects and Michael van Valkenburgh Associates, the elevated trail and park will be 4.3 kilometers long and will feature bike and pedestrian paths. The gently curving and undulating trail will allow bikers to go up to 32 kmph, and there will be separate paths available for pedestrians. What is not used by paths will be available for public art, lighting, play areas, seating, and vegetation. The landscaping will encourage new wildlife to converge in the city and will contribute to an improved environmental quality.
The path would be at least 3 meters wide, with 0.6 meters of clearance on each side for a total of 4.2 meters. About 1.9 kilometers of the trial would have a separate pedestrian path that would run parallel to the multiuse path. Visitors would reach the trail, now raised about 4.6 meters above street level, from eight access points. The design team is proposing 8 access points along the path spaced at about 800 meters apart. In the beginning, the rail line was built to keep people off of it, but now the line will encourage access via sloping parks.
The multiphase project is expected to cost about US$ 70 million, when it's all said and done, but the first phase should cost about US$ 46 million. To date the city has collected US$ 37 million in federal anti-congestion and air-quality funding and US$ 7 million more was just donated through private funding. The design team is still working out the details, especially with regards to privacy for neighbors of the park and safety issues, but they hope to begin construction in 2013 with parts of the park open by 2014.
For Bloomingdale Trail project as a starting point served the famous suspension park High Line in New York. This band of flowers, trees, shrubs, viewing platforms and walkways were built on the basis of the long abandoned "suspension" railroad. On April 10, 2006, Mayor Bloomberg presided over a ceremony that marked the beginning of construction. The park was designed by the James Corner's New York-based landscape architecture firm Field Operations and architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, with planting design from Piet Oudolf of the Netherlands and engineering design by Buro Happold.
The park was so attractive, that in 2010 was decided to increase its length by half. In 2011 this idea was brought to life. On March 12, was unveiled the initial design concepts for the rail yards section of the High Line. Friends of the High Line released the initial design plans for the third and final section of the High Line at the Hudson Rail Yards. The renderings from architects James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro are available on the High Line's website (and our photo gallery!), and they show the final section of the elevated park incorporating familiar elements, as well as several brand new features. The design will be closely integrated to the massive Hudson Yards development.
The newly revealed renderings show the architects' initial visions for the final section of the High Line, but the details are not finalized The third section's total cost will be about US$ 90 million (which comes from donors, not the city's pockets), and it will be open to the public by spring 2014.
