Many observers will compare future elevated parks to the High Line in New York City. As the first such green space to open in the U.S. — the Promenade plantée in Paris predates it by almost two decades — the High Line has set an inevitable, though perhaps unfair, standard. While the designers of the Bloomingdale Trail have said they will focus on transportation and neighborhood connectivity, the High Line functions primarily as a tourist destination and a magnet for investment. Indeed, $2 billion has reportedly gone into the surrounding West Side Manhattan area since the park opened in 2009.(via Photos: The Differing Destinies of Elevated Urban Parks – Next City)
