High Line: The Inside Story of New York City’s Park in the Sky

High Line: The Inside Story of New York City’s Park in the Sky by J. David and R. Hammond.

More human drama than design document, the story behind the High Line – a historic railway track elevated above Manhattan’s West Side transformed into a new public park – is a tale of passion, dedication and community. The park is split into two parts and likewise, the book is divided into two sections. The front section chronicles the story of the fourteen-year-long project through interview-style content by its founders Joshua David and Robert Hammond, who met at a community meeting in 1999 and set up Friends of the High Line. The back section features images of High Line’s development, design, construction and events. The interview structure makes for incredibly engaging reading that is accessible to anyone, whether from a design background or otherwise. This seems fitting for the narrative of a project that was led by two people who had no prior planning or development experience. The spectacular success of the High Line reinforces what people can achieve if they set their hearts and minds to a task. High Line: The Inside Story of New York City’s Park in the Sky is inarguably inspiring, and a timely reminder of the incredible potential of design and community. It truly has something for everyone.

J. David and R. Hammond, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, paperback, 2011, 339 pages. RRP US$33.00.