ABSTRACT
The High Line design as it exists today takes its cue from the way in which nature inevitably finds its way through the man-made environment. The design digitized the surface into discrete linear planks that were designated as either green or hardscape. This system made it possible to control a gradient from 100 percent solid hardscape to 100 percent solid landscape, or anywhere in between. This technique was called agri-tecture: part agriculture, part architecture. The development of a planking system was paralleled by efforts to catalog the myriad of plants on the High Line. Hudson River Park, running parallel to the High Line and along the edge of the Hudson River, facilitates fast-paced leisure activities bicycles, rollerblades, and the runner. The High Line was originally sold to the City's administration as a catalyst for economic development. Unplanned social adaptations of the High Line as public space have abounded.
