There’s controversy in High Line Park and if you’ve walked the retrofitted railway, you may well have sat on the very issue. It’s the wood that the designers used for the benches, bleacher seating , and decking and it’s got the Rainforest Relief organization up in arms. Why? Because the Friends of the High Line, who are responsible for the new green space in New York, choose to use old-growth ipe wood from the rainforest instead of a local sustainably-grown wood, reclaimed wood, or recycled plastic lumber.

Rainforest Relief is criticizing the Friends of the High Line for choosing the ipe wood for aesthetic reasons, as the durability of ipe is matched and even exceeded by certain woods that are local to America (Friends of the High Line maintain that they chose ipe for its longevity), and for disregarding repeated calls from the organizations urging the park designers to opt for another wood, although the park designers did contact Rainforest Relief at point to inquire about the more-sustainable black lotus wood.With increasing demand for ipe wood estimated by some to deplete it completely in the next 8 years, Rainforest Relief is now calling on the Friends of the High Line to change their ways by using an alternative wood (whether it be sustainable domestic or recycled plastic) for the final sections of the park and by making a statement about the environmental reasons for doing so. Click here to read more

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Okay, so it may not be the high road, per se, but the High Line sky park that’s opening later this month in New York City is certainly an admirable development on behalf of the city (and those who advocated tirelessly for its creation). The strip of abandoned railway built in the 1930s will soon become a lush verdant walkway in the style of the rendering pictured above and akin to the Promenade Plantée in Paris.

In a city that’s got plenty of people but a shortage of space available for parks and other natural pursuits, the High Line’s conversion is a testament to how creative thinking and truly efficient space use can open up areas for green development (literally, in this case). By turning the rundown and decaying railway remnants into an expertly landscaped mile-and-a-half long park, New Yorkers will reap both the environmental benefits of more green space in a heavily urban area, but also the appeal—to both residents and tourists—of a better aesthetic. It’s a great example of the multi-layered benefits of retrofitting cities with eco-friendly factors in mind. Click here to read more

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