A High Line for Mexico City

Architizer News

A High Line for Mexico City

August 22, 2011

When the second segment of the High Line Park was opened back in June, we noted the project’s success as urban renewal, while we were skeptical of its application across urban centers around the world. After all, Manhattan’s urban conditions are not the same as those of, say, Rotterdam, let alone Jerusalem, which are just some of the cities which have expressed interest in converting their own rusting infrastructure to parks. But such considerations fall under the weight of revenue–the High Line has generated upwards $2 billion in private investments. So it’s not much of a surprise that plans have been announced for a new elevated park to be constructed in Mexico City. Details after the jump!

The park will pass under two major traffic arteries, terminating at Chapultepec Forest, the city’s most expansive open space and most popular destination. It will act as a grand entrance to the park, the “arm of the forest”, and will include eating areas with picnic tables, recreation lawns, and clusters of exotic flora. If it sounds familiar, just look at the renderings, which bear more than a fleeting resemblance to the High Line’s trademark deck planks and mix of widening and narrowing paths.

The idea for the park was conceived by Daniel Escotto Sánchez, the general coordinator for the city’s Public Space Authority, after his recent visit to the High Line, which he called “a breath of fresh air.” He’s says that the $4.3 million project can be built from scratch within 4 months, with construction to begin at the end of the year. “Mexico City just needs – within so many streets, so many avenues – respite like this.”