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I don't think it's all that great an idea either, but I don't think anyone is talking about elevated sidewalks in rural areas that don't have sidewalks on the street.
Most people are against walking? Since when? Sure, you see a lot of people driving powered scooters, but since when is there an anti-walking lobby?
The guy contrasts the walking experience of the Highline versus walking on the Manhattan sidewalks below. There's no comparison. Gives you a good idea of the difference which is like night and day. The sheer amount of automobile traffic, the high speeds and the width of the streets below does not make for a pleasant walking experience, which explains why they appear devoid of pedestrians (while the Highline is jam-packed with people walking on it). You might as well be walking on the freeway. The Highline is a vast improvement from that.
Edit: Those streets don't look walkable at all. The area around the Highline looks kinda bleak. Who would want to walk there? A lot more people are driving than walking. Makes me think the walkability of NYC as a whole might be overrated.
Last edited by cisco kid; 11-12-2013 at 01:33 PM..
The guy contrasts the walking experience of the Highline versus walking on the Manhattan sidewalks below. There's no comparison. Gives you a good idea of the difference which is like night and day. The sheer amount of automobile traffic, the high speeds and the width of the streets below does not make for a pleasant walking experience, which explains why they appear devoid of pedestrians (while the Highline is jam-packed with people walking on it). You might as well be walking on the freeway. The Highline is a vast improvement from that.
Edit: Those streets don't look walkable at all. The area around the Highline looks kinda bleak. Who would want to walk there? A lot more people are driving than walking. Makes me think the walkability of NYC as a whole might be overrated.
More people driving than walking is unlikely. Remember cars also take up more space, so they stand out more.
I enjoyed a short walk around the High Line. [Was partly walking to find the entrance to the high line, and by the time I did I ran out of time]. Sure, the traffic noise is annoying but it was mostly interesting and definitely doesn't feel anywhere close to a freeway. Here some photos from that walk. Monster-size apartment building. One full block, at least 15 stories tall. "London Terrace Gardens"
A high rise housing project. It wishes you a happy Easter:
Cool spray paint mural (advertising for an auto body shop?)
Local Park.
Another one I didn't photograph was rather crowded, particularly sports courts (basketball, baseball, handball?)
Not surprising. The Highline has attracted many other development projects to the area since the video was made, and everything around there is starting to look better now. The domino effect, can revitalize a whole neighborhood.
Morristown TN built elevated sidewalks (balconies) connecting the 2nd floor of its downtown buildings in the 70s. That didn't stop the downtown decline so prevalent from that time but it is an interesting idea.
Elevated sidewalks (except where repurposed from other infrastructure) seems like a spectacularly dumb idea. Why replace one bit of incredibly expensive per-mile infrastructure that is mostly unproductive (multi-lane roads) with an equally expensive one? You can use that money for something more productive.
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