A Historical Experiment in Manhattan; "High Line" Renovation, an Approach to Cityscape Continuity

The companionship of city structure and citizens is basically defined as city life. These two are not having the same Longevity as each other. Generations of each, experience a life part of other generation and live in a same time. This means, an age group of humans, live in a same time with a bunch of buildings and city elements which are alive in their age. After a while, the buildings and city elements, go rusty, get old, transform or turn to be having another function. On the other hand residents get replaced by their children or new immigrants. The relationship of these two interactive variables, initiate and improve city life. This relationship class and quality depends on citizen’s decision on this relationship condition and defines Landscape of the city. Many strategies on the relationship condition indicate that in a perfect way, it must have human cognition basis. There have always been controversial debates on "How is the relation between citizens and city structure supposed to be?" in urbanism history. This paper intends to analyze the strategies of decision making on these two variables by research on what happened to High Line Park as case study in Manhattan in New York history. The High Line, an elevated railroad track running up the West Side of Manhattan had stopped working. It was in despair due to exhaustion and inappropriate function but finally opened as a park. Today the elevated railroad track has transformed to a peaceful and quiet open space that inspires the city in an aesthetic view. In fact, the high line park is a unique way in managing and design the landscape that promotes the quality of the sidewalk and brings back life to Manhattan. Hypothesis: The companionship of city structure and buildings as well as citizens and the users of the buildings basically establish the city. Both the building and the people represent different identities in different parts of the city that transform through the time. Therefore, the disputable relationship between these two is occurred due to their interactive identities that are always variable. Indicating the relationship between these elements on the human cognition basis is a key to a successful city and it is considered as the main hypothesis in this paper.