La Low Line
Della High Line vi ho gia’ parlato un paio di volte: e’ quel parco sopra elevato costruito sul percorso della vecchia ferrovia per cui impazziscono tutti i turisti…e i New Yorkesi anche di piu’.
Sono passati solo un paio d’anni da quando ha aperto ma il successo e’ stato tale che ha gia’ ispirato un nuovo progetto: la Delancey Underground...o, come e’ stata subito ribattezzata, la Low Line.
Questa volta non si tratta di un parco sopra-elevato ma di un parco sotterraneo che dovrebbe estendersi su una superficie di 2 acri nel (o dovrei dire sotto) il LES in un’area che adesso e’ occupata da un terminale della metropolitana dismesso da decenni. L’idea figa e’ quella di catturare la luce solare in superficie con dei pannelli e diffonderla sotto terra per mezzo di una rete di fibre ottiche con un processo che rende possibile la fotosintesi e la crescita delle piante.
La Low Line, per ora, e’ ancora allo stadio di idea ed e’ alla ricerca di permessi e finanziatori…ma se conosco un po’ i New Yorkesi (e il rendering qui sotto e’ un minimo realistico) tempo un paio d’anni e le passeggiate si andranno a fare 10m sotto terra
OGGI
DOMANI (forse)
The LowLine Is The Coolest Kickstarter Project Ever
By Will Wei
New York’s already got one cool urban park in the High Line, and Governor Cuomo has been flirting with the idea of converting the three-mile long Tappan Zee Bridge into a concrete park over the Hudson River.
Next up could be something called the Delancey Underground, aka the LowLine — an underground park where real grass and trees are able to grow and thrive despite the lack of natural sunlight.
The folks behind the project, architect James Ramsey and ex-Googler Dan Barasch, want to convert an abandoned trolley terminal under Delancey Street near the Williamsburg Bridge into a year-round public space. To support plant life, they came up with a system that uses fiber optic cables to gather natural sunlight, concentrate it, and reflect the light below ground. Here’s how it works, as explained on the Delancey Underground website:
Solar collectors placed at street level collect sunlight throughout the day, and that light is then reflected below ground. While the light emitted below ground does not emit the ultraviolet rays harmful to skin, it does distribute the light wavelengths supporting photosynthesis – enabling plants, trees, and grasses to grow.
Ramsey and Barasch have an initial prototype of their light irrigation system, but they’re still in the process of convincing the public, city government, MTA, and potential funders to give them the green light on the LowLine project.
That’s where the Kickstarter funding comes into play. The Delancey Underground needs $100,000 to “build a full-scale installation,” or a “mini-LowLine,” to prove that the lighting system works. As of this posting, the LowLine Kickstarter project has just over $41,000 pledged, but if it doesn’t meet its $100,000 goal by April 6th, Ramsey and Barasch won’t see any of that money.
Keep in mind, though, that their Kickstarter was only launched several days ago, and that they’re already nearing the halfway mark of their goal. So, it’s pretty much a given that they’ll reach their $100,000 goal. The only question, then, is how much more money will the LowLine project have by its deadline?
Plus, if you pledge $10,000 or more, you’ll be cooked a gourmet dinner by Delancey Underground co-founder James Ramsey, who’s also apparently a chef. If the guy can transfer sunlight using fiber optics, imagine what he can do with a skillet.
