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Saturday, October 22, 2011

Mission Possible

Visualize it and It will Happen!

Here are the renderings from Urban Design Week. I’m not sure why they didn't call it the Queens Highline, but these sketches look pretty good and incorporated most of the ideas desired. I wish we had an opportunity to communicate with the designers and architects who worked on our ideas.



South Queens GREENway by Jennifer Cromie / Newtownards, UK
















Rockaway Greenway Queens by Achva Benzinberg Stein / New York, NY: http://www.urbandesignweek.org/1987893/






And then I was asked to speak...



Queens Museum of Art had a presentation of five of the best ideas & designs that address urban challenges relevant to both New York City & Detroit through the By the City / For the City project which invited architects, planners, artists, designers, and students around the world to participate in a collaborative re-imagining of New York City’s public realm on Sunday, Sept 18th: By the City / For the City QNS - An Urban Design Week Event

I was asked to speak for a few minutes and make a case for creating public spaces in unusual places. I gave a 5 minute presentation which I won't post right now as I'm adding charts and facts as I gather more pertinent information, especially focusing on the historical preservation, the value to the community and the need for such a space in Central to South Queens to create more awareness as to why restoration is essential and to build interest in this valuable space sooner rather than later.

What do you think of the renderings?

13 comments:

  1. Great post and blog, Anandi! Good luck on that presentation :)

    Alyssa

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  2. This looks wonderful! Great work, Anandi!

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  3. Viva South Queens! Would love to see this happen. Perfect, visit the park then visit the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. ~Nena

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  4. This idea is so important and so beneficial for Queens. It can improve the surrounding areas drastically. I'm totally with you on this and I wish you all the best!

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  5. There is another web site that I CANNOT seem to remember. Anne Guiney mentioned it at the Urban Design Week launch party last month. It is similar to the For the City/By the City site but i tink it is a municipal or national site that documents urban design/planning ideas, brings together different stakeholders and documents the progress made towards achieving the project as well as helps identify funding and political issues and opportunities. Anyone have any iodea what the name of this site is?

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  6. This is an excellent project, which is truly a pathway (couldn't resist) to a more sustainable urban landscape. There are physical and psychological benefits here that are difficult to quantify, yet are immense. Thanks for bringing this blog to our attention Anandi!

    The Sustainable-Earth-Adventures.com Team

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  7. i love the renderings 'nandi. It is unthinkable that this might not become reality if people don't work together to make this happen. you mentioned prior plans for development being failures because of "exclusivity" and i said on FB:

    what's with the exclusivity??? that will defeat the purpose everytime 'nandi!

    The word "community" is derived from the Old French communité which is derived from the Latin communitas (cum, "with/together" + munus, "gift"), a broad term for fellowship or organized society. - from wiki-

    -- in essence the green space should be your community's gift to each other... a way for you to connect and to belong. TO TURN THE RENDERINGS INTO REALITY WILL BE THE BEST GIFT EVER!!!

    I wish you the best and I hope all will work together for you and your friends!!!

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  8. Anandi you said your, "not sure why they didn't call it the Queens Highline" but I thinkit is a good thing they didn't. Although I love the Highline (in Chelsea, Manhattan) I think it would be somewhat of a folly to deem this simpley the "Queens Highline" I don't mean to sound overly critical but I have recently decided to take a more critical stance, especially on things I want to succeed. So that said, and I know you've already got the domain name, the Queens Highline will perpetually draw comparisons to The Highline Park, I think this is doubious because you/we are not trying to create another Highline in Queens necessarily. There will probably be no big name architects or landscape architects on the projects (I would argue that there should be) there will probably not be a "construction phase" with many contractors swarming the site and transforming it (again there shouldn't be). Some people, hearing the name "Highline" in Queens will expect these sorts of things and the immediate, high design, built by others type of park that is The Highline. Queens is different from Manhattan. There are less out of towners, there is less money, I would argue there are more "full-time" residents and from that stronger community follows (theoretically at least). I think I see your vision and it is of a slow evolution, designed and built by and for the neighborhoods and communities the abandoned rail exists in. This would (& should) be a far cry from the Highline, and naming it such would confuse the matter. Before I start offering alternatives (& I've got a few) or suggesting a public naming competition (like the one recently held for the new green space in Queensboro Plaza) I'd like to hear what you think about "Queens Highline" and the issues I've outlined above.

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  9. Come on people!!! make this happen! We need to see some positivity!!! This is your chance to make something beautiful!!!

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  10. We spoke of this before...but in that area..there really isnt any places to lounge outside...a place that is open to all races, nationalities, faiths ect..This ..I imagine is and will be the definition of a public space....nice benches...bike ways...organic garden possibly...an area where there are unlimited photographic opportunities...scenes for movies....outdoor public theatre maybe...endless possibilities...

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  11. The renderings are beautiful! What a wonderful mission!

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  12. Awesome Anandi, this is stupendous!

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  13. Awesome Anandi! What a brilliant idea! Giving Queens a new prospective on the quality of their lives..

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