HIGH (AND ACCESSIBLE) IN THE CITY
By Steve Wright
Also on the list was a visit to the High Line, an innovative urban park constructed along an abandoned elevated freight railway along Manhattan’s west side. When it opened in June 2009 we’d read so much about it in newspapers and on the Internet, lauded for its sustainable ethos of recycling an industrial eyesore into an urban oasis.
As proponents of responsible urban design, this really appealed to our sensibilities. That, and the fact that it was located in the most exciting city in the world where one could also find unique high end pop-up stores, gourmet grub sold from trendy trucks and art exhibitions unavailable to those of us who live outside the five boroughs.
Yet we remained skeptical about the quality of the wheelchair access. Would a wheeler be able to get to every level of the park? How would the vertical accessibility be provided to an outdoor facility? Would they use lifts exposed to the elements that would end up as non-functional, rusted out garbage pits within the first month or two? Would the pedestrian paths be smooth and stable throughout, or would we explore a portion of it, only to find wheelchair-unfriendly grass or gravel?
Wright has contributed stories about accessible architecture, urban travel and foreign adventure for more than a decade. Contact the Miami-based writer-photographer at stevewright64@yahoo.com
TOMORROW: Part 3
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