The High Line Network today announces that it has welcomed 10 new members into its community of nonprofit infrastructure reuse projects, including The Trustees’ Piers Park III in East Boston, which is currently the only project in New England to earn this distinction.

Since its inception by the High Line in 2016, the Network has grown from an initial group of 19 projects now to 47, highlighting the growing sector of transforming underutilized and abandoned infrastructure into new urban landscapes that value public spaces. Redefining what parks can be, these hybrid spaces are also public squares, open-air museums, botanical gardens, social service organizations, walkways, transit corridors, and more. Members of the Network also commit to creating a world where people have access to vibrant public spaces that center local communities, build civic connections, support environmental resilience, and foster equitable community development.

“I’m excited to welcome these ten new members to the High Line Network because they represent some of the most exciting projects being developed right now in North America,” said Alan van Capelle, Executive Director of the High Line. “These new members are smart, creative and strategic and I look forward to working alongside each of them.”

Parks already represented in the Network include many that have inspired The Trustees in the vision for Piers Park III, including the High Line, the group’s namesake, in New York, NY, Waterfront Seattle in Seattle, WA, Gathering Place in Tulsa, OK, and more. The peer-to-peer exchange offered through membership in the High Line Network will build upon the One Waterfront team’s ability to understand best practices and deliver a park that centers the East Boston community and climate resiliency.

“The bold vision for Piers Park III is inspired in part, by many of our peers in the High Line Network. We are excited to be a part of this impressive group of leaders in infrastructure reuse,” said Nick Black, Managing Director for The Trustees Boston Waterfront Initiative. “Piers Park III will be the first project representing New England within the High Line Network, and we are excited for this opportunity to learn from our peers around the country, while offering valuable insights from our own experiences in East Boston building an accessible park on Boston’s waterfront.”

Piers Park III is currently in the community design phase, which began in early 2021. Recent community feedback led to a new design, with the update shared in community meetings November 2, 2022. The current design includes coastal community spaces, a salt marsh, a reclaimed rail line, a gravel beach, a coastal meadow, a tide pool, a fishing pier, and a kayak launch. This built on the previous draft, released to the public in February 2022. Construction on the park is expected to begin in 2024.

The One Waterfront Team partnered with Above Summit to create a 360 virtual tour of the current conditions of the Piers Park III site. To take a closer look at the future site of the park, click here. To learn more about the park, provide feedback, or see the timeline visit onewaterfront.org/feedback.

New members were selected through the Network’s second open call this winter, in response to a growing recognition of the infrastructure reuse field as a powerful tool for increasing public green spaces across urban cities. Infrastructure reuse projects can bring tremendous and much-needed social, health, environmental, and economic benefits, and new members were chosen based on their commitment to building the Network’s leadership to address these goals across North America.

The High Line Network provides both practical implementation support and inspiration for members to build these positive impacts for as many people as possible, especially longtime residents of their neighboring communities. As a program of the High Line, the Network remains grounded within its own infrastructure reuse project in New York City, committed to become a better civic connector for its own neighborhood.

The nine other new members of the High Line Network in addition to Piers Park III are:

• Emerald Trail | Jacksonville, FL The Emerald Trail will connect 14 urban
  neighborhoods to each other, downtown, and the St. Johns River and includes the ecological restoration of two urban creeks, Hogans Creek and McCoys Creek.
• CityArchRiver | St. Louis, MO Gateway Arch Park Foundation is reimagining, connecting, enhancing, and transforming St Louis’s famous Arch and surrounding park for future generations, which includes Park Over the Highway and the renovation of the St. Louis Waterfront, and more.
• Englewood Agro-Eco District | Chicago, IL This future 2-mile linear park is transforming a vacated rail corridor into a naturalized space for residents to enjoy and use to connect deeper with nature. The Trail will also serve as a connector between Englewood’s growing network of urban farms and gardens to strengthen local food access, health and wellness, and employment within the neighborhood.
• Jacksonville Riverfront | Jacksonville, FL An emerging linear network of planned destination parks, trails, and green spaces along both banks of the St. Johns River, Jacksonville Riverfront is connecting new and existing residential, commercial, and institutional uses to active and vibrant greenspaces, parks, and bike and pedestrian pathways.
• Rock Island Bridge | Kansas City, KS Flying Truss is reclaiming the historic Rock Island Railroad Bridge as America’s first trailhead and entertainment district over a river.
• Southern Gateway Park | Dallas, TX This park will become the heartbeat of Southern Dallas, reconnecting historic Oak Cliff and igniting environmental, economic, and community revitalization.
• The Underdeck | Miami, FL A transformative mile-long linear public space due for completion in 2026, will build community, bridge neighborhoods and cultural assets in downtown Miami, and reconnect Overtown to the heart of downtown Miami.
• The RiverFront | Omaha, NE Founded in 2018, The RiverFront combines three parks in the heart of downtown Omaha into one identity. After undergoing renovations, the three parks now connect, serving as a gathering space between the historic Old Market and vibrant north downtown Omaha.
• Willamette Falls | Portland, OR The nation’s second largest waterfall is a place where multiple histories and cultures converge. The Willamette Falls Trust, an Oregon-based philanthropic-focused nonprofit and inter-tribal organization, is redefining how Indigenous communities can work with governments to preserve, restore, and advocate for sacred sites with shared histories.

For more information about the High Line Network, including a full list of all members, visit
network.thehighline.org/projects/.

SUPPORT
The High Line Network is made possible by the founding support of The JPB Foundation. Other major support provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

ABOUT THE HIGH LINE NETWORK
Presented by the High Line, the High Line Network is a group of infrastructure reuse projects—and the people who help them come to life. As cities become denser and land
for traditional parks becomes more scarce, residents are finding creative ways to bring
greenspace to their neighborhoods. Projects in the High Line Network transform
underutilized infrastructure into new urban landscapes. Redefining what a park can be,
these hybrid spaces are also public squares, open-air museums, botanical gardens, social service organizations, walkways, transit corridors, and more. For more information about the High Line Network, please visit network.thehighline.org.

ABOUT THE HIGH LINE
The High Line is both a nonprofit organization and a public park on the West Side of Manhattan. Through our work with communities on and off the High Line, we’re devoted
to reimagining public spaces to create connected, healthy neighborhoods and cities.
Built on a historic, elevated rail line, the High Line was always intended to be more than a park. You can walk through the gardens, view art, experience a performance, enjoy food or beverage, or connect with friends and neighbors—–all while enjoying a unique perspective of New York City. Nearly 100% of our annual budget comes through donations. The High Line is owned by the City of New York and we operate under a license agreement with NYC Parks. For more information, visit thehighline.org and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

MORE ABOUT THE TRUSTEES
Founded by landscape architect Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees has, for more than 130 years, been a catalyst for important ideas, endeavors, and progress in Massachusetts. As a steward of distinctive and dynamic places of both historic and cultural value, The Trustees is the nation’s first preservation and conservation organization, and its landscapes and landmarks continue to inspire discussion, innovation, and action today as they did in the past. We are a nonprofit, supported by members, friends and donors and our 123 sites are destinations for residents, members, and visitors alike, welcoming millions of guests annually. thetrustees.org.