LowLine Project

Forget the Highline, the LowLine initiative aims to transform an abandoned trolley terminal into the worlds first underground park!

Former NASA engineer and founder of a RAAD studio James Ramsey and head of partnerships at PopTech, an organization promoting social innovation through technology Dan Barasch have teamed up to work on a new innovative park in Lower East Side, called LowLine.

They plan to transform an abandoned New York City trolley terminal into a vibrant community green space using new solar technology. Located in the heart of Lower East Side on the Delancey trolley station, the underground park can become a year-round public place for everyone. To build this park, they will use a new system  a prototype of which they already have) of optics to gather sunlight, concentrate it and reflect it below ground. The light irrigated underground will carry wavelengths necessary to support photosynthesis, meaning that they easily can grow plants, trees and grass underground.

LowLine was presented to the local community boards, MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority), the City and HR&A (the firm that helped launch Highline in Chelsea) and got positive feedback. They just launched a kickstarter project, wanting to collect $100,000 to build a full-scale installation, a smaller version of the LowLine in order to convince potential funders, the City and community that this idea works.