See What New York's Underground Park Might Look Like

More than a decade ago, some forward-thinking New Yorkers got it in their heads that a park should be built on an abandoned rail line in Manhattan. Known as the High Line, it runs for almost twenty blocks and allows residents to get there via elevators. It’s been open for three years and may even expand in the future. Emboldened by that success, forward-thinking New Yorkers Dan Barasch and James Ramsey are offering a new plan to build a large park underground.

The project is currently being referred to as the Low Line and Delancey Underground, and if successful, it will transform the Williamsburg Trolley Terminal, located beneath Delancey Street in Manhattan, into a large communal space filled with plants, trees, art exhibits and more. The notion might seem ludicrous, but according to digital trends, it’s actually possible thanks to solar collectors and fiber optical cables. They would harness sunlight above the ground and redistribute it in the Terminal, allowing photosynthesis to occur.

The Low Line is still very much in the development stages, but Barasch and Ramsey are working on a model to show off the possibilities. If their efforts find more public and private support, the guys will then attempt to get the green light from the city to move forward. You can take a look at the entire history of the crazy idea below…

I have no idea if the Low Line will ever actually exist, but it makes me really happy I live in the same world with the audacious people who thought this up. If you live in New York, at some point this project will likely need your support. So, read over the details. Check out the website and figure out how you feel about it. This isn't the sort of thing you should be ambivalent about.