London is set to get its own New York-style High Line

ONE of London’s largest new parks is set to be built on top of restored railway arches in Shoreditch.

Approved in early December 2020 by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the elevated park will be formed from a series of gardens and terraces connected by a walkway. The entire public space will cover an area of 2.4 hectares.

Part of the Bishopsgate Goodsyard development, the park will also include new apartment towers.

The project is inspired by New York’s famous High Line, which was opened in 2009 and stretches 2.3 kilometres through Manhattan's west side.

Above: An aerial view of the High Line from Brick Lane. Below: A view of street-level retail connecting Shoreditch High Street to Brick Lane (images courtesy of Hammerson).

Bishopsgate Goodsyard has long been gestating, with the land acquired from Network Rail back in 2002.

Locals have objected to past proposals, claiming the planned towers will be overbearing on the surrounding neighbourhood.

Khan ultimately had the final say, pointing to the benefits of the new park far outweighing any potential negatives.

"The Mayor’s decision is a huge vote of confidence in central London after a challenging year,” said Robin Dobson of Hammerson, a real estate investment company partly behind the development, in a press release.

“Our designs make the very most of a highly constrained site and will provide a huge range of benefits.”

Above: View of the High Line from street level (images courtesy of Hammerson).

Local campaign groups have remained outraged, with the Reclaim the Goodsyard group releasing a statement decrying the decision: "Sadiq Khan and head of planning Jules Pipe have handed over 4.2 hectares of public land to build office blocks and a hotel, achieving just 90 affordable social rented homes."

The number of affordable homes built in London has fallen sharply since the pandemic began, with 66 percent less homes being built between April and September this year compared to 2019.

Header images courtesy of Hammerson.