The first underground park in the world is expected to open its doors in 2018. The idea is for it to be built in an abandoned trolley terminal located in the Lower East Side, New York - this is actually the least green area in New York. The name for this unique park will be The Lowline.
The abandoned trolley terminal that is to be the location of the park is 116 years old and closed back in 1948. At first glance, The Lowline will be just like a regular park, where people will be able to walk along alleys filled with greenery.
The park is planned to have plenty of sunlight, which will be needed by the plants - this will be achieved using reflectors and optic cables.
Since sunlight is planned for the park, this means that the plants will be able to grow and develop. The team that is working on building the park already made a prototype 2 years ago in a warehouse located under the trolley terminal where the The Lowline will be.
Raising funds for the construction of this one-of-a-kind park was done through Kickstarter, a funding platform website. The project will cost about $60 million.
The United States government has also promised that it will help in building the park. There has been a campaign which has assured the required sum, the next step is to hold discussions with New York authorities.
Once those have finished, the actual construction of the underground park can begin, with its opening projected for 2018.
The initiative for building parks in unused city infrastructure in New York is gaining more and more popularity.
The idea for this new park is not just related to the desire for more green spaces - another goal is to demonstrate how innovative solar technology can be used to transform the cityscape.
Further, the park will not only be a place of relaxation - there are plans for it to be a host for various culinary events. The founders of this bizarre project are James Ramsey and Dan Barasch.
