TOWN BRANCH PARK JOINS THE HIGH LINE NETWORK OF INFRASTRUCTURE REUSE PROJECTS
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Town Branch Park announced today that it is one of 15 new members of the High Line Network, a community of nonprofit infrastructure reuse leaders.
The Network has grown from an initial group of 11 leaders to now include 39 projects, which shows the growing trend of transforming 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. Members of the Network also commit to building truly equitable spaces for their communities.
“I’m particularly thrilled that our new members bring exceptional experience on equity and equitable development,” said Asima Jansveld, vice president of the High Line Network. “They will contribute greatly at this critical time to our collective ability to address health, social and other inequities in the Black and Brown communities many of us serve. The Network will continue to support and challenge members to drive actively towards dismantling the impacts of historic racist policies and systems.”
Bringing together projects across different regions and stages of development, the Network provides leaders of these spaces the opportunity to share ideas and practical strategies on improving urban well-being. New members bring more gender, racial, geographic and organizational diversity than ever before.
“Town Branch Park is thrilled to join our peers at the Highline Network in building more equitable, welcoming and accessible public spaces” said Allison Lankford, executive director of Town Branch Park. “Our team looks forward to collaborating with the exceptional leaders of ambitious projects across North America to bring the very best thinking in public space design and operations back to our community.”
New members were selected through the Network’s first ever open call this spring 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.
A full list of all members in the High Line Network can be found at network.thehighline.org/projects/.