Dan Barasch: A park underneath the hustle and bustle of New York City

Dan Barasch and James Ramsey have a crazy plan-to create a park, filled with greenery, underneath New York City. The two are developing the Lowline, an underground greenspace the size of a football field. They're building it in a trolley terminal abandoned in 1948, using technology that harvests sunlight above-ground and directs it down below. It's a park that can thrive, even in winter.
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[@srimansrini]

One of the greatest ideas, Dan Barasch gives awe-inspiring park beneath our feet that he and his team members built in New York City. Wildly imaginative, impeccable thought and meticulous attention to detail. A great talk about the greatest idea.

[@yourdiscoverelaxchannel9422]

Great idea, heard of it in the german radio today ... I hope you are able to build it very soon.

[@Buckets41369]

How about you put the work and living space underground and have the park in direct sunlight on the surface?

[@junocomm]

This is a great idea! A lot of cities can use this since they have unused subway tunnels

[@wrouillie]

What an extraordinary plan! Can't wait to see the result!

[@poawienfwjijnhergop]

1:43 SHOTS FIRED SHOTS FIRED

[@anniezhao5462]

Hey, can you cooperated with the street lamp system, collect the light to the ground? Then you can collect more light spots, make the space looks even brighter?

[@alliblackman5020]

This is so exciting!!!

[@going0ut]

excellent presenter and fascinating, novel, feasible idea. Presentation wasn't unnecessarily long too, which is a bonus

[@thuphugg215]

Pretty damn amazing! I would like to visit one of these someday :D

[@jameannohere]

Interesting idea but I propose flipping that idea. Route traffic under ground and use the street as the park.

[@persinders]

A lot of carbon dioxide would be emitted and trapped underground.

[@jameannohere]

Many large entrances for vehicles and some ventilation wouldnt be to hard especially for a a relatively small area.

[@konchus2]

Dean Newb that would be a plus if they could manage it...some type of ventilation that collects co2 and can compress it into a solid or turn it into some kind of renewable energy? i dont know if this is even possible so dont crucify me for the idea lol

[@persinders]

Konchus Nando Tell that to physics. If it can happen, institute it.

[@AirskiiMusic]

you'de have to get rid of existing buildings, the main aim seams to be reclaiming, i agree with you but only for new developments

[@Leftistchino]

I think that some native plants and animals should be introduced into the space make some awesome ecosystems

[@Leftistchino]

***** Yah that would be amazing it would also open up some people to new foods from different cultures

[@tofujr]

He wants to make the world a better place. How does building an underground park in NYC accomplish that? I mean it's cute but going back to work at Unicef would actually help people.

[@АлексейЩербак-ю9р]

парк под землей с солнечным светом.... интересно

[@chellethegreatest]

I think its still going to be to dark, a large aquarium thing might be perfect though. Walking around the fishes.

[@LittleSpaceCase]

Public parks already see rampant drug sales and use, amongst other things. Definitely an amazing idea, would hate to see it become unsavory or unsafe to visit.

[@kjeshfdskjhfkjdshfkj]

lol you obviously don;'t live in present day nyc

[@LittleSpaceCase]

***** I visited recently, and it definitely wasn't bad on the level I would have expected maybe 10 years ago. But I still had the experience of running into someone shooting up at a public park bathroom while I was there. Even Seattle parks can be a hot bed for stuff like this, and Seattle has pretty low crime. It's just the nature of inner city parks in general, not just New York.

[@kjeshfdskjhfkjdshfkj]

Public park bathrooms are something you should never go inside... ever...

[@ubentu]

***** Or.. are something that need more cleaning with a body heat sensor with an "occupied light" on the outside (to keep the creeps from surprising people) Cameras on the exterior provide evidence for victims, also, autocleaning isn't too hard. Funding funding funding.

[@kjeshfdskjhfkjdshfkj]

I'm all about the gondola to brooklyn

[@MakeMeThinkAgain]

Jane Jacobs would tell you why this won't work unless you can somehow get eyes on the space and make it a functioning part of the city. Otherwise it has the potential to become the most dangerous place in NYC.

[@Jack6on]

didn't know aaron rodgers did ted talks too

[@gemini915]

Sometimes I wish my pants were also shoes.

[@216trixie]

I'm wearing two pair of pants.

[@gemini915]

I accidentally all my shoes :(

[@edisone1]

Those are called hip-waders :)

[@TheLivirus]

Why didn't he show the above ground solar collector in his tech demonstration? Seems like he's hiding something.

[@ratholin]

The idea is sound but that entrance just looks like it needs the phrase "abandon all hope and buy some dope" written on it.

[@gjholcomb]

first he shows a nice pic of a tree and greenery then something you mite see in a mall with tile floors and CRAP. how is that called a park?

[@TheDrunkardHu]

if only all of our roadways could be converted into green parks like this underneath, all of our problems would be solved...

[@LeonidasGGG]

If they're going to develope it above in the next 10 years, that is going to, most probably, be turned into parking space...sadly. :(

[@FilosofoDaCamera]

Italian scientists are always crazy

[@FilosofoDaCamera]

and that's was a compliment.

[@MrUniter]

Build a better world right under their noses haha :), well done sir well done!

[@shadow6996]

Most of you are so negative to the idea, how about just giving it a thought, "IT COULD WORK SOMEDAY".

[@asathesinger]

AWEsome!

[@matthewbartke4424]

Pfft on all that park stuff. You could put that area up for sale and allow businesses to develop down in those abandoned places. Why waste the space? Oh yeah, government.

[@edisone1]

They asked for proposals and this was the only one they got ! It'll be at least $100million by the time it's done. $100 million would plant an awful lot of trees where people could enjoy them without going down into the subway

[@mctm1221]

So someone has an idea to utilize abandoned space and all people can think of is how it will be abused... maybe that tells us something about our society when we have a lack of respect for others

[@abu0ibraheem]

what about the air conditioning?

[@ThisDudeRufus]

Underground has a more consistent temperature than above ground. Warmer at night, cooler during day.

[@filonin2]

What about it? In addition to it costing less like thundersock said, why would a/c not work underground? Humans have learned how to make rooms underground and have discovered things called vents.

[@slaughtz]

ThunderSock With their plan, natural light would be coming in during the day. Would this not make the whole park a greenhouse? If it would, ventilation or A/C would be needed.

[@filonin2]

Slaughtz There are coatings for windows now that only let in visible light, not infrared. Also, it's already cool underground.

[@TomPark1986]

Cute. Bad idea.

[@queennzinghaenterainment]

GENTRIFICATION! You mentioned gentrified neighborhood so proudly. Must be nice when you can up and quit your job to pursue an undeveloped project. Immigrants who came here by choice and benefit by simply their ethnic background. Must be nice. You do great deeds in Kenya (aww the poor African people need another Caucasian savior, great for your resume, huh) , yet come back to the US and in NY with the gentrification mentality...REALLY?!? With the city GENTRIFYING (undercover racism, outpricing the community so no people of color can benefit from the neighborhoods development) who gets to benefit from this Lowline park?

[@tomxhd91]

Yeh 1 comment wooo

[@alliblackman5020]

This is so exciting!!!

[@queennzinghaenterainment]

GENTRIFICATION! You mentioned gentrified neighborhood so proudly. Must be nice when you can up and quit your job to pursue an undeveloped project. Immigrants who came here by choice and benefit by simply their ethnic background. Must be nice. You do great deeds in Kenya (aww the poor African people need another Caucasian savior, great for your resume, huh) , yet come back to the US and in NY with the gentrification mentality...REALLY?!? With the city GENTRIFYING (undercover racism, outpricing the community so no people of color can benefit from the neighborhoods development) who gets to benefit from this Lowline park?