WXY+ dland tapped for queensway elevated park

WXY+ dland tapped for queensway elevated park
image © WXY architecture + urban design

two new york city based firms have been chosen to lead a design and feasibilty plan for queensway, an 3.5 mile elevated park along an unused long island railroad (LIRR) track in southern queens, new york. the winning proposal by WXY architecture + urban design and dlandstudio was chosen among 29 finalists and is set to reclaim the the dilapidated track as a green, cultural artery for the diverse borough. the blighted structure that once housed the LIRR rockaway beach branch has been abandoned for more than 50 years; however, non profit advocacy groups like trust for public land and friends of the queensway have successfully spearheaded measures to make the infrastructural architecture more useful and beneficial to the area. susannah drake, principal of dlandstudio, explains that the reimagined queensway will operate under the concept of connected natural, social and cultural ecologies and stimulate the opening of a vibrant community of approximately 250,000 people. claire weisz of WXY architecture: 

‘our team is honored to be selected to assist the trust for public land and friends of the queensway in planning the queensway. this study is an important next step in making the vision of reclaiming the queensway as a green connector and cultural corridor a reality.’

image © curtis punch
image courtesy of friends of the queensway

the queensway would potentially transform the railroad right-of-way line that stretches fom rego park and forest hills down to ozone park, into a veritable public greenway. the project would also create unprecedented safe access to forest park with a cycling and pedestrian pathway that avoids the heavily trafficked woodhaven boulevard. the announcement comes on the heels of a several fundraising milestones– the trust for public land, the non-profit conservationist groups that called for the feasability study, received $467,000 USD from from the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation and governor cuomo’s office. WXY and dland must take to task the cost calculation, potential environmental contamination and structural soundness of the existing railroad trestles as well as develop a conceptual design for the massive project. the queensway rightly recalls the development of diller scofidio’s transformative high line— the challenge will be to capture the cultural richness of queens while making the park an invaluable resource in service to the community. 

site map
image © WXY architecture

 view of a section of existing tracks
image © WXY architecture

volunteers from ‘friends of the queensway’ have already started revitalizing the area with organized cleanups
image © ahron foster
image courtesy of friends of the queensway

a presentation on the queensway highlights the need for green public space
video © municipal art society of new york