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"Public Space/Private Money" addressed the question "What do current development trends mean for the soul of our city?" with a particular focus on the High Line, whose creation was driven in significant part by investors anticipating private benefit from the development of this public amenity.
The third Design Trust Council Annual Event, "Public Space/Private Money," took place on Thursday, March 12, 2009. The evening began at The Standard Hotel, and was followed by dinner and discussion at 520 Chelsea, a luxury condo complex that abuts the High Line under construction.
The event convened at the nearly complete Standard Hotel, which enjoys a terrific view of the first stage of the High Line park's construction. The lead designer of the park, Lisa Switkin of Field Operations, and the Standard's architect, Todd Schliemann of Polshek Partnership, joined us there. We considered the role their projects play in defining community, and the design strategies they employed to help insure that this important public space retains a public identity. The evening concluded with an intimate dinner and discussion, where the Council was joined by special guests Keith Jacobson, Founder of Bishopscourt Realty (developer of 520 Chelsea; Robert LaValva, Executive Director of the New Amsterdam Market; and Andres Lepik, Architecture & Design Curator at the Museum of Modern Art.