6. The Park Uses an Intricate Drainage and Irrigation System to Water Its Plants

Believe it or not, the park only contains 18 inches of soil from which all of its plant life grows. With such little space to support the many different grasses, bushes, and meadow-like plants that once grew freely all over the railway, the High Line was faced with the difficult task of draining water from its green spaces and also being able to conserve it in the summer. It actually uses multiple levels of filters and drainage systems to collect, store, and distribute falling rainwater to its plants. It was one of the many innovations created by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, two landscape architecture firms that Friends of the High Line selected to lead the park’s design process.