Lord Mayor Sally Capp signals high line park plans could be scaled back

When Lord Mayor Sally Capp was campaigning for the job she mooted an ambitious idea for a New York-style high line park in the CBD. But now it seems the concept will be cut down to size.

AN ambitious plan by Lord Mayor Sally Capp for a New York-style “high line” park through the CBD may be cut down to size.

Cr Capp has admitted that creating an elevated park above a working train line would be very challenging.

Cr Capp proposed the idea during the lord mayoral election campaign, basing it on the 2.3km High Line linear park in New York built on a disused railway viaduct.

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New York’s High Line Park has proven hugely popular. Picture: Supplied

The City of Melbourne has set aside $200,000 to study ­options for the concept, with some workshops already held in co-operation with organisations such as Melbourne Water, Parks Victoria and ­Development Victoria.

Cr Capp said the process to enhance walking and cycling options in the city was exciting.

“I can’t wait to see what they come up with, (but) I have accepted over the time that I’ve been Lord Mayor that ­actually putting a park over a working train line is really difficult, and creates all sorts of other challenges,” she told the Herald Sun.

An early concept of a CBD linear park proposed by Lord Mayor Sally Capp. Picture: Supplied

She said the revised concept could still include elevated ­sections but her focus now was related to her experiences of the parklands in London as ­Victorian agent-general ­between 2009-12.

“One of the feelings I had when I lived right in the middle of that density was a sense of space, and that was because their parks linked,” Cr Capp said.

“So, from the Thames to St James Park, to Green Park, to Hyde Park, to Kensington Gardens to Holland Park.

“That really was the ­concept behind having a high line park in that space, it was really about providing a link that was green between our parklands.”

Cr Capp is pushing for a ‘green link’ to connect CBD parks. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Cr Capp said a “green link” would extend from Birrarung Marr and other parks to the east of the CBD, go along the Yarra’s northern bank and connect with parkland in Docklands.

“We’ve seen what’s happened on the Southbank side, that’s been amazing — this would be something quite different,” she said.

“The plan would be something that’s very ambitious on the north bank.”

Previous plans for the north bank from the private sector include a public swimming pool on the Yarra at Enterprize Park, and an elevated cycle “freeway” clipped on to the Flinders St rail viaduct.

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