Monorail: Demolish or Recycle?
It goes round and round, and no one ever really liked it. So what now?
Last month, NSW government announced plans to retire the monorail. Hooray! But what next?
Landscape architect David Vago thinks he may have the (most sustainable) answer: reuse the infrastructure. Many of us had already dreamed of how much better the CBD pathways would look and feel without the intrusive, ugly track towering above everyone, but perhaps that was a little too hasty. Vago's vision is not to pull it all down, but to recycle and to create an elevated walkway for commuters and tourists alike.
The plans, unveiled in the Sydney Morning Herald, have had a mixed response so far. The architect's cheaper (Vago suggests it will cost $5 million, half the price of removing the monorail) and relatively simple idea could end up a bit like New York's High Line, pictured below, with vertical gardens and the existing stations turned into cafes, parks and gallery spaces.
Clover Moore has said it isn't likely to happen. But, what do you think? Could you warm to the idea?
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