The practice has teamed up with residents in Manchester to campaign for a park to be built on top of one of the city’s derelict Victorian railway viaducts. The project echoes that for the High Line, a mile-long park on top of a disused fright line in Manhattan.
"Ideas for how the Castlefield Viaduct might be revitalised follow a BDP initiative that set out to identify derelict areas in Manchester suitable for green regeneration," said the practice.
"From this we created visualisations outlining how the viaduct might be transformed into an urban garden, featuring plants and shrubs, walkways, a cafe, allotments and open plazas designed for sunbathing."
Landscape architect and urban design associate Darrell Wilson said: "It’s the start of a long road and it would be amazing if the vision could be realised. It will be much more than a walkway but a multifaceted, community-owned space.
"It would create the opportunity for residents to socialise, grow their own produce, fire up barbecues in the summer – all within a beautiful and naturally designed landscape."
Castlefield Forum said there was a long way to go and much work to be done before the project took detailed shape, said committee member Ali McGowan.
"Our work now is all about gaining momentum for this project and exploring how BDP’s vision could work and how well-chosen partnerships could make this project economically viable."
