The Lowline, if completed on time, would become the world’s first underground public space of its kind. It is being built in an abandoned trolley terminal on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and will be lit by solar collectors on the streets above that funnel the light below. The natural light, planners anticipate, will allow people to take sunny, open-air picnics, despite being underground.
“In the 21st century, we will build out spaces abandoned in the 20th century,” said Dan Barasch, executive director of the Lowline. “This is a trend that will continue. There’s a lot of value underneath our sidewalks.”
