Regeneration

In this column I want to continue a theme of what local government can do for you. I have long argued that for localism to be real it has to be based on a vision of what you want your area to achieve.

Whilst visiting New York last week I took a trip to the High Line. The High Line is a public park in Manhattan, developed from a disused railway originally constructed in the 1930s to lift freight trains off the streets. With freight on the line coming to an end in 1980, it is has since been transformed into a well designed urban oasis and acts as an inspiration for all of us concerned with creating and preserving green spaces, at a time when they are increasingly under threat.