The first phase of a new elevated garden in north London has received planning approval.
The Camden Highline will repurpose 1.2km of disused railway track between Camden Town and King's Cross — and the first section, between Camden Gardens and Royal College Street, can now go ahead.
Two further sections are still awaiting planning approval. The first runs from Royal College Street to Camley Way, and the second from Camley Way up to York Way, around the back of King's Cross station. Eventually, they'll all join up to form one continuous walking route, around eight metres above the ground.
As we reported in 2022, the Camden Highline is intended to act as a new visitor attraction for London, as well as offering a new route for local people to get around, and increasing biodiversity in the area. The lead architects on the project are James Corner Field Operations, who were the designers of the New York High Line, a similar project repurposing disused railway on Manhattan's West Side.
Allotments, a children's play zone, and balconies overlooking the street below all feature in the design.
When will the Camden Highline open?
Don't lace up your walking boots yet — the project still has a way to go. Although the first section has received planning permission, the Camden Highline charity is now looking for financial backers to help out with the £14m cost of the first section of the project, and get construction work under way. 2025 is being given as a provisional opening date for this first section.
Keep up to date on the Camden Highline website.
