The Urbanist — Liz Diller on How the High Line Continues to Evolve in New York

Podcast: The Urbanist by Monocle
Host: Andrew Tuck
Date: November 6, 2025
Featured Guest: Liz Diller (Diller Scofidio + Renfro)
Other Contributors: Ed Stocker, Alexei Korolyov, Sheena Rossiter, Petra Marco, Finn Williams, Greg Lintern, Kim Petrin, Katrina Rowe

Episode Overview

This episode of The Urbanist explores how the iconic New York City High Line continues to evolve and impact city-making globally, as architect Liz Diller reflects on its ongoing story and the inspiration it has offered for cities worldwide. The show also travels to Bratislava’s new centre for architecture and urbanism, and examines Canada’s urban growing pains, featuring perspectives from planners and developers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Liz Diller on the High Line: A Project that's Never Finished

The High Line’s Transformation

• Liz Diller discusses how the High Line remains “unfinished” and is in a constant state of evolution.
• Diller's studio is located near the High Line, providing her daily perspective on its changes:

  “I now use the High Line as a citizen of New York, but the neighborhood is very strange. You know, the changes since COVID really altered... the whole sort of dynamic.” [02:17]

Ongoing Expansion and Community Engagement

• Details the incomplete section from 30th to 34th Street, still “black tar” and undeveloped.
• Future development hinges on the completion of Western Yards, but Diller appreciates the current “feathered out” unfinished state:

  “I kind of like that it sort of feathers out into sort of nothingness. And I would like to hold on to that for as long as possible before big buildings start shooting up all around.” [04:56]

Operational Realities & Funding Model

• The High Line relies heavily on donors rather than city funding (receiving <1% from municipal sources).
• The dedicated “slug” of people running the High Line are primarily responsible for its upkeep and public programming:

  “It's really a slug... who do everything and their activities on the High Line, and they really keep it fresh.” [04:43]

Cultural Projects and Activism on the High Line

• Recalls producing an opera event on the High Line, with interventions in adjacent buildings.
• Hints at a forthcoming “2.0” version in 2028, confronting even starker social divides:

  “The divide between the wealthy and the not wealthy is worse now... there's a more divisive condition in the States now than there was before... So I think it will be... more focused on broader issues than just the city.” [06:43, 08:11]

• Diller reflects on logistical constraints and the unique challenge of using art and public space to promote social engagement.

Notable Quotes

• “I'll get bored [of talking about the High Line] when it's finished, which will never happen. It's always unfinished.” [02:01]
• “The idea of doing that particular piece was about the High Line, and it was with the city as a backdrop. It was a moment in time where there was that growth all around.” [05:54]

2. Diller’s Projects Beyond New York

Venice ‘Canal Café’ and Cross-disciplinary Collaboration

• Describes a long-term project to clean Venice’s canal water and use it to make espresso—as a public demonstration of environmental restoration:

  “We had an idea in 2008… to use canal water to clean it, filter it, and to be able to serve espresso with it in the arsenale… And finally we tested great drinking water, and it's serving coffee right now.” [09:14–10:59]

• Project required extensive collaboration with engineers and city officials, highlighting the necessity of cross-disciplinary partnerships.

Curiosity as a Driver

• Diller credits her studio’s “naivete” as a fuel for big dreams, leading to creative collaborations:

  “We come to projects with a lot of naivete and so we dream big... It’s amazing when you start to collaborate with people outside of the field.” [11:32]

Italian Projects

• Discusses Milan’s Perolino and Puerto Romana projects: adaptive reuse, urban connectivity, and ecological approaches to public space.
• The Puerto Romana project entails reviving a central rail corridor, building a park, and restoring urban biodiversity in Milan:

  “There's an ecozone all around the train tracks… in the spirit of the High Line, but much more wild.” [13:31]

3. Bratislava’s Tuba: A New Center for Urban Dialogue

Introducing Tuba

• Tuba is Bratislava’s new center for architecture and urbanism—a “public living room” for community engagement.
• Petra Marco (Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava) aims for transparency and inclusivity:

  “It’s about coming together and understanding the different needs of different people and end users and citizens.” [14:55]

Data, Play, and Engagement

• The center uses playful design and big data visuals to educate the public about urban issues:

  “On the windows we have this big data, so when you pass by the space, you can see some interesting numbers about Bratislava.” [16:09]

Harbour Transformation & Global Inspiration

• Bratislava is planning to consolidate port activity to free land for redevelopment, drawing on successful models like Hamburg’s Hafen City and Malmö.
• Finn Williams (Malmö City Architect) advocates for retaining industrial heritage alongside new development:

  “We've realised that we can be proud of that industrial history... giving new layers of waterfront development a much deeper sense of place.” [17:43]

Youth Engagement

• Tuba conducts workshops for young citizens (age 15-30) to involve them in placemaking and urban design conversations.

4. Canada: Managing Urban Growing Pains in Edmonton

Edmonton’s Infill and Densification Strategy

• Sheena Rossiter reports on how Edmonton is focusing on infill development and downtown densification to accommodate rapid population growth.

Planning Challenges and Solutions

• Greg Lintern (former Toronto chief planner) highlights the value of diversity in building and land use:

  “The power of cities is actually heterogeneity, not homogeneity. Mixed use is like buying insurance...” [21:54]

• Edmonton’s relaxed zoning rules enable more housing types, supporting urban vibrancy and social diversity:

  “Loosening up the zoning which Edmonton has done... has opened up and made more inclusive large swaths of the city.” [22:28]

Economic and Social Effects

• New housing types revitalize schools, local shops, and daily life—while infill often relies on transit corridors.
• The city faces short-term construction “pain” as it works toward long-term gains in vibrancy and livability.

Developer’s Perspective

• Katrina Rowe (Cantiro Communities) discusses how zoning reform provides certainty for investors and enables creative residential developments while safeguarding property values:

  “Nobody wants to invest in something when they're not sure what they're going to be allowed to do. You don't want to spend money if you're not sure your project will even be allowed or approved.” [28:22]

Leadership in Urban Infrastructure

• Lintern advocates for investment in transit and public realm to ensure liveability amid growth:

  “More cities have to get in the game of focusing on the infrastructure and the bones of making a good city work…” [29:07]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:11] – Introduction and overview by Andrew Tuck
• [02:01]–[13:47] – Interview with Liz Diller: The High Line, global influence, Venice cafe, Milan projects
• [14:55]–[20:01] – Bratislava's Tuba and urban participatory planning (Petra Marco, Finn Williams)
• [20:40]–[29:32] – Edmonton, Canada: Planning for rapid growth, zoning, infill, and infrastructural leadership (Sheena Rossiter, Greg Lintern, Kim Petrin, Katrina Rowe)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• Liz Diller on the High Line’s Endless Evolution:

  “I’ll get bored when it’s finished, which will never happen. It’s always unfinished.” [02:01]

• On Funding and Maintenance:

  “The Parks Department really doesn't keep it up... It only gets less than 1% from city money.” [04:32]

• On the Role of Public Art:

  “The writing and the music has to be boring enough to make people keep moving.” [07:31]
  (On choreographing crowd movement in High Line events.)

• Finn Williams, on Waterfront Redevelopment:

  “That industrial history has a place in the identity and image of the city in the future... giving the new layers... a much deeper sense of place.” [17:43]

• Greg Lintern on Urban Diversity:

  "The power of cities is actually heterogeneity, not homogeneity..." [21:54]

• Kim Petrin, on Edmonton’s Urban ‘Teenager Years’:

  “So Edmonton's growing... we're moving into our teenager years and so it's awkward. And you see that in the landscape.” [26:09]

• Katrina Rowe, on Zoning Certainty:

  “Nobody wants to invest in something when they're not sure what they're going to be allowed to do...” [28:22]

Episode Tone and Language

The episode balances Diller’s characteristically energetic yet reflective voice with the earnest optimism of civic leaders in Bratislava and Canada. There's warmth, pride, critical realism, and an openness to collaboration and experimentation running throughout.

Summary

This episode of The Urbanist is a rich, globe-spanning exploration of how cities transform through creative leadership, inclusive planning, and a willingness to revisit and reimagine urban infrastructure and public space. Liz Diller’s reflections bring the story of the High Line up to date while offering candid insight into the complexities — and joys — of city-building. From Bratislava’s playful new urban hub to Edmonton’s growing pains, listeners are treated to concrete examples of how cities everywhere are learning to adapt, densify, and put people at the center of urban life.