Hudson Yards
Chief Urban Designer, New York City Department of City Planning
New York City, NY

It might come as a surprise, but the initial push to develop the Hudson Yards sought to tear down the loop of the High Line which circled the rail yards. The first phase of the High Line had not yet opened and its great success remained to be proven. Nevertheless, Amanda Burden, Chair of the Department of City Planning fought hard for its survival and won. As Chief Urban Designer, Washburn led the design work that proved how the High Line could be incorporated into the multi-billion development. His team then worked with the developers of the site as the design eyes of City Planning to create a network of new public open space and balance the effect of millions of square feet of development. Washburn's mantra for urban design success: The Quantity of Robert Moses, The Quality of Jane Jacobs, and the Nature of Robert Law Olmsted.