Landscape architect David Vrago has drawn up his plan for the soon-to-be demolished Sydney Monorail which proposes to turn the tracks into an elevated boardwalk.
IMAGINE a version of New York's famous High Line, an elevated cycle and walkway, running through the centre of Sydney.
Now a landscape architect is arguing that this vision could be a reality, using the track and supports of the reviled Monorail, which is due to be pulled down to make way for the redevelopment of Darling Harbour.
When the NSW government announced last month it would remove the network as soon as possible, many sighed with relief. With public debate now turning to what should happen to the structure once dismantled, David Vago has drawn up a plan to turn the tracks into an elevated boardwalk and cycleway.
Reused ... the walkway would use the old Monorail tracks. 
 Reused ... the walkway would use the old Monorail tracks. Photo: David Vago/Habitation
He said pulling down the tonnes of steel infrastructure would be a missed opportunity - and a waste of money.
His proposal would involve a three to five-metre-wide deck across the track, creating a 3.6-kilometre public walkway through the central business district.
The High-Lane, as he calls it, could be used by joggers, cyclists, office workers, parents with prams and tourists. The existing pylons would become vertical gardens and Monorail stations would be transformed into pocket parks, cafes and gallery spaces.

A view of green space along the first section of the High Line in New York. 
 A view of green space along the first section of the High Line in New York. Photo: Getty Images
"From a sustainability point of view it makes sense to reuse not to remove," said Mr Vago, the director of Habitation, an architectural firm.
Mr Vago said removing the Monorail would cost $10 million-$15 million but the redesign would cost an estimated $5 million.
He said it would take about 12 to 18 months to build.

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On the right path ... an artist's impression of how the High-Lane would look. Photo: David Vago/Habitation
The project is a mini-version of the High Line in New York, which turned a former railway into a public park above the streets of Manhattan.
An aerial greenway also exists in Paris, where an old railway line was transformed into the 4.7-kilometre Promenade Plantee.
The plan could be a tough sell, given the government plans to remove the structure partly to make way for the Darling Harbour redevelopment.
Transport for NSW would not confirm whether it would consider the proposal.
"[We are] examining options for removing and potential reuse of the Monorail," a spokesman said.
The lord mayor, Clover Moore, said she loved the New York High Line but did not believe the Monorail tracks offered the same potential.
"The pillars are ugly and intrusive and the track is not wide enough to do the idea justice," she said.
The Tourism Industry Council NSW said it was an interesting concept in theory but it would have to see more details before giving it any real consideration.
"But it's certainly something different," the general manager, Andrew Jefferies, said.
This article originally appeared in Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald