On Monday, October 10th, local CitySquash high schoolers enjoyed a cultural outing to the High Line Park in Manhattan. The students met earlier in the day to talk about the history of the park–which is built on an old elevated railway along the west side of the island–as well as the importance of public space in an urban environment. After a self-guided walking tour that checked out the various sights and public art installations on the park, the students broke off to write on the key question of the day: As a citizen of New York City, why is public space important to you? As one CitySquasher put it, “Without public spaces, people would be isolated and prohibited from places where they can learn and explore.”