American Urbanization American Urbanization and New York Cityand New York City

By: Jimmy WolpertBy: Jimmy Wolpert

The Country and The City (1609-1825)The Country and The City (1609-1825)

In 1609 New York Harbor In 1609 New York Harbor was discovered by an was discovered by an English explorer working for English explorer working for the Dutch named Henry the Dutch named Henry HudsonHudson

New Amsterdam was New Amsterdam was founded by the Dutch in founded by the Dutch in 1624 as a Trading Post1624 as a Trading Post

The Dutch people did not The Dutch people did not want to move to New want to move to New Amsterdam so it was Amsterdam so it was populated by people from populated by people from other countriesother countries

New Amsterdam was around New Amsterdam was around for 17 years before the first for 17 years before the first church was built therechurch was built there

Ratio of 1 bar for every 20 Ratio of 1 bar for every 20 menmen

The Country and The City (1609-1825)The Country and The City (1609-1825)

In 1647 Peter Stuyvesant In 1647 Peter Stuyvesant took command of New took command of New Amsterdam to make the Amsterdam to make the trading post more productivetrading post more productive

He made attending church He made attending church mandatory mandatory

He established an economic He established an economic base as a slave operationbase as a slave operation

In 1664 four English War In 1664 four English War Ships invaded the Harbor, Ships invaded the Harbor, the citizens of New the citizens of New Amsterdam signed a petition Amsterdam signed a petition giving the English controlgiving the English control

Two days later the city was Two days later the city was renamed New Yorkrenamed New York

The Country and The City (1609-1825)The Country and The City (1609-1825)

In the 1740’s 1/6 of New Yorkers In the 1740’s 1/6 of New Yorkers were slaveswere slaves

In 1971 a group of slaves In 1971 a group of slaves suspected of arson were suspected of arson were rounded up and rounded up and tortured/executedtortured/executed

In 1758 the economy was In 1758 the economy was booming thanks to British booming thanks to British Troops in the cityTroops in the city

When the troops leave the When the troops leave the economy collapseseconomy collapses

After The Stamp Act the After The Stamp Act the American Revolution gains American Revolution gains tractiontraction

In 1803 Dewitt Clinton in In 1803 Dewitt Clinton in elected Mayor of New York Cityelected Mayor of New York City

He oversees the creation of the He oversees the creation of the Eerie Canal which connects the Eerie Canal which connects the interior of America with Europe interior of America with Europe economicallyeconomically

City of Tomorrow (1931-1940)City of Tomorrow (1931-1940)

By 1941 The Great Depression By 1941 The Great Depression is causing industries to is causing industries to collapsecollapse

1,600,000 people in New York 1,600,000 people in New York were on relief rollswere on relief rolls

Mothers and children had to Mothers and children had to search the dumps for foodsearch the dumps for food

Many people were forced to Many people were forced to live in Hoovervilles live in Hoovervilles

President Hoover stopped most President Hoover stopped most relief fundingrelief funding

Governor Franklin Delano Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt tried to get money to Roosevelt tried to get money to the people but it was siphoned the people but it was siphoned off by corrupt city officials off by corrupt city officials including Mayor Jimmy Walkerincluding Mayor Jimmy Walker

When FDR became President When FDR became President he instituted The New Deal, an he instituted The New Deal, an idea informed by his time in idea informed by his time in New YorkNew York

City of Tomorrow (1931-1940)City of Tomorrow (1931-1940)

Fiorello La Guardia was Fiorello La Guardia was elected Mayor of New York elected Mayor of New York city in 1933city in 1933

He was short-tempered, He was short-tempered, theatrical and media theatrical and media consciousconscious

After election he began After election he began cutting corruption out of city cutting corruption out of city hallhall

He hired Robert Moses as the He hired Robert Moses as the Parks Director of NYCParks Director of NYC

La Guardia oversaw La Guardia oversaw construction of the airport construction of the airport named after himnamed after him

La Guardia was known to help La Guardia was known to help black politicians but was black politicians but was unwilling to put racial equality unwilling to put racial equality at the forefront of his at the forefront of his campaign campaign

City of Tomorrow (1931-1940)City of Tomorrow (1931-1940)

Robert Moses is known as the Robert Moses is known as the most important man in the most important man in the history of New York Cityhistory of New York City

Moses was passionate about Moses was passionate about the automobilethe automobile

He was one of the first people He was one of the first people to realize what an important to realize what an important part of our lives the car would part of our lives the car would one day beone day be

He oversaw the finishing of He oversaw the finishing of the Triborough Bridgethe Triborough Bridge

He created a network of roads He created a network of roads connecting New York to the connecting New York to the surrounding regionsurrounding region

He instituted tolls on all of the He instituted tolls on all of the bridges he built and used the bridges he built and used the money to fund future projectsmoney to fund future projects

Moses was said to love the Moses was said to love the public but hate peoplepublic but hate people

A Merger That Puts New York On TopA Merger That Puts New York On Top

The merging of AOL to buy Time Warner would The merging of AOL to buy Time Warner would cement New York as the “capital of the next cement New York as the “capital of the next American century”American century”

Throughout the history of this country other cities Throughout the history of this country other cities have tried and failed to overshadow New Yorkhave tried and failed to overshadow New York

In the past theses cities included Baltimore, In the past theses cities included Baltimore, Philadelphia and New OrleansPhiladelphia and New Orleans

In recent years New York has been challenged by In recent years New York has been challenged by cities on the west coast like Los Angeles, cities on the west coast like Los Angeles, Redmond and Silicon Valley Redmond and Silicon Valley

What makes this time different is that they will What makes this time different is that they will now be competing for online space and through now be competing for online space and through technological innovationtechnological innovation

The City in the Land of the DollarThe City in the Land of the Dollar

Chicago was quick to adapt Chicago was quick to adapt new inventions which new inventions which allowed for a unique rate of allowed for a unique rate of growthgrowth

These new technologies These new technologies included electric street cars, included electric street cars, electric street lights and electric street lights and most importantly the most importantly the elevatorelevator

Light weight steel also Light weight steel also allowed for buildings to be allowed for buildings to be built much taller than they built much taller than they were in older European citeswere in older European cites

This led to the development This led to the development of skyscrapers which raised of skyscrapers which raised the price of land forcing the price of land forcing people to move from the people to move from the city into the “suburbs”city into the “suburbs”

The City in the Land of the DollarThe City in the Land of the Dollar

Many urban planners Many urban planners believed that cities should believed that cities should be built in the same manner be built in the same manner as European cities were part as European cities were part of the City Beautiful of the City Beautiful Movement and were know as Movement and were know as being part of an being part of an “architectural design cult”“architectural design cult”

These men wanted smaller These men wanted smaller buildings and cities centered buildings and cities centered around culture instead of around culture instead of commerce.commerce.

They thought most American They thought most American cities were chaotic and cities were chaotic and needed to be controlledneeded to be controlled

The only real current The only real current example of this type of example of this type of design in America is design in America is Washington DCWashington DC

The City in the Land of the DollarThe City in the Land of the Dollar

The City Beautiful Movement The City Beautiful Movement failed failed

This failure is best seen through This failure is best seen through Burnham and Bennett’s failure to Burnham and Bennett’s failure to execute their master plan for the execute their master plan for the city of Chicagocity of Chicago

The did not put in any real The did not put in any real specifications about building specifications about building heights in their proposal which heights in their proposal which allowed private companies to allowed private companies to build tall buildingsbuild tall buildings

Over time height regulation Over time height regulation became even less strict allowing became even less strict allowing skyscrapers to get taller and taller skyscrapers to get taller and taller

The American desire for money The American desire for money caused buildings to get taller so caused buildings to get taller so we could squeeze as much profit we could squeeze as much profit out of them as possibleout of them as possible

This is why today our major cities This is why today our major cities have buildings of trade that brush have buildings of trade that brush against the sky instead of the against the sky instead of the beautiful cities of antiquitybeautiful cities of antiquity