IN-PERSON: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

One of the attributes which makes New York livable is its easy access to products and goods. This presentation reviews the history of New York City from its beginnings as a trade colony to urban mega city. The paper will explore the growth of New York, its population, and the expanded infrastructure which created the opportunity for a urban landscape containing critical activity nodes which supported economic development and enliven city life. The city, due to its density and infrastructure is an optimum mechanism for the distribution of goods and services. The diversity of goods, and the ease of access makes urban life richer. Urbanization is an organizational plan which facilitates the most efficient integration of function and system. This paper explores how NYC grew and changed in response to the economic and social impact of the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution was responsible for a manufacturing process which expanded the number and amount of goods available. We will explore how the various forces in urban planning responded to the influence of the Industrial Revolution, creating, and changing location of commercial neighborhoods in New York. The most visible example is the emergence of the great New York department stores of the 19th and 20th century which enriched the lives of the city residents and was an economic engine. The presentation goes on to discuss the future and how the post pandemic world and changing habits and new distribution technology have altered the means and cities distribute goods.