American urbanization & new york city

American urbanization & new york city

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  American Urbanization & New York City By Jessica Jefferson History 141 - 31136
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  The country andthe city episode one On September 7th, 1609 Hudson sailed in search on the New West passage and instead found what was to become the finest harbor in the Atlantic Ocean. New Amsterdam, as it was first called, was founded by the Dutch in 1624 to make money trading furs. The city would test the boundaries of society. Immigration, unionization, industrialization and the blending of races and cultures pushed the mixing of disparities to new limits.
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  The country andthe city episode one In 1624 the Dutch West India Company settled and immediately built the structures that would become what we now call the “Bronx” and Broadway. Through expansion the Native Indians were pushed away and eliminated. In 1664 the English took over without any battle conflict at the request on the cities inhabitants and renamed the colony New York.
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  The country andthe city episode one The city remained diverse and difficult to govern. Slavery, taxes, and politics, provided a constant source of conflict. In time the grid street layout would provide a stationary foundation that would help hold together such a hectic city. The Erie canal build there was one of the greatest engineering feats of the time, and cut the transport time for goods from weeks to mere days. This would cement New York’s position as one of the greatest economic cities in the world.
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  City of tomorrow Episode six The upward and outward rise that New York saw during the 1920’s had seemed limitless. But after the crash in 1929 depression hit hard in the city. Nationwide unemployment went from 2-13 million and one out of 3 people lost their jobs in the city. Mayor Jimmy Walker resigned in light of embezzlement charges. Fiorello La Guardia became mayor in 1933 when New York was at its worst. Within weeks the change he would bring became evident. He was to reform the city.
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  City of tomorrow Episode six La Guardia This team had greatly teamed up with improved the city but master builder Robert Moses suffering still plagued areas and together such as Harlem, which was they built new devastated by the parks, schools, beaches and depression. remade roads for the cities. The construction of highways for automobiles was criticized by many. Moses’s rise to power was spotted with the cities belief that he loved the public, but hated the people.
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  City of tomorrow Episode six Race discrimination got worse in New York during this period. Harlem had only 2 playgrounds built by Moses while areas in white neighborhoods had more than 30. White men desperate for jobs took those that normally only Africa Americans were taking. Housing areas with Africa Americans were “redlined”. The 1930’s in Harlem took the community from an ethic place and changed it into a ghetto slum. New York was remapped and rebuilt in order to solve the economic crisis at the expense of the black neighborhood. Riots resulted out of this tension. La Guardia felt that the causes of the situation the African Americans were in, was beyond his control. The New York Fair ended in bankruptcy as WWII begun.
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  A merger thatputs new York on top • AOL / Time Warner merger could help reverse the erosion of once unquestioned position of New York as economic and cultural world center. This merger could be another important decision, such as building the Erie canal and “triangle trade”, made by its leaders that will ensure domination the economy. • The new information economy undermines some of the reasons New York came to power in the first place such as its geographic location, and several companies on the West coast, such as Intel and Yahoo pose threats. Unless the West settles differences or units that New York will end up on top on and emerge as the "capital of the next American century."
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  The city inthe land of the dollar American cities are not laid out as are other cities. • They lack a defined center. • Are socially fragmented and recklessly entrepreneurial. • And heavily rely on cars for transport. But Why??? Nineteenth century expansion spurred economic growth in cities. Chicago proves a perfect example of this, popping up almost overnight after the development of the railroad.
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  The city inthe land of the dollar New technologies were used in the construction of American cities. Telephones, electric lights, and cable cars were at the forefront of design rather than classic esthetic appeal. One of the more influential new technologies was the development of the elevator, which allowed (literally) for modern American cities to reach new heights. Cities became compact. High standards when it came to fire codes and outlandish prices for land within the city loop meant most residents would live outside the city, and commute for work. Once rural land around Chicago became one of the first American suburban communities.
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  The city inthe land of the dollar Within the city its self was placed a park system to counter balance the congestion of the urban city. Individual architects leave their marks upon American cities such as Daniel Burnham and John Root. Many city centers were inspired by the Columbian Exposition and built civic centers and libraries at town center in that style.