Development of a city

THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW YORK CITY
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Architecture, Building and Planning, “Your Home Town” Assignment,
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For more than 400 years, New York City (NYC) has been listed as one of the largest and oldest cities in the United States (U.S). Compared to other cities of the same caliber, NYC has been in a position to sustain population growth, expansion along with the assimilation of modern state-of-art technology in the contemporary world. The NYC has undergone numerous metamorphoses to become what it is today. In the early 1990s, the NYC population increased by 9% to make up a total of approximately 8 million residents. In the last five decades, the population has drastically grown more than any other metropolis in the U.S. Its strong economy enables the each employee to obtain more than $80,000 per year on the payroll, with Manhattan recording the highest wage limit, which is over $200,000 on the worker’s annual payroll.
Initially, the modern New York was inhabited by the Lenape from on Algonquin, with the economic activities being hunting, fishing and farming, especially between Delaware and Hudson rivers. At the beginning of the 16th century, Europeans started exploring the region. The first Italian, Giovanni da Verrazano sailed along the coast of Atlantic. In 1624, the first European settlers settled, with the Dutch West India Company sending about 30 families to reside and work in a small settlement on Nutten Island. Following the settlement, the island was renamed to New Amsterdam, and is presently known as the Governors Island.

In 1626, the governor of the settlers, Peter Minuit, bought a significant portion of Manhattan Island’s land from the natives for about sixty guilders in exchange for farming tools, shell beads, among other trade commodities. Even though there were less than 300 residents in the New Amsterdam after the settlement shifted to Manhattan, the population in this region grew drastically. Particularly, the population increased in 1760 with a total of 18,000 people, surpassing Boston, to become the second biggest city in the American protectorates. Conspicuously, NYC has been in a position to withstand significant technological changes that affect other cities in this region. This capability can be attributed to a series of development milestones achieved by the city in the two last century.
Naturally, the physical features of NYC are limited by its geographical location, which is adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and Hudson River. Deep waters in the New York Harbor strategically positioned the entire coastal region as the trading epicenter. Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx are the main boroughs of the NYC. Land scarcity is the main factor that has contributed to dense populations in the U.S cities. By the virtual of its nature, the paucity of land has largely contributed to a sharp population and infrastructural growth in this city. However, the city’s original size and shape have changed since the settlement of the Dutch settlers by human activities, especially through land reclamation efforts. The reclamation of land activities is apparent in across Manhattan. It is estimated that the NYC is 789.4 square kilometers.
The NYC’s first zoning regulations were crafted to shield the elite on commercial and residential areas from largely the immigrant factory workers. These regulations were seen as efforts of protecting commercial and residential areas from manufacturing uses. Subsequently, the 1916 Zoning Resolution was a landmark in checking the growth of the city. Primarily, it was adapted to monitor the rate of building constructions in order to ensure that air and natural lights are not blocked. Thus, it checked limited the height of the buildings. The resolution was however enacted in the midst of growing concerns among the residents on the loss of light and air as the number of skyscrapers increased. In the Lower Manhattan, buildings were limited to 42 stories, in the wake of the 42-Story Equitable Building.
It was not until 1961 that New York started to implement zoning codes in the modern context. For instance, limitations were set regarding the inner lots along with the windows, which were required to face either the inner lot or the street. This was succeeded by the need to establish the floor to area ratio, which limited the height of the building by the size. Still in 1961, the automobile industry had gained popularity among the elite, making it necessary to formulate zoning codes with parking requirements. Additionally, the 1961 zoning codes further established city’s demarcation according to industrial, residential and commercial uses. Public spaces also became more apparent during this era. Typically, the zoning policies in the growth of NYC were mainly influenced by the social and development needs of the residents. One of the main reasons why NYC has been in a position to manage housing in an efficient manner is through the housing policies. In 1979, the NYC municipality had taken over more than 60,000 units in the city. These regulations were mainly enacted through tax reforms, public participation especially through litigations and favorable housing policies.
After the settlement of the Dutch settlers, the NYC transportation development kicked off. The system started with the port, along with several routes linking the neighborhood. The grid street system started in the 19th century, where links with other cities were well defined. Evidently, the New Yorkers own the least private cars, with the majority of people using public transport system. This contributed to the growth of the street system throughout the city. Due to environmental concerns, the growth of this city has been associated with massive energy efficient plans and codes, significantly reducing the amount of oil consumption in the city. The need for efficiency automobiles has further influenced the infrastructural growth in this city.
Conspicuously, there are many ways in which NYC has grown in the wake of the millennium. NYC is classified as the global financial center, with over $1.33 trillion gross metropolitan product. Manhattan is dominated by the services industries such as the finance, communication and banking firms. Nearly all industries flourish in this city, as a result of ample environment along with available office spaces, which are well linked with the infrastructures and social amenities. In addition to this, connectivity is high within the city, increasing the intellectual capital of the region. Such features have also attracted global firms, whose offices are based on the city. Throughout the development of NYC, manufacturing and trade industry have extensively defined economic activities of the city. The wealth created from these industries can further be attributed to the current nature of the NYC.
As the intellectual capital developed gradually, NYC the former building restrictions were changed subsequently. Today, NYC is the home of some of the tallest buildings in the world, where more than 112 properties are taller than 183 meters compared to other cities. In particular, the tallest property in the city is the One World Trade Center, with an approximate height of 541 meters. The development of building further signifies the increment of the population. As of July 2015, the NYC population jumped to about 8.5 million people, compared to April 2010 with 8.1 million. The trend is projected to continue increasing in the future.
As previously mentioned, most New Yorkers rely heavily on public transport. This is one of the numerous reasons why the city is efficient when it comes to energy consumption. The tradition of commuting can be traced back at the settlement of the Dutch settlers, where well defined routes and several ports were developed. Since then, there have been significant changes in the transport sector. Today, NYC has one of the largest subway networks across the world. It is ranked in position 7 in the number of people that depend on the subway system. As a result of subway dependency, NYC public transport system operates round the clock in seven days a week. Intercity rail, commuter network and buses further serve the city in an efficient way, promoting connection among the NYC boroughs. In addition to this, this city has two airports, connecting various modes of transports. Briefly, the 19th century in NYC was characterized by water transport, subways and bridges. However, the 21st century increased intermodal transports system, increasing the convenience of the commuters. Modern transportation systems are being developed in the 21st century, with plans underway to expand and develop the infrastructures from the previous century.
Consequently, the crime rate in NYC has been reducing over the past years. In 2015, NYC recorded significantly lower criminal activities as compared to major cities in the U.S. Notable tactics employed by the NYC police department to curb the rate of crime is the CompStat, broken windows theory and the surveillance of the Muslims. On average, CompStat is an organizational philosophy which invests in improving the quality of life and enhancing the efficiency of public administration with the intentions of reducing the rate of crime. Broken windows model, on the other hand, involves monitoring possible anti-social behavior to arrest or prevent criminal activities in the urban areas. Perhaps, one of the most tragic events in NYC and the U.S is 9/11 terror attack. This attack significantly affected the city’s economy along the social well-being of the residents. Since then, the adoption of monitoring the Muslim community in NYC and its environs was initiated. This has however not been without challenges. Activists have criticized the NYC authority for such activities triggering a series of legal tussles. Other tactics employed in reducing crime in NYC includes stop-and-frisk and policing among others. The increased safety can further be attributed to the modern growth of the city.
In summary, New York City is one of the ancient towns that have survived principle architectural, construction and planning changes. A quick review of its history illustrates the broad development of urban centers in the human history. Starting with the earliest forms of transport and zoning codes, NYC has substantially utilized human resources to absorb technological and era changes. The culture of New Yorkers has further contributed to the current state of the city. For instance, heavily depending on public transports has stimulated the rapid development of communication infrastructures in the city. Today, NYC infrastructural, economical and social characteristics continue to attract global investors, further propelling the city towards prosperity.

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