Selects: The Manhattan Grid | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

1. Josh Clark: The Grid's Practicality

Timestamp: 00:03:39 to 00:08:06 - watch this moment on skim

The Manhattan grid, established by the 1811 Commissioner's Plan, is praised for its pragmatic design that facilitates easy navigation and accommodates massive urban growth. This system, with its numbered avenues and streets, allows people to orient themselves and travel efficiently across the island, a feat made possible by the plan's foresight in laying out the city's future.

Significance (High): This pragmatic approach to urban planning has made Manhattan one of the most navigable large cities in the world, a testament to the grid's enduring utility for both residents and visitors.

Sources in support: Josh Clark (Host), Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host), Dave Ruse (Writer)

2. Chuck Bryant: The Grid's Aesthetic Criticisms

Timestamp: 00:09:53 to 00:12:12 - watch this moment on skim

Despite its practicality, the Manhattan grid is often criticized for its perceived lack of soul and aesthetic monotony. Critics like Walt Whitman and Edith Wharton have described it as 'hidebound in its deadly uniformity of mean ugliness,' a stark contrast to the organic charm of older cities. This rigid structure, dominated by right angles and imposing buildings, can feel soulless, especially before the addition of Central Park.

Significance (Medium): These criticisms highlight a fundamental tension between functional urban design and the human desire for beauty and organic character in cityscapes.

Sources in support: Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host), Dave Ruse (Writer)

Neutral sources: Walt Whitman (Poet), Edith Wharton (Novelist)

3. Josh Clark: Historical Precedents of the Grid

Timestamp: 00:12:42 to 00:15:43 - watch this moment on skim

The grid layout is not a New York invention; its origins trace back to ancient civilizations like the Indus Valley (Mohenjo Daro) and were formalized by Greek city planners like Hippodamus. Spanish conquistadors also employed grid systems, known as the 'Law of the Indies,' to establish order in conquered territories, demonstrating a long history of using grids for urban development and control.

Significance (High): Understanding these historical precedents reveals the grid as a recurring and enduring solution for urban organization across diverse cultures and eras.

Sources in support: Josh Clark (Host), Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host)

Neutral sources: Mohenjo Daro (Ancient City), Hippodamus (Greek City Planner), Lima (Capital of Peru), Los Angeles (City in California), Guatemala (Country in Central America), Philadelphia (City in Pennsylvania), Washington D.C. (Capital of the United States)

4. Chuck Bryant: The Organic Charm of Lower Manhattan

Timestamp: 00:16:40 to 00:19:43 - watch this moment on skim

In contrast to the rigid grid, lower Manhattan retains an organic street layout that evolved naturally from early Dutch and English settlement paths. These meandering streets, shaped by topography like marshes and hills, offer a distinct character and charm that many find more appealing than the uniform grid. This organic feel makes navigation more challenging but provides a richer, more historically grounded urban experience.

Significance (Medium): The organic layout of lower Manhattan serves as a living reminder of the city's earliest days, offering a stark and appealing contrast to the planned efficiency of the grid above Houston Street.

Sources in support: Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host), Josh Clark (Host)

5. Chuck Bryant: The Grid's Impact on Growth and Development

Timestamp: 00:18:13 to 00:20:19 - watch this moment on skim

The 1811 Commissioner's Plan was a bold prediction for Manhattan's future growth, essentially dictating the city's expansion north of Houston Street. Despite its aesthetic drawbacks, the grid's systematic nature was crucial for managing the rapid development and land sales that transformed the island into a major metropolis. The plan's legal enforceability ensured its implementation, even if it meant reshaping the natural landscape.

Significance (High): The unwavering implementation of the 1811 plan, despite its flaws, was instrumental in shaping Manhattan into the densely populated and economically vital city it is today.

Sources in support: Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host), Josh Clark (Host)

6. Josh Clark: The Surveyor Girk's Foundational Work

Timestamp: 00:20:20 to 00:23:20 - watch this moment on skim

The 1811 Commissioner's Plan was heavily influenced by an earlier survey conducted by Casemir Theodore Girk in the 1780s. Tasked with dividing Manhattan's common lands for sale, Girk laid out five-acre parcels with specific road widths, including a central 'middle' road (now Fifth Avenue). His grid-based approach, though not intended as a definitive city plan, provided the essential framework that the later commission adopted.

Significance (High): Girk's foundational survey work, though seemingly utilitarian, inadvertently laid the groundwork for the future layout of Manhattan, demonstrating how practical land division can shape urban destiny.

Sources in support: Josh Clark (Host), Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host)

Neutral sources: Casemir Theodore Girk (Surveyor)

7. The Commissioners' Mandate and Authority

Timestamp: 00:24:39 to 00:27:06 - watch this moment on skim

The 1807 law vested absolute authority in three commissioners to lay out New York City's streets, tasking them with creating a plan deemed 'most conducive to public good' without further oversight.

Significance (High): This concentration of power allowed for a sweeping, albeit controversial, redesign of Manhattan, bypassing public input and leading to significant disruption.

Sources in support: Josh Clark (Host), Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host)

Neutral sources: Dave Ruse (Writer), Josh (Host), Chuck (Host)

8. The Unlikely Trio of Commissioners

Timestamp: 00:25:16 to 00:27:47 - watch this moment on skim

The commission comprised Governor Morris, a respected but perhaps unqualified figure; John Rutherford, his nephew-in-law whose involvement appears to be nepotism; and Simeon DeWitt, a skilled surveyor whose expertise may have been overridden.

Significance (Medium): The varied expertise and questionable motivations of the commissioners cast doubt on the thoroughness and integrity of the planning process.

Sources in support: Josh Clark (Host), Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host)

Neutral sources: Dave Ruse (Writer), Josh (Host), Chuck (Host)

9. Borrowing Heavily from Casimir Gork

Timestamp: 00:28:27 to 00:30:00 - watch this moment on skim

The 1811 grid plan, particularly its street and avenue layout and block dimensions, was largely derived from earlier maps created by Casimir Gork, yet Gork received no credit for his foundational work.

Significance (Medium): This lack of attribution suggests a lack of originality and potentially a shortcut taken by the commissioners, undermining the legitimacy of their 'original' plan.

Sources in support: Josh Clark (Host), Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host)

Neutral sources: Governor Morris (Commissioner)

10. The 'Least Inconvenience' Rationale

Timestamp: 00:33:41 to 00:35:18 - watch this moment on skim

The commissioners justified their plan by stating it was 'attended with the least inconvenience,' a rationale widely criticized as self-serving, as the plan caused immense disruption and displacement for many residents and property owners.

Significance (High): This justification reveals a potential disregard for the human cost of urban development, prioritizing expediency over the well-being of the populace.

Sources in support: Josh Clark (Host), Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host)

Neutral sources: Dave Ruse (Writer), Josh (Host), Chuck (Host), John Rutherford (Commissioner)

11. The Neglect of Public Green Spaces

Timestamp: 00:36:21 to 00:38:52 - watch this moment on skim

Despite legal requirements, the commissioners failed to designate significant public gathering places or green spaces, relying instead on the city's rivers, a decision that proved shortsighted and detrimental to urban quality of life.

Significance (High): This oversight necessitated the later creation of Central Park and highlights a critical failure in planning for the psychological and social needs of a growing urban population.

Sources in support: Josh Clark (Host), Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host)

Neutral sources: Dave Ruse (Writer), Josh (Host), Chuck (Host), Peter Maruse (Architecture Critic)

12. Widespread Disruption and Eminent Domain

Timestamp: 00:38:54 to 00:41:06 - watch this moment on skim

The implementation of the grid plan required the demolition of approximately 40% of existing buildings and extensive alteration of the natural landscape through filling ponds and marshes, representing a massive exercise of eminent domain.

Significance (High): This drastic reshaping of the city's physical and ecological landscape caused significant hardship and resistance from affected landowners and residents.

Sources in support: Josh Clark (Host), Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host)

Neutral sources: John Rutherford (Commissioner), Raphael Vinoli (Architect)

13. The Rise of Apartment Living

Timestamp: 00:41:53 to 00:43:03 - watch this moment on skim

The grid plan's development coincided with the emergence of apartment buildings, starting with the 'Stuyvesant' (or 'Styazant') in 1869, initially mocked as 'Styazance Folly' but quickly becoming popular and paving the way for structures like The Dakota.

Significance (Medium): This shift in housing reflects changing urban needs and density, fundamentally altering the residential landscape of New York City.

Sources in support: Josh Clark (Host), Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host)

Neutral sources: Rim Koulhas (Architect)

14. A Turning Point for Modern New York

Timestamp: 00:43:27 to 00:44:02 - watch this moment on skim

The 1811 commission's plan marked a pivotal transition from an unplanned, organic city to the structured, modern New York we know today, fundamentally altering its character and development trajectory.

Significance (High): This strategic imposition of order, though controversial, laid the groundwork for the city's future growth and identity as a global metropolis.

Sources in support: Josh Clark (Host), Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant (Host)

Commissioners' Self-Interest (High severity)

Type: Commercial

The 1811 commissioners' plan for Manhattan's grid was adopted with the stated rationale of 'least inconvenience,' which critics argue was primarily for the commissioners themselves, not the public or existing residents.

Significance: This raises profound questions about whether the plan prioritized efficient development and public good, or served the convenience of its creators, potentially leading to unnecessary destruction and displacement.

Lack of Public Space Prioritization (High severity)

Type: Editorial

Despite a legal mandate to create public squares, the commissioners largely neglected this, arguing that the Hudson and East Rivers provided sufficient natural 'green space.'

Significance: This decision directly impacted the quality of life for future New Yorkers, necessitating the later, massive undertaking of creating Central Park and highlighting a fundamental failure in foresight and public welfare considerations.