new york city - overview

Question 1

describe the site of new york city

Answer 1

area cover 37,600 sqkm
has . Fresh water sources included the Hudson River and small creeks, alongside raw materials for construction such as brown stone New Jersey and Connecticut quarries, became a favored building material for its affordability.

6. The Appalachian and Catskill Mountains acted as development barriers but later served as water catchment areas.
7. The city sprawls across the Atlantic undulating  coastal plain, promoting outward growth with flat terrains taking aprox 1.5 hrs to get from the bronx to staten island
8. Todt Hill on Staten Island stands as NYC's highest point at 124.9 meters above sea level.
9. NYC lies on quartz, feldspar, and mica-based faults, indicating a moderate earthquake risk. Manhattan's stable metamorphic schist supports its high-rise buildings,

Question 2

describe the situation of NYC

Answer 2

1. New York City is in the northeast US, specifically at 40°45’N, 73°59’W (Times Square), between Boston and Washington D.C.

• NYC is situated approx 350km south west of boston and 430km north east of washington D.C
  
  2. As a coastal city on the Atlantic Ocean, NYC played a significant role in the 17th-18th century triangular trade among Europe, North America, and Africa.
  3. The city comprises five boroughs separated by waterways: Brooklyn and Queens on Long Island; Manhattan and Staten as distinct islands; and the Bronx on the mainland.
  4. A comprehensive mass transit system, including subways and rail, primarily centers on Manhattan.
  5. An intricate network of expressways and parkways connects NYC to neighboring regions like New Jersey, Westchester County, Long Island, and southwest Connecticut.
  6. Several bridges, tunnels, and major routes like the Long Island Expressway facilitate efficient transportation within and around the city.

Question 3

describe the external morphology of NYC

Answer 3

• The metropolitan area spans 790 square kilometers and features a multicellular layout.
  
  5. Natural features like the Hudson and East Rivers, along with islands, intersect NYC.
• Manhattan’s waterway access was vital for early settlers depending on shipping.
• The city expanded beyond its rivers with the advent of bridge and tunnel technologies, boosting economic activity.
  
  8. The Brooklyn Bridge’s completion in 1868 played a crucial role in extending NYC’s boundaries.
  9. Over years, various bridges and tunnels (e.g., Williamsburg,Holland) were established, facilitating growth.
  10. Today, barriers like the Atlantic coastline and mountain ranges (e.g., Catskills) limit NYC’s external expansion

Question 4

describe NYC internal morphology

Answer 4

• The 1811 Commissioners’ Plan introduced ‘The Manhattan Grid’, addressing unplanned and unhealthy city layouts.
• This grid consisted of 12 north-south avenues and 155 east-west streets.
• It took most of the 19th century
• Avenues, at 30 metres wide, were situated closer to waterfronts, targeting commerce and industry zones.
• Their broader design compared to 12-metre-wide streets facilitated horse-drawn vehicles and fostered retail hubs.
  The grid system streamlined land surveying, transactions, and taxation processes.
  While most prominent in Manhattan, aspects of the grid design extend into other NYC boroughs, as proposed in 1807

Question 5

decribe some characteristics for the CBD OF NYC

Answer 5

• Manhattan is generally accepted as being New Yorks CBD and financial district of Tri State Area but it is also made up of different districts
  CBD is Multi nuclei and includes both Financial District and Midtown
  Financial District - It is compact and dense with landuse competition and vertical zonation of functions within high rise skyscrapers.An area of aggregation of commerce and finance (Stock exchange)
  Midtown – highly accessible (all rail routes converge e.g. Grand Central Station) Provides different functions mainly retail & Entertainment (Broadway)

Question 6

what are some characteristics of IMZ for NYC

Answer 6

Typically older inner neighborhoods that fringe the CBD.
Semi intensive mixture of landuses including warehouse, factories, restaurants, offices, apartments and transport terminals.
A dynamic area with constant change due to land use competition, and invasion and succession
Places include SoHo, Tribeca and Chelsea

Question 7

characteristics of residential zone

Answer 7

• residential dominated in terms of spatial extent

residential density in manhattan is very high ad rezoning along 5h3 river in brooklyn and queens has encouraged high ridse condominium development. development has been going on from 1950s to remve slums and blighted residential areas.

urban renewable examples of manhattan include SOHO and chealsea.

Question 8

explain the RUF of NYC

Answer 8

westchester is located on the RUF like many other RUF thhere are no defined boundaries becasue of constant invasion of urban land uses. thus leading to invasion of dairy agriculture and horticulture in longislands