When New York looked like Ancient Rome

Summary by Krater

This video explores the deep historical influence of Roman architecture and urban planning on New York City, examining how gridded streets, aqueducts, and neoclassical monuments echo ancient precedents.

From the video

Answers: How did Roman architecture and urban planning influence New York City?

• Roman urban planning in New York City
• Neoclassical architecture in Manhattan
• Croton Aqueduct and Roman engineering
• City Beautiful movement
• McKim, Mead & White architecture
• Washington Square Arch

What it concludes

• New York City's grid system, adopted at the beginning of the 19th century, placed the city in the tradition of classical city planning.
• The 1842 completion of the Croton Aqueduct explicitly imitated the most famous products of Roman engineering.
• The City Beautiful movement, catalyzed by the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition, championed neoclassical architecture as the sole style suitable for grand civic ambitions.
• Washington Square Arch and Penn Station marked the apogee of Roman influence on the cityscape of New York before the skyscraper boom of the 1920s.