Commissioners' Plan of 1811

Commissioners' Plan of 1811. The Commissioners' Plan of 1811 was the foundational street grid plan for the future expansion of Manhattan north of Houston Street and 14th Street. Adopted by the New York State Legislature, it was devised by a three-member commission appointed by the New York City Common Council. The plan imposed a rigid, rectangular grid of streets and avenues across the island, decisively shaping the physical and social geography of New York City for centuries to come.

Background and context

By the early 19th century, the rapid growth of New York City following the American Revolutionary War necessitated a systematic plan for the undeveloped lands of upper Manhattan. The haphazard, irregular street patterns of lower Manhattan, such as those in the Financial District, were seen as impediments to efficient development and real estate commerce. In 1807, the New York State Legislature responded by authorizing the appointment of a commission, granting it broad powers to lay out streets and public squares. This legislative act was influenced by the earlier, more Baroque-inspired plan for Washington, D.C., but the commissioners sought a more utilitarian solution. The appointed commissioners were prominent figures: Gouverneur Morris, a Founding Father and signer of the United States Constitution; Simeon De Witt, the Surveyor General of New York State; and John Rutherfurd, a former United States Senator.

Development and design

The commission, with John Randel Jr. as its chief surveyor, spent four years meticulously mapping the island's topography. Their final report, presented in 1811, rejected proposals for grand radial avenues and circles, as seen in L'Enfant's plan for Washington, D.C., in favor of a relentless gridiron of 155 orthogonal streets and 12 broad north-south avenues. The plan designated a standard block of about 200 by 800 feet, creating long, narrow lots ideal for speculative real estate development. Notable exceptions to the grid included the pre-existing Broadway, which was allowed to slice diagonally across the plan, and the preservation of some natural features like the Harlem River shoreline. A few public spaces were reserved, including a large military parade ground that would later become Central Park, though this was not part of the original 1811 design.

Implementation and legacy

Implementation of the plan began almost immediately, with John Randel Jr. physically marking the future streets with marble monuments and iron bolts. The grid facilitated a rapid and orderly sale of lots by the city, accelerating the northward expansion of New York City through neighborhoods like Chelsea, the Flatiron District, and Harlem. The plan's legacy is the defining street pattern of modern Manhattan, with its numbered street system becoming an iconic symbol of the city. It directly influenced the development of other major American cities, including the expansion plans for Chicago and San Francisco. The grid also predetermined the location of major subsequent infrastructure, such as the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and the Grand Central Terminal complex.

Reception and criticism

The plan was praised by contemporary business interests and politicians for its simplicity and promotion of efficient land use and speculation. However, it faced immediate criticism from some quarters for its perceived monotony and disregard for the island's natural topography, including its hills, streams, and rocky outcroppings. Early detractors, like the novelist Washington Irving, who satirized the plan in his publication *Salmagundi*, lamented the lack of ornamental circles and parks. In the 20th century, critics like Lewis Mumford derided the grid for fostering congestion and a lack of community cohesion. The absence of significant green space within the original plan was later addressed with the creation of Central Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, following the New York State Legislature's authorization in 1853.

Impact on New York City

The Commissioners' Plan fundamentally dictated the architectural and social character of New York City. The standard block dimensions shaped the iconic Manhattan building typology, from the brownstone rows of the Upper West Side to the soaring skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan like the Empire State Building. It created a highly efficient, predictable transportation network that later accommodated the New York City Subway system and major thoroughfares like Park Avenue. The grid's relentless logic accelerated the city's economic dominance by simplifying land titles and encouraging dense construction, directly contributing to the rise of global financial centers like Wall Street. It also cemented a distinctive urban experience, defining the character of districts from the Theater District to the Upper East Side.

Category:1811 in New York (state) Category:History of New York City Category:Urban planning in the United States