Themes in American History

Collection of the New York Public Library, Maps of New York City and State

One aspect of New York City development during the twentieth century to another American city was passing zoning ordinance in 1916 (Chudacoff 214).  As stated on the NYC.GOV website, “In 1915, when the 42-story Equitable Building was erected in Lower Manhattan, the need for controls on the height and form of all buildings became clear setting the stage for the nation’s first comprehensive zoning resolution”. To deal with population density and growing Skyscrapers the concept was born. According to NYC.gov, “The concept of enacting a set of laws to govern land use and bulk was revolutionary, but the time had come for the city to regulate its surging physical growth. The groundbreaking Zoning Resolution of 1916, though a relatively simple document, established height and setback controls and designated residential districts that excluded what were seen as incompatible uses”. New York was the first city to pass this ordinance and became a model for other cities in the United States. It took additional eight years for other major cities to establish zoning regulations in order to control heights of buildings and fixed density limitations (Chudacoff 214).

. [Chicago : Chicago Zoning Commission, 1922]. maps : photocopies ; on sheets 80 x 100 cm. Blue line prints.”]In 1922, for example, the Chicago Zoning Commission, in order to facilitate the creation of Chicago’s first zoning law, compiled the first land-use map of Chicago. This picture is one of the  Government Maps of Chicago in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s

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