Greenwich Village On and Off the Grid:
Prediction, Speculation, and Preservation, 1811-2011

A Lecture by Jon Ritter

This lecture surveys the history, uses, and meanings of the Manhattan grid plan on the occasion of its bicentennial. Analysis focuses on the continuities and disruptions of the grid in Greenwich Village, suggesting how the history and topography of the area shaped its interaction with orthogonal city planning. Professor Jon Ritter of the NYU Urban Design & Architecture Studies program in the Department of Art History, considers specific events such as the extension of 6th and 7th Avenues, the planning of superblocks, and the preservation of historic districts within the speculative and predictive logic of 19th century grid planning.