Chapter 10 - NYC (Depth Study 2)
SITE, SITUATION, MORPHOLOGY & DEMOGRAPHICS OF NYC - answer
SYLLABUS POINTS:
· The site, situation, internal and external morphology, and functions
· The demographics
What is NYC comprised of? - answer· The city of NY is comprised of the 5 Boroughs -
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx (8.5 million people live
within them)
What are the site characteristics of NYC? - answer• Located at the mouth of the Hudson
River, which feeds into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Atlantic Ocean,
has helped the city grow in significance as a trading city.
• Much of New York is built on the three islands of Manhattan, Staten Island, and Long
Island, making land scarce and encouraging a high population density.
• The highest point in the city is Todt Hill on Staten Island, which at 124.9 m above sea
level is the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard south of Maine. Flat land has
promoted urban growth
• Built on a series of faults made up of quartz, feldspar and mica. Marble Hill is one
example of how Manhattan's land has been considerably altered by human intervention.
The borough has seen substantial land reclamation along its waterfronts since Dutch
colonial times, and much of the natural variation in topography has been evened out.
What are the situation characteristics of NYC? - answer· Latitude and longitude of NYC
is 40°43′N 74°0′W
· New York City is located in the north-eastern United States, in south-eastern New
York State, approximately halfway between Washington, D.C. and Boston.
· Manhattan is the confluence of the state's vast mass transit network (subway and rail),
the city also has an extensive web of expressways and parkways, that link New York
City to northern New Jersey, Westchester County, Long Island, and southwest
Connecticut through various bridges and tunnels.
· New York was strategically located to take part in the triangular trade between Europe,
North America and Africa in the 17th and 18th century.
Metropolitan area of city made up of five boroughs - separated by waterways.
Describe the different urban functions of NYC? Why is NYC considered a 'global city'? -
answer• New York is one of the world's most significant centers for finance, insurance
and international trade.
• It is a major center for media (tv, music, newspapers), fashion, tourism, entertainment
(Broadway), information technology and biotechnology. It also is home to the United
Nations Headquarters and therefore a major center of international affairs and has one
of the largest numbers of corporate headquarters
, • Collectively, these functions make NYC is one of the most important economic regions
in the world and why it is a 'global city
• New York is one of the world's most significant centres for finance, insurance, and
international trade.
• It is a major centre for media (tv, music, newspapers), fashion, tourism, entertainment
(Broadway), information technology and biotechnology. It also is home to the United
Nations Headquarters and therefore a major centre of international affairs and has one
of the largest numbers of corporate headquarters
• Collectively, these functions make NYC is one of the most important economic regions
in the world and why it is a 'global city'
Describe the external morphology of NYC - answer· Continuous urban agglomeration in
New York
· Outer extent of urban agglomeration forms the external morphology of the NY
megacity
· New York is a multicellular city: urban area separated by waterways and located on
both islands and mainland.
· Has a dense and compact core - originating in Manhattan
· Built up area extends outwards across rivers and waterways to Long Island and Staten
Island, and to the mainland states of New Jersey and Connecticut
· Manhattan has a linear morphology
· The expansion of the City's external morphology began once bridge and tunnel
technology overcame the physical barriers posed by the rivers. This also created new
hubs of economic activity and transportation
· Today, the Atlantic coastline restricts the city's external development, as do the
surrounding mountain ranges
· Extending over the 5 boroughs, the metro area covers some 790 km2.
+SEE SKETCH ON NOTES & PRACTICE IT*
Describe the internal morphology of NYC and the characteristics of the different
districts. - answer· Contains internal functional zones - due to its enormous size, the
locations of functional zones form a complex pattern
· In the Metropolitan New York:
-Original cities of the five boroughs and their associated business, commercial,
industrial and residential areas.
Central Business Districts:
· Manhattan is generally accepted as NY's central business and financial district
· Other cities form large outer business districts
· Financial district and Wall street:
-Characterised by high-rise office towers, major financial institutions and high prices
-Fast paced zone in the day
Large numbers of commuters enter it
Inner-mixed Zone:
· Comprises older neighbourhoods that fringe the CBD