Uneven Grid: The Flaws of Manhattan's Planning Commission

This chapter examines the dysfunctional dynamics of the 1811 commission tasked with planning Manhattan's layout, spotlighting three influential yet ineffective members. It explores the commission's inability to take decisive action and how their decisions, often influenced by nepotism, detracted from effective urban planning. Additionally, the chapter discusses the complexities of the Manhattan grid's development, including borrowed ideas and arbitrary street decisions that reveal a lack of coherent strategy.