September 3, 2011
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmMetropolitan Metamorphosis: The Creation of the City, 1870 to 1965 [Slide Show]
A visual tour of past efforts, many better left unrealized, that have shaped the way we live and work in cities—as seen in the pages of Scientific American
By Mary Karmelek
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
In conjunction with Scientific American’s special September 2011 issue on cities, we present an archival look back at the documented growth of urban environments. As population increased, cities had to find ways to meet the demands of expansion and to face the consequences of containing large numbers of people in small spaces. Some of the solutions offered in the following slide show have proved their worth and are still in use today. Others were either too impractical or too radical to make a lasting impact.
» View the photos of The Creation of the City from the Scientific American archives
Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism
Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.
When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.
Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber