Tag: planning

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Book Project: Plundering the City

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My future book project titled “Plundering the City” examines how capital and new technologies eroded the quality, density, and variety of small businesses, craft industries, neighborhood institutions, and community groups in what is now the inner-city of Newark, New Jersey. Taking one city as the prism to examine larger urban crises in American culture, this project highlights the spatial and social causes of urban poverty and impoverished social relations in American urban life. Rebuilding social infrastructure requires systemic change and seizing a new means of production.

Visit: NewarkChanging.org/map VIEW PROJECT >

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Say no to the Ironbound trash incinerator!

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Myles Zhang addressed the Newark City Council in July 2025, criticizing the Covanta trash incinerator for polluting the air, skies, and health of Newark residents. His public testimony highlighted the disparity between the affluent suburban communities that produce this waste vs. the impoverished urban communities where this waste is disposed. Myles’s research argues for fairer reparations and pushes for environmentally sustainable alternatives to improve the health outcomes of Newark residents. VIEW PROJECT >

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Time-Lapse Evolution of Istanbul’s Urban Form: 330 AD to Present

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This film project utilizes historical cartography and GIS to create a time-lapse animation of Istanbul’s urban development over millennia. It illustrates three significant periods: Byzantine rule (330AD-1453), Ottoman rule (1453-1923), and modern metropolitan growth (1923-present). The animation visualizes changing coastlines and showcases the evolution of 200 archaeological sites, churches, aqueduct routes, and early Roman roads. Viewers can explore the film with the accompanying soundtrack or pause the map and zoom into a high-resolution map of individual places. VIEW PROJECT >

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Interactive time-lapse map about construction of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp

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This project utilizes georeferenced historical maps and time sliders to document the transformation of the region around the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp from 1945 to today. The interactive map highlights the selective preservation, demolition, decay, or adaptive reuse of significant camp structures linked to the Holocaust. The project uses interactive time-lapse cartography to inform public understanding of the Holocaust and the landscape of tragedy it produced. VIEW PROJECT >

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Historic preservation is a better business model.

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My op-ed in the local papers argues for a shift in Newark’s economic development model. City leaders must prioritize adaptive reuse of existing vacant buildings over construction of new skyscrapers. My research into the high vacancy rates in downtown properties support the conclusion that smaller, mid-rise constructions are a more sustainable and risk-averse development model. Human-scale urbanism in historic building better fosters community, local identity, and population density – while avoiding the pitfalls and of overly ambitious projects that become economic “white elephants.” VIEW PROJECT >

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Envisioning Seneca Village

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This collaborative project by Gergely Baics, Meredith Linn, Leah Meisterlin, and Myles Zhang. The project showcases a historically-accurate and archaeologically-informed 3D model of the historic African American community of Seneca Village, which was demolished in 1857 to build Central Park. The project combines digital reconstruction with extensive research, as public-facing tools to commemorate the village’s history and legacy. The project was recognized with multiple awards, widespread use in classrooms, and publicity by the Central Park Conservancy.

Visit: EnvisioningSenecaVillage.github.io VIEW PROJECT >

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Setting Up Sex Offenders for Failure

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This blind peer reviewed article discusses how stringent laws for sex offenders, like Megan’s Law and residency restrictions on where sex offenders may live, inadvertently lead to higher rates of re-arrest and re-conviction. These web of laws ironically increase the crime rate and cause thousands of low-income sex offenders to be re-arrested for crimes unrelated to the abuse of minors. Focusing on New York City, this research highlights issues with the home address requirement and suggests reforms to enhance public safety more effectively than current regulations.
Read in: Agora Journal of Urban Planning and Design VIEW PROJECT >

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Homeownership and the Racial Wealth Gap

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In March 2024, I presented at the Newark Public Library, as part of the Newark History Society’s monthly circuit of public lectures. My two-hour presentation discussed the deep historical roots between Newark’s poverty and the wealth of affluent neighboring suburbs. Beyond simple narratives of redlining and race, the presentation explored the complex economic, political, and policy factors behind Newark’s decline. The research conducted in preparation for this presentation evolved into what is now my book project titled Plundering the City.

View recording of conference presentation. VIEW PROJECT >

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Jersey City: Urban Planning in Historical Perspective

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This project was commissioned by the Jersey City Public Library to be used as an educational tool about the history of land use law and city planning, from 1900 to today. The project overlays citywide maps of every building in 1873, 1919, and today – to reveal changing land use patterns. The project also includes a PDF booklet about Jersey City’s six master plans, each of which captures the spirit of the city and the governing philosophies of city planners at the time. These documents reveal the city’s evolution in response to urban challenges and broader themes in U.S. urban history. VIEW PROJECT >

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Mapping Manhattan Chinatown’s Public Realm

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Pedestrian Observations explores Manhattan’s Chinatown’s public and private spaces through a detailed panoramic drawing and map of contested land uses. This project was co-published by Myles Zhang with non-profit artist collective City as Living Lab and architect Stephen Fan. The printed folding map highlights the vibrant interactions among diverse community members, while emphasizing the need for better public space management. Inspired by urban theorists, the project seeks to foster conversation about economic development and resilient urban environments.

《行人观察》(Pedestrian Observations) 将详尽的全景绘画对照各种土地利用的地图，深入探讨曼哈顿华埠的公共与私人空间的使用。该项目由张之远 (Myles Zhang），建筑师樊一鸣 (Stephen Fan)， 和艺术家公益团体“城市实践工作室” (City as Living Lab) 联合出版。这份折叠地图描绘多元社区成员之间充满活力的互动，同时强调加强公共空间管理的必要性。本项目综合城市理论家的研究，提倡灵活变通的都市环境，从而促进经济发展。
Visit: CityasLivingLab.org/chinatown VIEW PROJECT >

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Reflections on my experience as PhD student, halfway through the program

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As a third-year PhD student, I thought to write this reflection on my academic journey and the challenges faced in navigating elite institutions. In the interest of helping future applicants to PhD programs navigate a process that appears opaque from the outside, I share my program experience and the text of my prelim reading list, minor, and major essays. VIEW PROJECT >

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Newark Changing in Maps: 1889, 1927, 1930

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This project overlays historical city-wide fire insurance and tax maps above the contemporary geography to reveal change over time. Detailed maps of building footprints from 1889, 1927, and 1930 reveal different patterns of land use, community life, and walkable streets. Find your building, your workplace, or any site in Newark – and identify who lived there a century ago with the unique tool of this interactive map. VIEW PROJECT >

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Built on a Billion-Dollar Bed of Corporate Tax Breaks

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This research examines tax breaks and public funds granted to help developers build in Downtown Newark. There are inequities in who benefits from these incentives: Larger corporations receive substantial tax breaks while smaller developers and small business owners struggle. The report proposes several policy recommendations for ensuring equitable economic Downtown redevelopment, highlighting the need for public accountability and fair property tax assessments. The problem is not tax breaks. The problem is: Who gets them? VIEW PROJECT >

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The City as Carceral State

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This personal essay reflects on my experiences growing up in Newark, NJ, and witnessing the city’s stark socioeconomic divides. These experiences inspired my current studies of architecture and urban planning, with a particular focus on systemic inequality in the built environment. I hope to make scholarship accessible, to address historical injustices through genuine community engagement and historical research. VIEW PROJECT >

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Goodbye Baxter Terrace

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This essay was written by my father Zemin Zhang on December 2, 2007.

Baxter Terrace was one of Newark, NJ’s very first public housing projects. Opened 1941, the project initially reflected a faith in social security, economic opportunity, and social mobility for working-class and black Americans. Over time, as public investment faded, the project declined and was later demolished in 2009. The loss of this building reflects the shattered dreams of social reformers and an entire generation of black Americans denied the right to a home. VIEW PROJECT >

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Time-lapse History of the United States

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This animation maps 272,000 data points over 230 years of U.S. census data from 1790 to 2020. The film uses racial dot maps and maps of population density over time to illustrate America’s urbanization, industrialization, and conquest of the frontier. Each dot represents 10,000 people, with major cities highlighted. Philip Glass’s accompanying music prompts reflections immigration, land use, and transportation technology’s influence on settlement patterns. VIEW PROJECT >

Does the American city need a new “public entrepreneur” like Robert Moses?

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The play “Straight Line Crazy,” performed in 2022 at The Shed in Midtown Manhattan, explores Robert Moses’s complex legacy as New York City’s mid-century urban planner. While he is celebrated for expansive public works projects, he is also criticized for displacing communities and ignoring dissenting voices. In this narrative, I reflect on city planning, government’s role in society, and the neoliberal shift of privatizing public goods. Who controls public space? Are today’s market forces as destructive to communities as Robert Moses’s “slum” clearance projects? VIEW PROJECT >

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Newark Changing: Mapping neighborhood demolition, 1950s to today

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Newark Changing is an interactive visual encyclopedia featuring 2,400 photo comparisons from 1959-68 vs. today. The project illustrates the combined impacts of urban renewal, slum clearance, highway construction, and decades of demolition by neglect. Through a historic map, users can explore dozens of neighborhoods and thousands of demolished homes. This research highlights the devastation faced by communities due to decades of anti-urban policy decisions by the government and anti-black investment decisions by corporations.

Visit: NewarkChanging.org/map VIEW PROJECT >

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A park without trees creates a city without history.

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Washington Park in Downtown Newark (renamed Harriet Tubman Square) is home to dozens of significant old-growth trees, some almost 200 years old. In 2022, local real estate developer Marc Berson proposed to cut down all of these tries – likely in a pre-emptive effort to build a parking garage beneath this historic park. These trees symbolize freedom and oppression in the African-American (and human) experience, and their preservation is vital to honoring history and heritage. Thanks to community efforts led by the city’s Italian community, Berson’s proposal was denied. VIEW PROJECT >

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Racializing Space

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Drawing from the perspectives of architecture, planning, sociology, and history, this panel discussion at the University of Michigan’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning considers the evidence for how and why the American city and suburb – specifically Detroit – remain spatially segregated. What steps must be taken to fulfill the dream of an egalitarian metropolis? Panelists included:
Sociologist Karyn Lacy
American historian LaDale Winling,
Urban planning historian Robert Fishman
Conversation moderated by Myles Zhang. VIEW PROJECT >

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A Different Kind of Radiant City: Bucharest

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This research compares architect Le Corbusier’s 1920s imaginary Plan Voisin to demolish most of Paris and communist dictator Ceaușescu’s 1980s plans to demolish most of Bucharest, Romania. The unexpected comparison reveals a complex relationship between French utopian and Communist totalitarian visions. Both urban forms reflect deep ideological ambitions, showing how arrogant dreams of modernity displace existing cultures. Ultimately, the comparison illustrates how the urban form reflects the beliefs and prejudices of those tasked with designing the city. VIEW PROJECT >

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The Geography of Racial Segregation in 1940s Detroit

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This interactive story map created in ArcGIS visualizes the geography of racial segregation, income inequality, and disparities in homeownership in 1940s Detroit. The origins of Detroit’s contemporary urban crisis originate in specific design, policy, and urban planning decisions made almost a century ago. VIEW PROJECT >

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“The State is Responsible”

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The article examines racial segregation in Royal Oak Charter Township and Detroit Public Schools, exploring how race-based policies have historically influenced public education quality. It highlights how the 1974 Supreme Court case Milliken v. Bradley contributed to growing racial segregation and class inequality between black and white communities in Detroit. VIEW PROJECT >

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Branch Brook Park Interactive History Map

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This is the official history map and guide for visitors to Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ. This 360-acre park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr in the 1890s and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Navigate this interactive map to learn about park amenities, recreational spaces, historic sites, transit connections, points of interest like the cherry blossoms, and vanished landscape features from Olmsted’s original plans. Map annotations are paired with explanatory texts and comparative photos of past and present.

View map on the website of Branch Brook Park Alliance. VIEW PROJECT >

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Warren Street School Demolition

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The historic 1890s Warren Street School stood in Newark’s University Heights neighborhood and served a century of public school children. Despite its landmark status and eligibility for future inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, Newark City Hall approved demolition on April Fool’s Day in 2021. This demolition highlights the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s calculated disregard for architectural heritage. The demolition act also symbolizes a broader trend of city leadership that is ignorant of history and the power of historic preservation to cultivate local identity. VIEW PROJECT >

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Bulldozer Urbanism

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The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) faces criticism for demolishing historic buildings in Newark’s James Street Commons Historic District. While NJIT invested significantly in architecture for its students, the parts of campus that face toward the city and commmunity lack community engagement and negatively impact urban aesthetics. I advocate for campus planning that enhances neighborhood life and preserves historical assets. VIEW PROJECT >

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The Privatization of Public Space in Lower Manhattan

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The decline of public spaces in Lower Manhattan is a pressing issue, threatening democracy and the sense of civic identity. While approximately 60% of Lower Manhattan’s ground area is technically dedicated to public use, only 25% remains truly accessible to pedestrians. Factors like cars, corporations, and surveillance have restricted urban life. Continued privatization erodes the quality and frequency of community interactions that are essential for democratic engagement and tolerance. VIEW PROJECT >

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Street Grid Development vs. Population Density

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This animation illustrates Manhattan’s urban development from 1801 to 2011, highlighting changes in street grid and population density. While Manhattan peaked at over 2.3 million residents in 1900, it had only 1.6 million in 2020. Improved public transportation after 1900 empowered hundreds of thousands of people to relocate from Manhattan to outer boroughs and suburbs that had more room and better quality housing supply. Manhattan today appears more visually dense and ever more populated with skyscrapers. But, ironically, about 40 percent fewer people live in Manahttan today than a century ago. Fewer people are living in larger apartments. This produces a net decline in population, even while there is a continuous growth in building sizes and heights. VIEW PROJECT >

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The Detroit Evolution Animation

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Old maps were layered and animated to reveal the scale of Detroit’s transformation from French colonial trading post, to 19th-century boom, to 20th-century decline. Cartography highlights how political policies, technological changes, and the Great Migration accelerated racial segregation and the decline of mass transit. Detroit reflects broader trends seen in American cities. Project developed with historian Robert Fishman for an exhibit and lecture, funded by Egalitarian Metropolis grant from Mellon Foundation. VIEW PROJECT >

A Drop of Water

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This essay is a brief history and analysis of Newark’s water supply system, based on my experience of walking along the aqueduct from forest origins to urban destination. The journey of Newark’s water supply illustrates the connection between diverse communities in New Jersey, highlighting how the rural, suburban, and urban areas are interlinked. Despite their physical separation, the health and well-being of Newark residents depend on clean water sourced from distant, often affluent regions, revealing societal inequalities in access and environmental safety. VIEW PROJECT >