Reshaping New York City.

New York is a city rich with history so well known and in your face that it's hard not to reminisce about what once was while observing the swift overtaking of a skyline of cranes (construction cranes, that is). The magnetic pull of New York City is so intense that the population has increased by 2.5% since the 2010 census (that's approximately 250K people, or nearly 35% of the population of Seattle). That's a lot of people. Despite the ebb and flow of populations in NYC, the city has maintained its raw, sometimes ruthless, and oftentimes charming identity. However, on a physical level, it's changing by the minute. The New York Times posted an incredible "newsgraphic" that highlights the significant developmental changes that took place during Mayor Bloomberg's tenure. While the transformations celebrate the use of city space, a scarce commodity in NYC, the implications are still to be determined. What is the path that takes us from dilapidated lot to luxury mid-rise, and is it the path we really want to take? As our built environment evolves, how does it affect the identity of a block, neighborhood or city as a whole? Consider this while checking out the New York times article: http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/08/18/reshaping-new-york/