Our main question for this project was: What determines if a site is preserved and how do preserved vs unpreserved areas change over time? The interactive map we’ve created shows various levels of preservation in different areas of the city and the state. There is no singular answer to our question; there are a surplus of factors that dictate preservation and development. The photography and research we did throughout this project shows a snapshot of New York, and the map can be used to make observations that answer the question we asked at the beginning of this project. Of the discoveries we made about the motives behind preservation, the most noticeable was the influence of wealth and power on preservation. We observed this influence in all areas we visited and in our research. The areas that have consistently resisted development were the wealthier places that we explored, such as Greenwich Village. When researching how the city was built and expanded, we observed the destruction and neglect of poorer communities, especially in our research of figures such as Robert Moses. Lastly, we witnessed the preservation of the homes and estates of the rich and powerful, especially in upstate New York. This takeaway was the most prevalent in our work and on the map we have created, but it is just one of many overall themes that answer our essential question. 

I chose this project because growing up in New York City, change is constant. There is construction, expansion, and renovation at all times. When I was a kid, my parents were always pointing out different areas and buildings and telling me what used to be there, or what it used to look like. Recently, I had a similar experience watching the construction of Hudson Yards. Watching the rail yard transform into a residential and commercial hotspot in such a short period of time was one of the main inspirations for this project. Documenting how the city has developed in the past 100 or so years captures an aspect of the constant change that I watched growing up and lets us appreciate the preservation that has prevailed.