As we roam the modern streets of New York City, we can see the skyline and neighborhoods change each year. Given how complicated our city’s systems have become, it is difficult to imagine a time without the founding principles of zoning, planning, and preservation. The man who created many of those frameworks for modern-day New York is George McAneny. During his extensive civic career, he served in several official positions, including New York City comptroller, executive manager of The New York Times, first president of the Regional Plan Association, and Manhattan Borough President. The snippets of history that can be seen on Urban Archive are just a small part of McAneny’s legacy, making him one of the most remarkable New York City visionaries of the first half of the 20th century.

Carl Schurz Park, ca. 1936. This park consists of 13 acres, east of East End Ave., (left) to the East River and extending northward from Gracie Square (East 84th Street) to East 89th Street. The northern portion of this park was known as "Horn's Hook" and figured very prominently in the wars of the Revolution and 1812. This northern tip contains a spacious house, known as Gracie Mansion; built in 1813 by Archibald Gracie and later occupied by the Museum of the City of New York. The playground, walks, skating rink, landscape gardening, building improvements were all are the work of the W.P.A. Notice on the right the new Triboro Bridge (also a P.W.A. project) silhouetted against the curved span of the Hellgate.

You submitted, and we rounded up our faves! Here are some spectacular shots of New Yorkers at school over the years.