When it was conceived in the early nineteenth century, New York City's rigid rectilinear street grid was intended to end the notorious chaos of "old New York" spreading unplanned from Manhattan's southern tip. Turning the rocky hills and swampy valleys into the city we know today was a vast project of physical and social engineering; the thousands of rectangular blocks, lots, and eventually buildings that the grid produced gave a sense of stability and purpose to a young city evolving into greatness. It also made New York a place distinct from nature.

Now it's time to tell the grid's story: What prompted it? How did the commissioners and their surveyor develop the plans? How has the lengthening life of the city been shaped by it? Whether you love or hate the grid, little has been written about it. Until now.