Never Built: The 1912 Plan to Expand Manhattan, Fill the East River

The blogosphere caught wind of a plan from 1912 that would have completely altered the geography of New York City as we know it. Make no little plans, indeed.

1 minute read

January 13, 2015, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


East River

Songquan Deng / Shutterstock

Jen Carlson shares the historic oddity of a 1912 plan called "A Really Greater New York," proposed by engineer T. Kennard Thomson. In addition to paving the East River, Carlson reports, the plan included the following: "The Brooklyn Navy Yard would have been moved to Newark Bay, a new Harlem River would have run through part of Manhattan, and a new East River would have been placed between Brooklyn and Queens. Also? Grand Central Terminal would have built on top of the newly paved East River."

In a separate post, Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghen notes that the plan would have added 50 square miles to the city's current footprint of 469 square miles. Campbell-Dollaghen also notes that the plan isn't too much of stretch to imagine, given Manhattan's historic expansion

Wednesday, January 7, 2015 in Gothamist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Crowds of people walking and biking along waterfront in Sunset Dunes Park in San Francisco, California on a sunny day.

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway

The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

April 22 - Mission Local

Portland Oregon Bus

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws

One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

April 22 - KATU.com

Houston, Texas skyline.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy

The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.

April 22 - Urban Edge