Introduction
The New York metropolitan area ecosystem is an important part of NYC's unique sense of place. Similar to its built environment the region’s natural environment has changed remarkably over the past 400 years due to decisions made by successive city administrators. It also continues to morph as the result of climate change. As the city’s cityscape, landscape and waterways transform with each passing year, metro NY’s unique built and natural environments keeps on shaping the lives of tourists, commuters, and residents alike.
To understand New York City’s history and its future it is helpful to examine its parks, harbors, rivers, topography, and land use zoning. NYPL's vast collection of maps, charts, atlases, reports, and books document the metropolitan area's evolution, and are essential to understanding the different ways in which NY’s urban biome has changed over time. This guide is designed to help researchers locate primary and secondary sources that describe the development of many of the best known natural (and in some cases man-made) features of the city.
Topics covered in this resource guide include:
Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division Reference Librarians
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