Looking forward to 2023, we plan to release our first two 60 minute episodes in the Fall. And if fundraising efforts in the works come through, we will start production on the next three programs (housing, parks and families in the heart of the city) as well.
While we focus on the future of cities and are concerned about their downtowns today, urban centers were clearly on the ascent a century ago when downtown in the 1920s was seen as the place to be — for work, for shopping and for entertainment. The 1920 census marked the first time the US was defined as over 50% urban with Canada reaching the same number soon afterward.
The building boom and skyscraper mania of the Roaring 20s is another facet of remaking cities we cover in our opening episode as many of today’s city defining skylines were formed.
Notable examples of 1920s skyscrapers shaping city skylines outside of New York and Chicago include the 52-story Terminal Tower in Cleveland, the 26-story Industrial Trust Tower in Providence (aka the Superman Building), the 34-story Baltimore Trust Company Building in Baltimore, the 49-story Carew Tower complex in Cincinnati, the 47-story Penobscot Building in Detroit, the 30-story Russ Building in San Francisco, and City Hall towers in Buffalo, Atlanta and Los Angeles.
Meet Jon Teaford, Professor Emeritus at Purdue University who specializes in American urban history. Watch more videos.
Contact us — Check out our work and let us know what you think, suggest stories and introduce us to people we should know about.
Read the original newsletter.