The Lower Manhattan Plan: Visions for a Downtown New York

In the mid-1960s, New York City Mayor Robert Wagner assembled a team of the best and brightest urban designers and architects to decide the future of downtown Manhattan. After six months of drawing and discussion, they produced The Lower Manhattan Plan, a 368-page document that was hand-typed, hand-bound, and photocopied. Only 100 copies were made. But in spite of the limited number, this became the most influential document in determining the physical appearance of lower Manhattan.

Now, as the future of downtown Manhattan is being reconsidered, The Lower Manhattan Plan takes on new relevance, offers new parallels for transforming Manhattan, and provides a thoughtful and careful consideration of many issues that are as pressing today as they were when the World Trade Centers were just beginning construction.

This complete reprint of the original document has a new introduction by urban historian Ann Buttenwieser and a preface by Skyscraper Museum Director Carol Willis.