• Design
    Artwork
    Writing
    Cartography
    Teaching


    Almost all of the following architectural and urban history publications are peer-reviewed.
    They are republished in full on my website, so as to guarantee public access by people outside academia. Contact me.

Category: Browse All Work by Date

No comments

Book Project: Plundering the City

  By , , ,

My future book project titled “Plundering the City” examines how capital and new technologies eroded the quality, density, and variety of small businesses, craft industries, neighborhood institutions, and community groups in what is now the inner-city of Newark, New Jersey. Taking one city as the prism to examine larger urban crises in American culture, this project highlights the spatial and social causes of urban poverty and impoverished social relations in American urban life. Rebuilding social infrastructure requires systemic change and seizing a new means of production.

Visit: NewarkChanging.org/map VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Empathy in Historic Preservation | Interview with Historian Madeline Feierstein

  By

Historian Madeline Feierstein interviews Myles Zhang about his research on the old Essex County Jail in Newark, NJ. They discuss the history of psychiatric institutions and prisons, and then advocate for preserving buildings with darker histories. The preservation of dark sites empowers us to tell a more complete story about how we became a divided and polarized nation today. Myles’s research emphasizes the importance of these sites as vital pieces of American history. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Say no to the Ironbound trash incinerator!

  By

Myles Zhang addressed the Newark City Council in July 2025, criticizing the Covanta trash incinerator for polluting the air, skies, and health of Newark residents. His public testimony highlighted the disparity between the affluent suburban communities that produce this waste vs. the impoverished urban communities where this waste is disposed. Myles’s research argues for fairer reparations and pushes for environmentally sustainable alternatives to improve the health outcomes of Newark residents. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Time-Lapse Evolution of Istanbul’s Urban Form: 330 AD to Present

  By , , , ,

This film project utilizes historical cartography and GIS to create a time-lapse animation of Istanbul’s urban development over millennia. It illustrates three significant periods: Byzantine rule (330AD-1453), Ottoman rule (1453-1923), and modern metropolitan growth (1923-present). The animation visualizes changing coastlines and showcases the evolution of 200 archaeological sites, churches, aqueduct routes, and early Roman roads. Viewers can explore the film with the accompanying soundtrack or pause the map and zoom into a high-resolution map of individual places. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Visiting Cuba helped me realize that another world is possible.

  By ,

My recent visit to Havana, Cuba with the non-profit Solidarity Collective of artists and poets deepened my understanding of American Empire’s impact on other nations and immigrant communities. Observing Cuba’s resilience facing adversity, I observed the governing philosophies of an alternative society that valued community over capital. The experience empowered me to see the potential for collective solidarity and meaningful existence despite material scarcity. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Historic preservation is a better business model.

  By , ,

My op-ed in the local papers argues for a shift in Newark’s economic development model. City leaders must prioritize adaptive reuse of existing vacant buildings over construction of new skyscrapers. My research into the high vacancy rates in downtown properties support the conclusion that smaller, mid-rise constructions are a more sustainable and risk-averse development model. Human-scale urbanism in historic building better fosters community, local identity, and population density – while avoiding the pitfalls and of overly ambitious projects that become economic “white elephants.” VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Civil Rights Rebellion in the Essex County Jail

  By , , , ,

Season 13, Episode 6 of the Abandoned Engineering series for Discovery Channel, explores the old Essex County Jail in Newark, New Jersey. After seeing my research and reading my Master’s thesis project, Discovery Channel approached me about co-creating a documentary about this jail, which was streamed in July 2024, both in the U.S. and internationally in 20 languages. Based on featured interviews with me, this documentary commemorates those incarcerated here by highlighting the building’s historical significance and broader themes of injustice. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Envisioning Seneca Village

  By , , ,

This collaborative project by Gergely Baics, Meredith Linn, Leah Meisterlin, and Myles Zhang. The project showcases a historically-accurate and archaeologically-informed 3D model of the historic African American community of Seneca Village, which was demolished in 1857 to build Central Park. The project combines digital reconstruction with extensive research, as public-facing tools to commemorate the village’s history and legacy. The project was recognized with multiple awards, widespread use in classrooms, and publicity by the Central Park Conservancy.

Visit: EnvisioningSenecaVillage.github.io VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Setting Up Sex Offenders for Failure

  By , , ,

This blind peer reviewed article discusses how stringent laws for sex offenders, like Megan’s Law and residency restrictions on where sex offenders may live, inadvertently lead to higher rates of re-arrest and re-conviction. These web of laws ironically increase the crime rate and cause thousands of low-income sex offenders to be re-arrested for crimes unrelated to the abuse of minors. Focusing on New York City, this research highlights issues with the home address requirement and suggests reforms to enhance public safety more effectively than current regulations.
Read in: Agora Journal of Urban Planning and Design VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Homeownership and the Racial Wealth Gap

  By , , ,

In March 2024, I presented at the Newark Public Library, as part of the Newark History Society’s monthly circuit of public lectures. My two-hour presentation discussed the deep historical roots between Newark’s poverty and the wealth of affluent neighboring suburbs. Beyond simple narratives of redlining and race, the presentation explored the complex economic, political, and policy factors behind Newark’s decline. The research conducted in preparation for this presentation evolved into what is now my book project titled Plundering the City.

View recording of conference presentation. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Jersey City: Urban Planning in Historical Perspective

  By , , , ,

This project was commissioned by the Jersey City Public Library to be used as an educational tool about the history of land use law and city planning, from 1900 to today. The project overlays citywide maps of every building in 1873, 1919, and today – to reveal changing land use patterns. The project also includes a PDF booklet about Jersey City’s six master plans, each of which captures the spirit of the city and the governing philosophies of city planners at the time. These documents reveal the city’s evolution in response to urban challenges and broader themes in U.S. urban history. VIEW PROJECT >

3 Comments

Mapping Manhattan Chinatown’s Public Realm

  By , , , , , , ,

Pedestrian Observations explores Manhattan’s Chinatown’s public and private spaces through a detailed panoramic drawing and map of contested land uses. This project was co-published by Myles Zhang with non-profit artist collective City as Living Lab and architect Stephen Fan. The printed folding map highlights the vibrant interactions among diverse community members, while emphasizing the need for better public space management. Inspired by urban theorists, the project seeks to foster conversation about economic development and resilient urban environments.

《行人观察》(Pedestrian Observations) 将详尽的全景绘画对照各种土地利用的地图，深入探讨曼哈顿华埠的公共与私人空间的使用。该项目由张之远 (Myles Zhang），建筑师樊一鸣 (Stephen Fan)， 和艺术家公益团体“城市实践工作室” (City as Living Lab) 联合出版。这份折叠地图描绘多元社区成员之间充满活力的互动，同时强调加强公共空间管理的必要性。本项目综合城市理论家的研究，提倡灵活变通的都市环境，从而促进经济发展。
Visit: CityasLivingLab.org/chinatown VIEW PROJECT >

One Comment

Reflections on my experience as PhD student, halfway through the program

  By

As a third-year PhD student, I thought to write this reflection on my academic journey and the challenges faced in navigating elite institutions. In the interest of helping future applicants to PhD programs navigate a process that appears opaque from the outside, I share my program experience and the text of my prelim reading list, minor, and major essays. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Newark Changing in Maps: 1889, 1927, 1930

  By , , , ,

This project overlays historical city-wide fire insurance and tax maps above the contemporary geography to reveal change over time. Detailed maps of building footprints from 1889, 1927, and 1930 reveal different patterns of land use, community life, and walkable streets. Find your building, your workplace, or any site in Newark – and identify who lived there a century ago with the unique tool of this interactive map. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Eastern State Penitentiary Construction Sequence

  By , , ,

This time-lapse animation with audio narration uses the tools of virtual reality to reconstruct the appearance of Eastern State Penitentiary during each year of its 148 years of operation from 1823 to 1971. This reconstruction is based on original plans and primary sources about the jail’s architecture. It uses film to reveal how the building’s envelope was expanded and modified each decade in response to evolving design philosophies, public attitudes towards incarceration, and the ever-expanding size of today’s carceral state. VIEW PROJECT >

One Comment

Built on a Billion-Dollar Bed of Corporate Tax Breaks

  By , ,

This research examines tax breaks and public funds granted to help developers build in Downtown Newark. There are inequities in who benefits from these incentives: Larger corporations receive substantial tax breaks while smaller developers and small business owners struggle. The report proposes several policy recommendations for ensuring equitable economic Downtown redevelopment, highlighting the need for public accountability and fair property tax assessments. The problem is not tax breaks. The problem is: Who gets them? VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

The City as Carceral State

  By , , ,

This personal essay reflects on my experiences growing up in Newark, NJ, and witnessing the city’s stark socioeconomic divides. These experiences inspired my current studies of architecture and urban planning, with a particular focus on systemic inequality in the built environment. I hope to make scholarship accessible, to address historical injustices through genuine community engagement and historical research. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Goodbye Baxter Terrace

  By , , ,

This essay was written by my father Zemin Zhang on December 2, 2007.

Baxter Terrace was one of Newark, NJ’s very first public housing projects. Opened 1941, the project initially reflected a faith in social security, economic opportunity, and social mobility for working-class and black Americans. Over time, as public investment faded, the project declined and was later demolished in 2009. The loss of this building reflects the shattered dreams of social reformers and an entire generation of black Americans denied the right to a home. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

The Paterson Silk Strike in Historical Perspective

  By , ,

1913 to 2023 A century later, the mills of Paterson sitting abandoned, their machines silent Image source: LoC, HABS,link to left image and right image Exactly 110 years ago today – on July 28, 1913 – Paterson silk mill workers voted to end their strike. Their strike had failed. But what has changed (or not) since then frames their historical struggle in the context of ongoing labor battles. The strikers’ motivations are as relevant in 2023 as they were in 1913: the fight for a living wage, for an eight-hour day, and – ultimately – for the right to work… VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

“Where Evil Dwells” at Newark’s Old Essex County Jail

  By , , ,

This article in the winter 2021 issue The Newarker (a literary and history magazine) traces the history of the old Essex County Jail and what this carceral institution reveals about the city’s broader history. The essay chronicles the evolution of Newark, highlighting the construction of the Essex County Jail and its implications on the community. Initially built for a small population, the jail’s purpose shifted amid immigration and changing social norms. Today, its abandoned state raises enduring questions about history, crime, and incarceration’s impact on marginalized communities.

Read essay in literary magazine. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Time-lapse Animation of Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

  By , , , , ,

Based on court transcripts, eye witness testimonies, primary sources, and historical maps, this animation reconstructs the workplace conditions and abuses that caused the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. This fire on 25 March 1911, killed 146 garment workers and represents a turning-point moment in the history of organized labor in America. This project is the first – and only – accurate-to-the-inch virtual reality model of the entire factory floor. VIEW PROJECT >

One Comment

The Slave Trader Turned Banker: Slavery and the Origins of a Modern Bank

  By ,

Essay written for a class on Law and Slavery at University of Michigan Law School: Thomas Leyland, a Liverpool merchant, profited immensely from the slave trade in the 18th century, managing numerous voyages that transported over 22,000 captives. This essay analyzes the relationship between his financial success and the brutal human cost of his operations. His business acumen laid the groundwork and contributed significant funds to what is now the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank of China. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Time-lapse History of the United States

  By , ,

This animation maps 272,000 data points over 230 years of U.S. census data from 1790 to 2020. The film uses racial dot maps and maps of population density over time to illustrate America’s urbanization, industrialization, and conquest of the frontier. Each dot represents 10,000 people, with major cities highlighted. Philip Glass’s accompanying music prompts reflections immigration, land use, and transportation technology’s influence on settlement patterns. VIEW PROJECT >

Does the American city need a new “public entrepreneur” like Robert Moses?

  By , ,

The play “Straight Line Crazy,” performed in 2022 at The Shed in Midtown Manhattan, explores Robert Moses’s complex legacy as New York City’s mid-century urban planner. While he is celebrated for expansive public works projects, he is also criticized for displacing communities and ignoring dissenting voices. In this narrative, I reflect on city planning, government’s role in society, and the neoliberal shift of privatizing public goods. Who controls public space? Are today’s market forces as destructive to communities as Robert Moses’s “slum” clearance projects? VIEW PROJECT >

One Comment

Who Owns Newark? A Case Study of One Building

  By , ,

From 2017 to 2020, over 47% of Newark’s one-to-four unit buildings were sold to institutional buyers, often anonymous, resulting in higher rents and evictions in this majority-black city. In particular, two properties on Broad Street in Downtown were bought up by slumlord Israel Weiss, emptied of all local businesses, and proposed for demolition to build a 45-story skyscraper. The skyscraper has run into funding difficulties and will likely never be built. In the meantime, in a city governed by hopeless logics of speculation, Weiss’s abandoned buildings are an eyesore.
VIEW PROJECT >

One Comment

Newark Changing: Mapping neighborhood demolition, 1950s to today

  By , , , , , , ,

Newark Changing is an interactive visual encyclopedia featuring 2,400 photo comparisons from 1959-68 vs. today. The project illustrates the combined impacts of urban renewal, slum clearance, highway construction, and decades of demolition by neglect. Through a historic map, users can explore dozens of neighborhoods and thousands of demolished homes. This research highlights the devastation faced by communities due to decades of anti-urban policy decisions by the government and anti-black investment decisions by corporations.

Visit: NewarkChanging.org/map VIEW PROJECT >

3 Comments

A park without trees creates a city without history.

  By

Washington Park in Downtown Newark (renamed Harriet Tubman Square) is home to dozens of significant old-growth trees, some almost 200 years old. In 2022, local real estate developer Marc Berson proposed to cut down all of these tries – likely in a pre-emptive effort to build a parking garage beneath this historic park. These trees symbolize freedom and oppression in the African-American (and human) experience, and their preservation is vital to honoring history and heritage. Thanks to community efforts led by the city’s Italian community, Berson’s proposal was denied. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

The Time Columbia Built an Artificial Moon in Low Library

  By , ,

The best definition of a university is, to my mind, a city from which the universe can be surveyed. It is the universe compressed into a city the size of Morningside Heights. Low Library, built in the 1890s at Columbia University, symbolizes the ambition to encompass knowledge in a single space, merging classical aesthetics with technological advancements. While the library served as a center of learning, its eventual obsolescence and partial abandonment reflects Columbia’s own evolution as an institution now more embracing of different viewpoints.

Read essay published in Columbia College today alumni magazine. VIEW PROJECT >

No comments

Racializing Space

  By ,

Drawing from the perspectives of architecture, planning, sociology, and history, this panel discussion at the University of Michigan’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning considers the evidence for how and why the American city and suburb – specifically Detroit – remain spatially segregated. What steps must be taken to fulfill the dream of an egalitarian metropolis? Panelists included:
Sociologist Karyn Lacy
American historian LaDale Winling,
Urban planning historian Robert Fishman
Conversation moderated by Myles Zhang. VIEW PROJECT >