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    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: Newark History

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Book Project: Plundering the City

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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 PUBLICATION >

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Empathy in Historic Preservation | Interview with Historian Madeline Feierstein

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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 PUBLICATION >

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Civil Rights Rebellion in the Essex County Jail

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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 recorded interviews with me, this documentary commemorates those incarcerated here by highlighting the building’s historical significance and broader themes of injustice.

As published by: Discovery Channel / UK Channel 4 VIEW PUBLICATION >

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Homeownership and the Racial Wealth Gap

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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 PUBLICATION >

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Newark Changing in Maps: 1889, 1927, 1930

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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 PUBLICATION >

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Goodbye Baxter Terrace

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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 PUBLICATION >

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

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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 PUBLICATION >

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Newark Changing: Mapping neighborhood demolition, 1950s to today

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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.

As published by Newark Public Library. Visit: NewarkChanging.org/map VIEW PUBLICATION >

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Warren Street School Demolition

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The historic 1890s Warren Street School stood in Newark’s University Heights neighborhood and served a century of public school children. Despite its landmark status and eligibility for future inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, Newark City Hall approved demolition on April Fool’s Day in 2021. This demolition highlights the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s calculated disregard for architectural heritage. The demolition act also symbolizes a broader trend of city leadership that is ignorant of history and the power of historic preservation to cultivate local identity. VIEW PUBLICATION >

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Bulldozer Urbanism

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The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) faces criticism for demolishing historic buildings in Newark’s James Street Commons Historic District. While NJIT invested significantly in architecture for its students, the parts of campus that face toward the city and commmunity lack community engagement and negatively impact urban aesthetics. I advocate for campus planning that enhances neighborhood life and preserves historical assets. VIEW PUBLICATION >

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Exhibition Design for the Old Essex County Jail

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Developed in collaboration with Newark Landmarks and the master’s program in historic preservation at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. The abandoned old Essex County Jail in Newark was built in 1837 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This project transformed revitalization proposals by Columbia University’s historic preservation students into an exhibit and website. The exhibit highlight this jail’s social history and aimed to foster discussion on incarceration and urban regeneration.

As published by Columbia University GSAPP. Visit: OldEssexCountyJail.org VIEW PUBLICATION >

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The Urban Development of Newark: 1660-2016

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As Newark celebrated the 350th anniversary of its 1666 founding, I created this series of time-lapse drawings based on historical images and maps. As Newark develops from a small town to a bustling and industrial metropolis, the sounds of my animation shift from quiet woodlands to the din of the vibrant city with rising skyscrapers. This two-minute film aims to represent history as a living, fluid process. VIEW PUBLICATION >

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Newark Metamorphosis

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This exhibit created for the Newark Public Library uses postcard comparisons of past vs. present to showcase Newark’s architectural evolution from 1916 to today. The project highlights the loss of cultural heritage due to urban renewal and demographic change. The resulting interactive map presents 150 comparative views, which illustrate the progressive loss of human-scale small structures that were central to the city’s vanished neighborhood identity. VIEW PUBLICATION >