The Grid and the River

Philadelphians are fond of quoting a letter in which William Penn described his vision of a greene country towne, which will never be burnt & always wholesome. Today, Philadelphias public parks cover more than ten thousand acresroughly 11 percent of the citys area. They encompass extensive woodlands and waterways as well as the largest collection of historic properties in the state of Pennsylvania, including the Fairmount Water Works, the Philadelphia Zoo (the oldest zoo in the United States), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Grid and the River is the product of Elizabeth Milroys quest to understand the history of public green spaces in William Penns city. In this monumental work of urban history, Milroy traces efforts to keep Philadelphia green from the time of its founding to the late nineteenth century. She chronicles how patterns of use and representations of green spaces informed notions of community and identity in the city. In particular, Milroy examines the history of how and why the district along the Schuylkill River came to be developed both in opposition to and in concert with William Penns original designations of parks in his city plan. Focusing on both the history and representation of Philadelphias green spaces, and making use of a wealth of primary source materials, Milroy offers new insights into the citys political and cultural development and documents how changing attitudes toward the natural environment affected the physical appearance of Philadelphias landscape and the lives of its inhabitants.