Amid its wide avenues and towering skyscrapers, it’s easy to forget that New York City began as a small collection of homes outside an unimposing Dutch fort nearly four centuries ago. Though New York’s ascension to world city status might seem inevitable to modern observers, its present success is, in large part, the result of many conscious historical decisions. Whether this meant the building of harbors, the financing of canals or the laying of railroads, New York took the necessary steps to remain at the cutting edge while comparable cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston fell behind.
One decade into the 21st century, however, New York’s preeminence is threatened. The firms that have dominated the digital age are overwhelmingly anchored elsewhere, particularly in Silicon Valley. As Stanford bids against other universities for the right to operate a New York campus, Stanford’s appeal rests largely on the idea that it can create a hub of engineering innovation in the Big Apple in the mold of the University’s Silicon Valley milieu.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Editorial: New York campus brings promise, risk | Stanford Daily
