There is something about staring out at the colossus of New York, or walking among its teeming multitudes, that inspires even the most amateur urban planner to envision ripping the whole thing apart and starting over.
It's why there is a special genre of film, from King Kong to Ghostbusters 2, whose main thrill is watching the city burst into flames or crumble into dust.
Perhaps it is because New York is so imposing, a self-contained universe more than a city. Or perhaps it is because the city can seem to have so little regard for itself and its heritage, ripping down buildings almost as soon as they go up in a frenzy of real estate speculation.
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