Original subtitles

THERE‘S NOTHING LIKE DISCOVERING

AMERICA‘S GREAT CITIES \h\h\h\h\hFROM ABOVE...

TO GET A BIRD‘S EYE VIEW OF THEIR AWE-INSPIRING HEIGHTS,

THEIR DAZZLING PUBLIC SPACES,

AND THE SYSTEMS THAT KEEP THEM \h\h\h\hRUNNING DAY AND NIGHT.

MANY OF AMERICA‘S CITIES WERE BUILT ON THE HOPES AND DREAMS

OF EARLY COLONISTS.

BUT EACH ONE HAS TAKEN ITS OWN UNIQUE JOURNEY

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO BECOME AN AMERICAN METROPOLIS.

A RIVALRY BETWEEN TWO ARCHITECTS

ONCE GAVE NEW YORK CITY

THE HIGHEST SKYLINE \h\h\hIN THE WORLD.

\h\h\h\hCASINOS, VICE, AND SPECTACLES OF LIGHT

TURNED A DESERT VALLEY IN NEVADA

INTO LAS VEGAS.

AND SAVVY DEVELOPERS TRANSFORMED A TINY BARRIER ISLAND IN FLORIDA

INTO MIAMI BEACH.

ALONG THE WAY,

THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA‘S CITIES

\hHAVE HAD TO ENDURE UNIMAGINABLE TRAGEDY.

\h\h\hFOR SAN FRANCISCANS, IT WAS MASSIVE EARTHQUAKES.

FOR THE PEOPLE OF CHICAGO, IT WAS A DEVASTATING FIRE.

AND FOR NEW YORKERS,

IT WAS THE TERRORIST ATTACKS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF 9/11.

BUT EACH TIME,

THEY HAVE COME BACK STRONGER \h\h\h\h\h\hTHAN EVER BEFORE.

\h\h\hNO CITY IN AMERICA WOULD BE WHAT IT IS TODAY

WITHOUT THE HARD WORK OF PEOPLE \hWILLING TO TAKE DARING RISKS.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO BLAST OUT \hTUNNELS DEEP UNDERGROUND...

ENGINEERS WHO HAVE TO \h\hCLIMB TO THE TOP

\h\h\hOF THE NATION‘S MOST ICONIC SPIRES...

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THE TEAMS WHO WORK THROUGH THE NIGHT

\h\h\h\h\h\hTO MAKE SURE SHIPS, PLANES, AND TRAINS

ARE READY TO GO AT DAWN.

\h\h\hTHESE ARE THE STORIES OF AMERICA‘S GREAT CITIES.

♪

♪

♪

WHEN YOU SOAR ACROSS \h\hAMERICA‘S CITIES

\h\h\hAND LOOK CLOSELY DOWN AT THE TOWERING STRUCTURES BELOW,

CHANCES ARE

YOU‘LL SPOT SOME OF THE MOST \hDARING WORKERS IN AMERICA.

THE JOBS THEY DO MAKE LIFE \h\hIN OUR CITIES POSSIBLE,

DAY AND NIGHT.

JUST OUTSIDE SAN FRANCISCO,

LINEMEN ARE GETTING A LIFT \h\h\h\h\h\hBY HELICOPTER.

\h\h\h\hTHEY SPEND THEIR DAYS STRINGING CABLE ON NEW TOWERS

THAT KEEP THE BAY AREA RUNNING.

IN LAS VEGAS,

THIS ENGINEER STARTS HIS DAY

\h\hBALANCING ON TOP OF THE STRATOSPHERE--

ALMOST 900 FEET OFF THE GROUND.

HE‘S MAKING SURE THE THRILL RIDE AT THE TOP IS SAFE AND READY

\h\h\hTO TERRIFY TOURISTS WITH ITS SPINS AND TILTS,

HIGH OVER THE LAS VEGAS STRIP.

IN NEW YORK CITY,

A LEGENDARY TEAM OF WORKERS, \h\h\h\hCALLED THE SANDHOGS,

IS STARTING THEIR DAILY DESCENT.

THEY‘LL SPEND THEIR DAY 13 STORIES UNDERGROUND,

DRILLING THROUGH SOLID BEDROCK

TO CREATE NEW RAIL TUNNELS \h\h\hUNDER THE EAST RIVER.

\hDOZENS OF THEIR MEMBERS HAVE DIED OR BEEN INJURED

IN TUNNEL COLLAPSES, EXPLOSIONS, AND CRANE ACCIDENTS.

OVER THE YEARS,

THE SANDHOGS HAVE CARVED OUT \h\h\h\hA VAST TUNNEL SYSTEM

FOR TRAINS, WATER, AND WASTE

\h\h\h\hTHAT HAVE ALL HELPED TURN NEW YORK

INTO ONE GIANT METROPOLIS.

\h\h\h\h\hMUCH OF THE WORK THAT KEEPS AMERICA‘S CITIES RUNNING

IS OUT OF SIGHT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHIGH ABOVE NEW YORK CITY‘S STREETS,

\h\h\h\h\h\hJOHN SCHAFFNER IS JUST STARTING HIS SHIFT,

ALONG WITH FELLOW ENGINEER \h\h\h\h\h\h\hDAVID BROWN.

THEY OPERATE TWO OF THE TALLEST \h\h\h\h\hCRANES IN MANHATTAN.

\h\h\h\h\h\hEVERY MORNING, THEY DISAPPEAR INTO THE SKY

STEP BY STEP.

BY THE TIME THEY REACH \h\h\hTHE CROW‘S NEST,

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY‘RE MORE THAN 1,000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.

\hTODAY, JOHN AND DAVE WILL SPEND THEIR SHIFTS

LIFTING GIANT STEEL BEAMS AND \hOTHER CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hUP TO THE TOP OF THREE WORLD TRADE CENTER.

THEIR WORK HELPS KEEP NEW YORKERS BELOW SAFE

\h\hAS THIS SKYSCRAPER RISES HIGH ABOVE THEM.

\h\hOPERATING A CRANE ON TOP OF A SKYSCRAPER IN MANHATTAN

\h\h\h\h\hIS NOT A JOB FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED.

\h\h\hBUT JUST IMAGINE BEING LASHED TO A SPIRE

1,700 FEET OFF THE GROUND.

\h\h\h\hTHESE MEN ARE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS

\h\h\h\hWORKING ON THE TOP OF ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER,

THE TALLEST BUILDING \h\h\h\hIN MANHATTAN.

\h\h\hIT‘S ALSO KNOWN AS THE FREEDOM TOWER.

\hTHE WHITE PANELS THEY‘RE INSTALLING

ARE TURNING THIS SPIRE

INTO THE HIGHEST TELEVISION \h\h\h\h\hBROADCAST ANTENNA

IN THE NATION.

EVEN IF WE CAN‘T SEE IT \h\h\hFROM THE GROUND,

THERE‘S ALWAYS WORK BEING DONE

ON THE TOPS OF AMERICA‘S \h\h\hTALLEST STRUCTURES.

AND THAT WORK IS ESPECIALLY \h\h\hIMPORTANT IN SEATTLE,

\h\h\h\hSINCE FLOAT PLANES PASS RIGHT ACROSS THE CITY

WHEN THEY COME IN TO LAND \h\h\h\h\hON LAKE UNION.

THAT‘S WHAT KEEPS ENGINEER \h\hVALERIY PALANCHUK BUSY.

TODAY, HE‘S ON HIS WAY UP \h\h\hTO CHANGE THE BULB

IN AN AVIATION BEACON,

\h\h\h40 FEET ABOVE THE TOP OF SEATTLE‘S SPACE NEEDLE.

ONCE HE GETS THERE,

IT TAKES A JUST A FEW MINUTES

TO SWAP OUT THE OLD BULB \h\h\h\h\hFOR A NEW ONE.

\hBUT ONE SLIP COULD SEND HIM DANGLING FROM HIS SAFETY WIRE

605 FEET OVER SEATTLE.

♪

TODAY, IT‘S MISSION ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT A HITCH.

NOW, NO MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER,

\h\h\h\hPILOTS WHO COMES IN FOR A LANDING ON LAKE UNION

WILL STILL HAVE THE SPACE NEEDLE CLEARLY IN THEIR SIGHTS.

\hBUT THERE MAY BE NO PLACE IN AMERICA

\h\h\h\h\hWITH HIGH-RISE WORK AS CHALLENGING AS LAS VEGAS.

THIS CITY GETS A CONSTANT \h\h\h\hPOUNDING BY DUST

\h\h\hTHAT BLOWS IN FROM ACROSS THE NEVADA DESERT.

EVERY DAY, ULYSSES CERVANTES \h\h\h\h\h\hAND MIGUEL LOPEZ

HAVE TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE--

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hKEEP THE MORE THAN ONE MILLION SQUARE FEET OF GLASS

\h\h\h\h\h\hON THE ROOF OF THE LUXOR HOTEL AND CASINO

DUST-FREE.

THE ONLY WAY TO CLEAN

THIS LAS VEGAS VERSION OF AN EGYPTIAN PYRAMID

\hIS TO SCRUB AND SQUEEGEE THE ENTIRE SURFACE BY HAND,

EVEN IN BLAZING SUMMER HEAT.

IT‘S THE KIND OF HARD WORK

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT THE BUILDERS OF EGYPT‘S ANCIENT PYRAMIDS

WOULD PROBABLY HAVE HAD \hA LOT OF RESPECT FOR.

BUT AS SOON AS ULYSSES \hAND MIGUEL ARE DONE,

\h\h\h\h\hTHEY HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN FROM THE TOP.

\h\hSINCE MOST CASINOS IN THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY

ARE SHEATHED WITH GLASS,

IT TAKES A LOT OF WINDOW WASHERS TO KEEP THEM ALL CLEAN.

\h\h\h\h\hTHEY HAVE TO COORDINATE CAREFULLY WITH CASINO MANAGEMENT

TO MAKE SURE GUESTS INSIDE \h\h\hDON‘T GET SURPRISED.

\hTHESE MEN ON THIS TEAM AREN‘T JUST COLLEAGUES;

THEY‘RE FRIENDS

AND CLIMBING BUDDIES.

WHEN THE WORK DAY IS DONE,

THEY OFTEN HEAD OUT

TO NEARBY RED ROCK CANYON NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA

TO CLIMB ITS GIANT BOULDERS \h\h\h\h\h\hAND STEEP FACES

OF WEATHERED RED SANDSTONE.

IN A STATE AS RUGGED AS NEVADA,

IT‘S PROBABLY NOT SURPRISING \h\h\h\hTHAT CASINOS IN VEGAS

GET THEIR WINDOWS \hSCRUBBED CLEAN

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBY TEAMS OF TALENTED ROCK CLIMBERS.

BUT IN CHICAGO,

THE CITY‘S TALLEST SKYSCRAPER \h\h\h\hGETS ITS REGULAR BATH

WITHOUT A WINDOW WASHER \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN SIGHT.

WHEN THE ENORMOUS BLACK FORMS \h\h\h\h\hOF THE SEARS TOWER,

NOW KNOWN AS THE WILLIS TOWER,

WERE COMPLETED IN 1973,

\h\hIT WAS THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD,

\h\hWITH A ROOFLINE THAT TOPPED OUT AT 1,450 FEET.

BUT COVERING ITS FAÇADE \hWERE 16,100 WINDOWS.

\h\hTHAT‘S A LOT OF GLASS TO BE SQUEEGEED BY HAND,

AND THE ENGINEERS KNEW IT.

SO THEY MADE PLANS

\h\h\hFOR AN ELITE SQUAD OF WINDOW-CLEANING ROBOTS

\hTHAT COULD BE DEPLOYED FROM THE TOWER‘S VARIOUS ROOFTOPS.

EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS,

\hEACH ROBOT MOVES OUT FROM ITS ROOFTOP GARAGE

\h\h\h\h\hAND GLIDES TO THE EDGE OF THE TOWER.

THEN IT DEPLOYS DOWN THE FAÇADE \hTO CLEAN EVERY INCH OF GLASS,

\h\hWITH BRUSHES, WATER, AND MECHANICAL SQUEEGEES.

THIS IS HOW THE WILLIS TOWER \h\h\h\hGETS A REGULAR BATH,

\hWITHOUT A SINGLE HUMAN WINDOW WASHER

DANGLING DANGEROUSLY OVER THE WINDY CITY.

\h\hWHEN YOU LOOK OUT PAST THE SKYSCRAPERS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF JUST ABOUT EVERY AMERICAN METROPOLIS,

THERE‘S ALMOST ALWAYS \h\hA BODY OF WATER.

\h\h\hEVERY AMERICAN CITY HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE STORY,

\h\h\h\h\hAND WATER HAS PLAYED A LEADING ROLE IN MANY OF THEM,

RIGHT FROM THE DAYS \hOF THEIR FOUNDING.

WHEN THE PURITANS ARRIVED ON THE MASSACHUSETTS COAST

AND FOUNDED BOSTON IN 1630,

THEY CHOSE A SMALL PENINSULA

PROTECTED ON ONE SIDE \hBY A NATURAL HARBOR

AND THE CHARLES RIVER \h\h\h\hON THE OTHER.

BOSTON WENT ON TO BE \h\h\h\hA MAJOR PORT

AND SHIPBUILDING CENTER

\h\h\h\hAND A HUB FOR LUMBER, RUM, CODFISH,

AND THE TEA THAT HELPED SPARK \h\hTHE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

WHEN PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS GIVEN THE TASK

\h\h\h\h\hOF CHOOSING A SITE FOR THE NATION‘S NEW CAPITAL

IN 1790,

\h\h\hHE PICKED LAND NEXT TO THE BUSY PORT OF GEORGETOWN,

NEAR THE CONFLUENCE

\h\h\hOF THE POTOMAC AND ANACOSTIA RIVERS.

\h\h\h\hCHICAGO WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE SHORES OF LAKE MICHIGAN

AS A TRADING POST,

\h\h\h\h\hWITH EASY ACCESS TO OTHER GREAT LAKES AND RIVERS

THAT LED INTO THE INTERIOR.

\h\h\h\hSEATTLE GREW UP ON THE SHORES OF A BAY,

WHERE NEWLY CUT TIMBER

COULD BE HAULED DOWN FROM THE HILLS ABOVE

AND LOADED DIRECTLY ON SHIPS

\hTHAT CARRIED IT TO SAN FRANCISCO.

SAN FRANCISCO ITSELF WENT FROM \hBEING A SMALL SPANISH COLONY

TO A BOOMTOWN

DURING THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH, STARTING IN 1848,

THANKS TO ITS LOCATION ON A PROTECTED HARBOR,

WHERE HUNDREDS OF SHIPS ARRIVED PACKED WITH HOPEFUL PROSPECTORS.

BUT NO CITY HAS BENEFITTED MORE \hFROM ITS NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS

THAN NEW YORK.

IT‘S 5 A.M.,

AND THE RMS QUEEN MARY II

\hIS JUST ARRIVING IN NEW YORK HARBOR

AFTER A TRANS-ATLANTIC CROSSING.

SHE‘S ON HER WAY TO PIER 12 \h\hIN RED HOOK, BROOKLYN.

BETWEEN THE 1890s AND THE 1950s

CLOSE TO 12 MILLION IMMIGRANTS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hARRIVED BY SHIP

IN THESE VERY SAME WATERS.

THEY EAGERLY AWAITED THE SIGHT \h\h\hOF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

TO KNOW THAT THEY HAD FINALLY \h\h\h\h\hARRIVED IN AMERICA.

ONCE, THESE DOCKS WERE THE HEART OF NEW YORK CITY‘S ECONOMY

AND PACKED DAY AND NIGHT \h\h\h\hWITH LONGSHOREMEN

WHO RACED TO UNLOAD ARRIVING FREIGHTERS,

OFTEN BY HAND.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT WAS HERE WHERE THE LEGENDARY GANGSTER AL CAPONE

\h\h\hGOT HIS START AS A PETTY CRIMINAL

\h\hBEFORE GOING ON TO BE A CRIME BOSS IN CHICAGO.

\hBUT BROOKLYN STARTED TO LOSE ITS PREEMINENCE

AS THE WORLD‘S LARGEST \h\h\h\h\h\h\hCARGO HUB

STARTING IN THE LATE 1950s,

THANKS TO ONE MAN‘S INVENTION,

JUST ACROSS NEW YORK HARBOR \h\h\h\h\h\hIN NEW JERSEY.

ONE DAY IN 1955, MALCOLM McLEAN,

THE OWNER OF AN EAST COAST \h\h\h\h\hTRUCKING COMPANY,

HAD A BRILLIANT IDEA.

\h\h\h\hAT THE TIME, MOST FREIGHTER CARGO

WAS LOADED PIECE BY PIECE \h\h\hINTO SHIPS‘ HULLS.

\hMcLEAN IMAGINED HOW FAST AND LUCRATIVE IT WOULD BE

IF HE COULD DROP THE ENTIRE \hTRAILERS FROM HIS TRUCKS

DIRECTLY ONTO SHIPS, BY CRANE,

WITH THE CARGO STILL INSIDE.

\h\h\h\h\h\hHIS INVENTION WAS THE STEEL SHIPPING CONTAINER.

\hIN 1956, McLEAN BOUGHT AND RETROFITTED AN OLD FREIGHTER

AND THEN LAUNCHED THE WORLD‘S \h\h\h\hFIRST CONTAINER SHIP

FROM THIS NEW JERSEY DOCK,

FOR ITS MAIDEN VOYAGE \h\h\h\h\hTO HOUSTON.

IT WASN‘T LONG BEFORE CARGO WAS CRISSCROSSING THE WORLD

\h\h\h\hIN THESE NOW VERY FAMILIAR-LOOKING

STANDARDIZED STEEL BOXES.

AS MORE AND MORE FACILITIES

FOR INCREASINGLY LARGER \h\h\h\hCONTAINER SHIPS

WERE CONSTRUCTED IN NEW JERSEY,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNEW YORK CITY‘S ONCE LIVELY DOCKS BECAME QUIET.

130 MILLION CONTAINERS ARE NOW \h\hSHIPPED BY SEA EVERY YEAR,

AND MORE THAN 51 MILLION OF THEM PASS THROUGH U.S. PORTS.

AND TODAY, PORTS IN CITIES \h\h\h\hACROSS THE COUNTRY

\h\h\hARE ON THE VERGE OF ANOTHER REVOLUTION.

IT‘S BEING TESTED HERE,

IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

THIS IS AMERICA‘S SECOND BUSIEST CONTAINER SEAPORT.

IT LIES INSIDE

THE MOST POPULATED COUNTY \h\h\h\h\hIN THE NATION,

LOS ANGELES.

CLOSE TO EIGHT MILLION \h\hSHIPPING CONTAINERS

\h\hPASS THROUGH THE PORT OF LONG BEACH EVERY YEAR.

BUT AT ONE DOCK HERE,

\hTHERE ARE ALMOST NO HUMANS IN SIGHT.

COMPUTERS TRACK AND ORGANIZE

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEVERY ONE OF THESE SHIPPING CONTAINERS,

\hFROM THE MOMENT IT GETS OFFLOADED

FROM A TRUCK OR TRAIN.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hROBOTIC LIFTERS PLUCK EACH ONE FROM THE STACK

\h\h\h\h\hAND PLACE IT ON A DRIVERLESS SHUTTLE

\h\hTHAT DELIVERS IT DIRECTLY TO THE SHIP,

\h\hEXACTLY AT THE TIME IT NEEDS TO BE LOADED.

THE ONLY LONGSHOREMAN HERE ARE THE ONES IN THE CRANES

WHO ACTUALLY LIFT THE CONTAINER \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hONTO THE SHIP.

\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT SOON THAT JOB WILL ALSO BE DONE BY A ROBOT.

AUTOMATED PORTS

\h\h\hWILL SOON FORCE THOUSANDS OF DOCKWORKERS ACROSS THE U.S.

TO FIND NEW JOBS

AND REVOLUTIONIZE HOW CARGO \h\hMOVES AROUND THE WORLD.

BUT THERE‘S STILL ONE STEP

\hTHAT WILL ALWAYS REQUIRE A PERSON AT THE CONTROLS--

GUIDING THESE COLOSSAL SHIPS

SAFELY FROM THE OCEAN \h\h\hUP TO THE DOCK.

\hIN MIAMI, IT‘S DONE BY LOCAL SHIP PILOTS.

TODAY, PILOT JON NITKIN

IS ON HIS WAY OUT TO MEET THE COLOSSAL MAERSK SANA.

STRETCHING ALMOST \h1,100 FEET LONG,

THIS MEGA-SHIP CAN CARRY UP TO \h\h\h7,500 20-FOOT CONTAINERS.

EACH CONTAINER

CAN HOLD HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS \h\h\h\h\hOF DOLLARS OF CARGO.

WHEN A SIMILAR-SIZED SHIP, \h\hCALLED THE MOL COMFORT,

BROKE IN HALF AND SANK IN 2013 \h\h\hIN THE WATERS OFF YEMEN,

\h\hTHE LOSSES RAN OVER $400 MILLION.

IT‘S WHY JON HAS TO GUIDE \hTHIS SHIP VERY CAREFULLY

INTO PORT.

MIAMI‘S SHIPPING LANE

\hDOESN‘T MAKE IT EASY FOR VESSELS THIS BIG.

COMPARED TO OTHER MAJOR PORTS,

IT‘S EXTREMELY NARROW.

ONE MISTAKE, AND THIS SHIP COULD QUICKLY RUN AGROUND

AND SHUT DOWN ALL CARGO AND CRUISE SHIP TRAFFIC

\h\hINTO AND OUT OF THE PORT OF MIAMI.

BUT JON HAS BEEN PILOTING SHIPS \h\h\h\h\hTHROUGH THIS CHANNEL

FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.

\hHE LANDS THE SANA GENTLY AT ITS DOCK,

SAFE AND SOUND.

\h\h\h\hRECENT INNOVATIONS LIKE THE SHIPPING CONTAINER

AND CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY \h\h\h\h\h\hAT MAJOR PORTS

HAVE TURNED CITIES

\h\h\hINTO ENORMOUS HUBS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE.

BUT FROM THE DAYS THEY WERE FOUNDED,

\h\hAMERICA‘S CITIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LABORATORIES

FOR THE TESTING OF BIG IDEAS.

\h\h\h\hBY THE 1890s, BOSTON HAD A PROBLEM.

ITS POPULATION WAS BOOMING,

BUT ITS NARROW COLONIAL STREETS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWERE CLOGGED WITH HORSE-DRAWN CARTS AND TROLLEYS.

THAT‘S WHAT LED THE CITY \hTO CARVE OUT AND BUILD

\h\h\h\hTHE FIRST WORKING SUBWAY SYSTEM IN AMERICA,

WHICH IT COMPLETED IN 1897.

AND BOSTON WASN‘T THE ONLY CITY

RESCUED BY A MAJOR WORK \h\h\h\hOF ENGINEERING.

\h\hONE OF THE BIGGEST AND STRANGEST PROJECTS

TOOK PLACE HERE IN CHICAGO.

IN THE LATE 19th CENTURY,

THE WATER OF THE CHICAGO RIVER

\h\h\h\hWAS FULL OF WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS

\h\hTHAT FLOWED OUT INTO LAKE MICHIGAN

AND THEN POLLUTED THE CITY‘S \h\h\h\h\hFRESH WATER SUPPLY.

CHICAGO RESIDENTS OFTEN SUFFERED FROM OUTBREAKS OF CHOLERA

AND OTHER DISEASES.

\h\hTHE FIX THAT ENGINEERS CAME UP WITH WAS A BIG ONE.

TO PROVIDE CLEAN DRINKING WATER,

THEY PROPOSED REVERSING THE FLOW OF THE CHICAGO RIVER

AS IT PASSED THROUGH THE CITY.

TO DO IT, THEY BUILT \h\h\hA 28-MILE CANAL

WHICH WOULD DRAW CLEAN WATER \h\h\h\h\h\hOUT OF THE LAKE,

SEND IT THROUGH THE CITY,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THEN SOUTH, TOWARD THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

THAT WAY THE POLLUTED WATER \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE RIVER

WOULDN‘T ENTER LAKE MICHIGAN.

IT WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST

\h\h\h\h\h\hENGINEERING AND EXCAVATION PROJECTS

IN THE NATION‘S HISTORY

AND TOOK EIGHT YEARS \h\h\h\hTO COMPLETE.

\h\h\hTHE CHICAGO RIVER STILL FLOWS IN REVERSE

THROUGH DOWNTOWN CHICAGO TODAY.

\h\h\h\hTHE CHALLENGE OF FINDING SOLUTIONS

TO THE GROWING NEEDS OF AMERICA‘S CITIES

ALSO LED TO THE CREATION

\hOF MANY OUR NATION‘S MOST BELOVED LANDMARKS.

BY THE END OF THE 19th CENTURY,

FERRIES STILL CARRIED PEOPLE \h\h\h\hBETWEEN SAN FRANCISCO

AND TOWNS AND CITIES \h\h\h\hTO THE NORTH.

SPANNING THE OPENING TO SAN FRANCISCO BAY

WITH A BRIDGE

SEEMED TO MANY

\h\hLIKE AN IMPOSSIBLE ENGINEERING CHALLENGE.

\hCRITICS WERE FEARFUL IT WOULD HURT BUSINESS,

\h\h\h\h\hSINCE THIS WATERWAY WAS ALSO A SHIPPING CHANNEL.

AND SOME WERE WORRIED IT MIGHT COLLAPSE DURING A MAJOR QUAKE.

WHEN THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE WAS COMPLETED IN APRIL 1937,

\h\h\h\hITS MAIN SPAN STRETCHED 4,200 FEET,

\h\h\h\h\hMAKING IT THE LONGEST SUSPENSION BRIDGE IN THE WORLD.

IT HELD THAT TITLE UNTIL 1964

\h\h\h\hWHEN NEW YORK CITY BUILT AN EVEN LONGER SUSPENSION BRIDGE

CALLED THE VERRAZANO NARROWS,

\hBETWEEN BROOKLYN AND STATEN ISLAND.

ALMOST EVERY MAJOR CITY \h\h\h\h\h\hIN AMERICA

HAS ITS OWN STORY

\h\hOF AN ENGINEERING MARVEL THAT WAS KEY TO ITS SURVIVAL.

LOS ANGELES

MAY NEVER HAVE BECOME THE MOST \h\hPOPULATED COUNTY IN AMERICA

IF IT HADN‘T BOUGHT UP VAST STRETCHES OF LAND

IN A WATER-FILLED VALLEY \h\h\h\h\h\hTO THE NORTH

\h\h\h\h\hAND THEN BUILT A 338-MILE-LONG AQUEDUCT

TO GET THAT WATER DOWN TO L.A.

PHOENIX RELIES

ON ITS OWN COMPLEX SYSTEM \h\h\hOF CANALS AND PIPES

TO GET THE WATER IT NEEDS \hFROM THE COLORADO RIVER.

AND NEW ORLEANS‘ SURVIVAL

DEPENDS ON A SERIES OF GIANT FLOOD GATES

TO KEEP OUT HURRICANE SURGE.

SOME CITIES HAVE HAD TO CREATE NEW LAND.

\h\h\hWHEN THE PURITANS FOUNDED BOSTON IN 1630,

ITS FOOTPRINT WAS TINY.

BUT STARTING IN THE 1800s,

THE CITY EMBARKED ON ENORMOUS \h\h\hLAND-BUILDING PROJECTS,

CHOPPED OFF ITS ORIGINAL HILLS,

AND USED THAT EARTH TO EXPAND \h\h\h\h\hBOSTON‘S BOUNDARIES

INTO WHAT THEY ARE TODAY.

\h\hEVEN BOSTON LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

IS BUILT ALMOST ENTIRELY \h\h\h\h\h\hON LANDFILL.

BUT AS ENGINEERS FIGURED OUT \h\h\hHOW TO MOVE AND SECURE

\hCOLOSSAL AMOUNTS OF EARTH AND RUBBLE

TO EXPAND THEIR CITIES OUTWARD,

OTHERS WERE BUSY DESIGNING \h\hNEW KINDS OF STRUCTURES

THAT WOULD ALLOW CITIES TO GROW \h\h\hVERTICALLY INTO THE SKY.

SOME OF THOSE EARLY ENGINEERING MARVELS

HAVE ALMOST BEEN FORGOTTEN TODAY.

ONE OF THEM CAN BE FOUND \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN SEATTLE.

AFTER LYMAN CORNELIUS SMITH

\h\h\h\h\hHAD MADE A FORTUNE SELLING GUNS AND TYPEWRITERS,

\h\h\h\h\hHE COMMISSIONED A NEW OFFICE TOWER HERE,

OVER PIONEER SQUARE, IN 1909.

FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY, \h\hHIS 38-STORY SMITH TOWER

WAS THE TALLEST BUILDING \h\h\hON THE WEST COAST.

\h\hITS DISTINCTIVE PYRAMID-SHAPED ROOF

WAS A LANDMARK FOR THOSE \h\h\hARRIVING IN SEATTLE

BY BOTH LAND AND SEA.

BUT TODAY, FEW PEOPLE \hPICTURE SMITH TOWER

WHEN THEY THINK OF SEATTLE.

MOST THINK OF THE SPACE NEEDLE,

\h\h\h\h\h\hWHICH WAS BUILT FOR THE 1962 WORLD‘S FAIR.

IT WAS CAREFULLY ENGINEERED

TO STEAL THE LIMELIGHT \h\h\hFROM SMITH TOWER,

AS THE TALLEST BUILDING WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

\h\hBUT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A SKYSCRAPER RACE IN AMERICA

LIKE THE ONE THAT HAPPENED \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN NEW YORK

AND CHANGED THE SKYLINE \hOF MANHATTAN FOREVER.

♪

IN THE LATE 1920s,

\h\h\hTWO ARCHITECTS RECEIVED COMMISSIONS

TO DESIGN NEW SKYSCRAPERS \h\h\h\hIN NEW YORK CITY.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE TWO MEN HAD ONCE BEEN PARTNERS.

BUT NOW THEY WERE ARCHRIVALS,

\hAND EACH WANTED HIS BUILDING TO BE THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD.

40 WALL STREET, WITH ITS DISTINCTIVE COPPER DOME,

WAS COMPLETED IN 1930.

\h\hITS ARCHITECT, H. CRAIG SEVERANCE,

WAS CONFIDENT THAT HIS BUILDING \h\h\h\h\hWOULD HOLD THE TITLE

AS THE WORLD‘S TALLEST.

AND IT DID,

BUT ONLY FOR A FEW WEEKS.

AT THE TIME,

SEVERANCE‘S FORMER PARTNER, ARCHITECT WILLIAM VAN ALEN,

\h\h\h\h\hWAS PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES

ON THE CHRYSLER BUILDING,

HERE AT THE CORNER OF LEXINGTON \h\h\h\hAVENUE AND 42nd STREET.

WITH STAINLESS-STEEL CLADDING \h\h\h\h\hCOVERING ITS CROWN

AND STREAMLINED ART-DECO MOTIFS,

\hIT WAS DESIGNED TO CELEBRATE THE GREAT AGE OF THE AUTOMOBILE

AND THE METEORIC RISE \h\h\h\hOF CHRYSLER.

\h\h\h\hTO MAKE SURE THE CHRYSLER BUILDING

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWOULD BE THE TALLEST IN THE WORLD,

VAN ALEN DEVELOPED \h\hA SECRET PLAN.

INSIDE THE UPPER FLOORS \h\h\hOF THE BUILDING,

\h\hHE QUIETLY CONSTRUCTED A 185-FOOT-HIGH STEEL SPIRE

\h\h\hTHAT WOULD MAKE THE CHRYSLER BUILDING

TALLER THAN 40 WALL STREET.

ON OCTOBER 23, 1929,

\h\h\h\h\hA SMALL TEAM OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

\hSLOWLY RAISED IT OUT OF THE BUILDING

FOR THE WORLD TO SEE.

THEY BOLTED IT INTO PLACE

\h\h\hAND CAPPED OUT THE CHRYSLER BUILDING

AT 1,046 FEET--

\h\h\h120 FEET HIGHER THAN 40 WALL STREET.

VAN ALEN HAD SUCCEEDED

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN STEALING HIS FORMER PARTNER‘S PRIZE.

BUT THE VERY NEXT YEAR,

HE FOUND HIMSELF IN SECOND PLACE.

WHEN THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

\hWAS COMPLETED ON MAY 1, 1931,

IT SOARED EVEN HIGHER,

RISING 1,250 FEET.

IT REMAINED THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD FOR FOUR DECADES,

UNTIL 1971,

\h\hWHEN THE TWIN TOWERS OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER

WERE FINALLY COMPLETED \h\hIN LOWER MANHATTAN.

NOW, AFTER 9/11,

ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER

\h\h\hSTANDS ON THE SITE OF THE FORMER TWIN TOWERS

AND HOLDS THE PRIZE

\h\hAS THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

\h\hBUT THAT HASN‘T PUT AN END TO NEW YORK CITY‘S SKYSCRAPER RACE.

\h\h\h\hTODAY, DEVELOPERS ARE COMPETING TO ENGINEER

\h\h\h\hSOME OF THE WORLD‘S HIGHEST RESIDENTIAL TOWERS

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT WILL APPEAL TO THE WEALTHIEST BUYERS ON EARTH.

THIS WAS THE FIRST OF NEW YORK‘S

\h\h\h\hNEW STILETTO-THIN RESIDENTIAL SKYSCRAPERS.

IT‘S CALLED 432 PARK AVENUE

AND LIES ON WHAT‘S NOW REFERRED \h\h\hTO AS BILLIONAIRE‘S ROW.

SOME OF THESE APARTMENTS

HAVE SOLD FOR MORE THAN $30 MILLION.

\h\h\h\h\hTO MAKE SURE BUYERS WON‘T GET WOOZY

WHEN 432 PARK AVENUE \hSWAYS IN THE WIND,

ENGINEERS HAVE ARMED IT WITH \hHIGH-TECH SHOCK ABSORBERS.

THREE OF THE UPPER FLOORS DON‘T HAVE ANY APARTMENTS.

WHEN YOU GLIDE BY THEIR WINDOWS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND PEER INSIDE,

YOU CAN SEE THE LONG TUBES

\hOF WHAT ARE CALLED TUNED MASS DAMPERS.

THEY WEIGH 1,300 TONS

AND ARE USED TO COUNTERACT \h\h\hTHE FORCE OF THE WIND

\hAND KEEP THE TOWER STEADY WHEN IT BLOWS HARD OUTSIDE.

HIGH-END LUXURY TOWERS \h\h\h\h\hLIKE THIS ONE

HAVE TAKEN THE LIFESTYLES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE 1%

TO NEW HEIGHTS IN NEW YORK CITY.

♪

EVERY CITY‘S UNIQUE HISTORY, STYLE, AND EVEN PERSONALITY

\h\h\hARE OFTEN REFLECTED IN ITS TALLEST BUILDINGS.

WHEN A DEVELOPER NAMED RAY HUNT

\h\h\hBUILT A NEW HOTEL HERE IN DALLAS IN 1978,

\h\h\h\hHE DECIDED TO PUT ITS REVOLVING RESTAURANT

ON TOP OF A SEPARATE TOWER,

INSTEAD OF ON THE ROOF \hOF THE HOTEL ITSELF.

HE NAMED IT REUNION TOWER

TO HONOR SOME OF DALLAS‘S \h\h\h\hEARLIEST SETTLERS

WHO LIVED IN A COMMUNITY \h\h\hCALLED LA REUNION.

\h\hTODAY, NO STRUCTURE SAYS DALLAS, TEXAS LIKE THIS ONE.

\hTHE NEW YORK TIMES HAS CLAIMED THAT IT‘S AS MUCH A DALLAS ICON

AS THE GATEWAY ARCH IS \h\h\h\hFOR ST. LOUIS.

\hBUT NOT EVERY CITY HAS WANTED A SKYLINE

FILLED WITH SKYSCRAPERS.

IT WASN‘T SO LONG AGO THAT RESIDENTS IN SAN FRANCISCO

FOUGHT HARD TO TRY TO KEEP THEIR BELOVED CITY SKYSCRAPER-FREE.

FOR MANY WHO GREW UP HERE,

THE 210-FOOT-HIGH COIT TOWER,

WHICH HAS BEEN PERCHED ON TELEGRAPH HILL SINCE 1933,

WAS THE PERFECT SYMBOL

\hOF SAN FRANCISCO‘S HISTORY AND SPIRIT.

\h\h\h\h\hIT WAS PAID FOR BY LILLIE HITCHCOCK COIT,

WHO WANTED TO LEAVE A GIFT

\h\hTHAT WOULD ENHANCE SAN FRANCISCO‘S BEAUTY

AND HONOR ITS FIREFIGHTERS.

BUT IN THE 1960s,

THE TRANSAMERICA CORPORATION \h\hREVEALED PLANS FOR A NEW,

MORE THAN 1,000-FOOT-HIGH-TALL \h\h\h\h\h\hSKYSCRAPER DOWNTOWN

THAT WOULD RADICALLY CHANGE \hSAN FRANCISCO‘S SKYLINE.

AN UGLY FIGHT ENSUED.

SAN FRANCISCANS PROTESTED,

ARGUING THAT THEIR CITY \hWOULD SOON BE BURIED

\hUNDER WHAT THEY CALLED A SKYLINE OF TOMBSTONES.

\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE END, THEY LOST THEIR FIGHT,

THOUGH TRANSAMERICA DID AGREE

\hTO REDUCE THE HEIGHT OF ITS NEW HEADQUARTERS

BY ALMOST 200 FEET.

FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES,

IT WAS THE TALLEST BUILDING \h\h\h\h\hIN SAN FRANCISCO,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND, OVER TIME, ITS HEIGHT AND PYRAMID SHAPE

MADE IT A SAN FRANCISCO ICON.

SAN FRANCISCANS MAY HAVE FOUGHT \h\h\h\h\hAGAINST SKYSCRAPERS,

\hBUT NOW THEIR CITY IS PACKED WITH THEM.

AND TODAY,

THE COLOSSAL NEW 61-STORY HOME \hOF THE TECH GIANT SALESFORCE

DOMINATES THE BAY AREA.

RISING 1,070 FEET,

IT DWARFS EVERY OTHER \hSTRUCTURE AROUND IT.

RESIDENTS OF THE BAY AREA EITHER LOVE IT OR HATE IT.

IT‘S ONE OF THE MOST \h\h\hVISIBLE SYMBOLS

OF HOW SILICON VALLEY \h\h\hAND TECH WEALTH

HAVE CHANGED SAN FRANCISCO,

ALONG WITH RISING HOUSING PRICES

AND ENDLESS TRAFFIC

ON BAY AREA HIGHWAYS \h\h\h\hAND BRIDGES.

IF EVERY MAJOR CITY IN AMERICA COULD WRITE ITS OWN BIOGRAPHY,

THEY WOULD ALL BE FILLED WITH FASCINATING STORIES

OF THEIR INSPIRING RISE \hFROM HUMBLE ORIGINS,

GREAT BOOMS AND BUSTS...

AND OF HOPES AND DREAMS

THAT HAVE LED TO THE CREATION

OF SOME OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR \h\hURBAN SPACES IN THE WORLD.

BUT THE MOST GRIPPING CHAPTERS \h\h\h\hIN SOME OF THESE TALES

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWOULD BE OF THE DEVASTATING TRAGEDIES

\h\hTHAT HAVE STRUCK MANY AMERICAN CITIES,

OFTEN WITHOUT WARNING.

RAGING HURRICANES AND DEADLY FLOODS

\h\hHAVE LONG BEEN TWO OF THE BIGGEST DANGERS

TO THE RESIDENTS OF CITIES ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD

AND THE GULF OF MEXICO.

WHEN HURRICANE KATRINA \h\h\h\hHIT NEW ORLEANS

AND THE SURROUNDING GULF COAST \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN AUGUST 2005,

\hIT LEFT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HOMELESS

AND 1,800 DEAD.

\h\h\h\h\h80% OF NEW ORLEANS WAS RAVAGED BY FLOOD WATERS.

BUT THE BIGGEST DANGER FOR WEST COAST CITIES

ARE MASSIVE FORCES DEEP UNDERGROUND.

WHEN MOUNT ST. HELENS ERUPTED \h\h\h\h\h\hON MAY 18, 1980,

\h\h\hIT BLANKETED THE CITY OF PORTLAND, 50 MILES AWAY,

WITH ASH.

SEATTLE LIES JUST NORTHWEST \h\h\h\h\hOF MOUNT RAINIER,

ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS \h\h\hVOLCANOES ON EARTH.

CALIFORNIA‘S COASTAL CITIES \hFACE A DIFFERENT THREAT--

A 750-MILE-LONG EARTHQUAKE FAULT

CALLED THE SAN ANDREAS.

IT LIES ON THE RING OF FIRE,

A LONG LINE OF EARTHQUAKE ZONES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND VOLCANOES

THAT PASSES UNDER THE WEST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES.

GEOLOGISTS HAVE WARNED

THAT LOS ANGELES COULD BE OVERDUE FOR A MAJOR QUAKE

THAT COULD BE AS POWERFUL \h\h\h\h\hAS MAGNITUDE 8.

\h\h\h\hWHEN YOU FOLLOW THIS FAULT LINE NORTH,

IT PASSES JUST WEST \hOF SILICON VALLEY

AND THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO.

AT EXACTLY 5:12 A.M. \hON APRIL 18, 1906,

THE SAN ANDREAS

\h\h\h\h\h\hUNLEASHED A MASSIVE 7.9 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE HERE.

\h\h\hTHE GROUND SHOOK FOR LESS THAN A MINUTE,

\h\hBUT THE EFFECTS WERE CATASTROPHIC.

\h\h\h\h\h\h500 CITY BLOCKS WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED,

FIRES BROKE OUT,

AND 3,000 PEOPLE DIED.

BY THE TIME THE AFTERSHOCKS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hHAD SUBSIDED,

80% OF SAN FRANCISCO \h\hHAD BEEN LEVELED.

THE 1906 EARTHQUAKE

REMAINS ONE OF THE WORST \h\h\h\hNATURAL DISASTERS

IN U.S. HISTORY.

\h\h\h\h\hTHE SAN ANDREAS STRUCK THE BAY AREA AGAIN

IN 1989.

THE 6.9 MAGNITUDE LOMA PRIETA QUAKE

LEFT 63 PEOPLE DEAD.

42 OF THEM DIED

WHEN AN ELEVATED FREEWAY \h\hCOLLAPSED IN OAKLAND.

A YOUNG MOTORIST ALSO PERISHED

AFTER A 50-FOOT SECTION

\h\h\hOF THE FORMER SPAN OF THE OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE

\h\h\h\hCRASHED DOWN ON THE ROADWAY BELOW.

BUT JUST LIKE IN 1906,

BAY AREA RESIDENTS RALLIED

AND REBUILT THEIR HOUSES, \hBRIDGES, AND HIGHWAYS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWHEN YOU SOAR OVER SAN FRANCISCO‘S COLORFUL STREETS

AND GLEAMING TOWERS TODAY,

YOU‘D NEVER KNOW THAT \hTHIS CALIFORNIA CITY

ONCE LAY IN RUINS.

IT‘S A COMEBACK STORY

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT‘S PLAYED OUT IN CITY AFTER CITY IN AMERICA,

AND NO PLACE MORE DRAMATICALLY \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAN IN CHICAGO.

ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 8, 1892,

\h\h\hA SMALL SPARK LIT A BARN ON FIRE

\h\hAT WHAT IS NOW 137 DeKOVEN STREET.

THE FIRE QUICKLY SPREAD \hTO NEARBY STRUCTURES.

HIGH WINDS FANNED THE FLAMES

AND PUSHED THE FIRES \h\h\hNORTH AND EAST,

TOWARD LAKE MICHIGAN.

\h\h\hFOR ALMOST FOUR DAYS, THE CITY OF CHICAGO BURNED,

UNTIL RAIN SHOWERS FINALLY PUT \h\hTHE LAST OF THE FIRES OUT.

\hTHE DEVASTATION WAS CATASTROPHIC.

\h\h\h17,000 CHICAGO BUILDINGS DESTROYED,

90,000 RESIDENTS LEFT HOMELESS,

AND ALMOST 300 DEAD.

\h\h\h\h\hBUT EVEN AS THEIR CITY SMOLDERED,

\h\h\h\h\hTHE PEOPLE OF CHICAGO WERE ALREADY VOWING TO REBUILD.

THEIR CITY‘S GREAT FIRE \hENDED UP BEING A SPARK

\hTHAT LED TO INNOVATIONS IN ENGINEERING AND DESIGN

\hTHAT CREATED ONE OF THE MOST DAZZLING SKYLINES IN THE WORLD.

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE FIRE,

\h\hCHICAGO DEVELOPERS RACED TO SECURE LOTS FOR NEW BUILDINGS,

AND LAND PRICES SKYROCKETED.

TO MAXIMIZE THE LAND,

THEY SET OUT TO BUILD

THE HIGHEST STRUCTURES \h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY COULD.

\h\h\h\hA NEW MATERIAL CALLED STRUCTURAL STEEL

WOULD MAKE THAT POSSIBLE

IN EXCITING WAYS THE WORLD \h\hHAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

\h\hUSING STEEL POSTS AND BEAMS, INSTEAD OF HEAVY WALLS OF STONE,

\hENGINEERS IN CHICAGO COULD DESIGN NEW KINDS OF BUILDINGS

THAT COULD BE TALLER \h\hTHAN EVER BEFORE

AND SHEATHED IN GLASS.

IT LED TO A REVOLUTION IN SKYSCRAPER DESIGN.

\h\hMANY OF THOSE EARLY STEEL-FRAMED BUILDINGS

\hARE STILL STANDING IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO.

AND SOARING ABOVE THEM \h\h\h\hARE SKYSCRAPERS

THAT HAVE TAKEN STRUCTURAL STEEL TO WHOLE NEW LEVELS.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE DESIGN OF THE JOHN HANCOCK CENTER

WAS REVOLUTIONARY.

\hTHE ENORMOUS BLACK DIAMOND SHAPES ON ITS EXTERIOR WALLS

AREN‘T JUST FOR LOOKS.

THEY‘VE BEEN WELDED TOGETHER

TO CREATE A 100-STORY-HIGH \h\h\h\hTAPERED STEEL TUBE,

WHICH HOLDS THE BUILDING UP.

SINCE THE STRUCTURE \hIS ON THE OUTSIDE,

IT‘S CALLED AN EXOSKELETON.

CHICAGO MAY NEVER HAVE BECOME A CITY OF ENGINEERING MARVELS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIF IT WEREN‘T FOR THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE.

BUT NO URBAN TRAGEDY \h\hIN RECENT MEMORY

\h\h\h\h\h\hWAS AS DEVASTATING AS WHAT HAPPENED ON 9/11, 2001,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWHEN TERRORISTS BROUGHT DOWN THE TWIN TOWERS

OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER \h\h\hIN LOWER MANHATTAN.

FIVE YEARS LATER, IN 2006,

\h\hCONSTRUCTION CREWS BEGAN TO PREPARE THE SITE OF GROUND ZERO

\h\h\h\h\hFOR A NEW SKYSCRAPER, CALLED ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER,

ALSO KNOWN AS THE FREEDOM TOWER.

\h\h\h\hTODAY, WITH ITS ANGLED GLASS FAÇADE AND SOARING SPIRE,

THE FREEDOM TOWER RISES \hA SYMBOLIC 1,776 FEET

OVER THE SITE OF GROUND ZERO.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA \h\h\hCAME TO NEW YORK

WHILE THE FREEDOM TOWER \h\h\h\hWAS BEING BUILT

AND LEFT BEHIND AN INSCRIPTION

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hON ONE OF THE NEW STRUCTURE‘S BEAMS,

"WE REMEMBER, WE REBUILD, \hWE COME BACK STRONGER."

AND THAT SPEAKS TO THE PEOPLE \h\h\hOF EVERY AMERICAN CITY

\h\h\hWHO HAVE ALWAYS RESPONDED TO TRAGEDY

WITH RESILIENCE, STRENGTH,

AND AN EYE ON THE FUTURE.

BUT THEY‘VE ALSO HONORED THOSE \h\h\hWHO SUFFERED AND PERISHED

\h\h\h\hWITH STUNNING WORKS OF ENGINEERING AND DESIGN.

ON APRIL 15, 2013,

TWO ISLAMIC TERRORISTS DETONATED THEIR BOMBS

\h\hAT THE FINISH LINE OF THE BOSTON MARATHON,

HERE ON BOYLSTON STREET.

\h\hTHE EXPLOSIONS KILLED THREE PEOPLE

AND INJURED 250 OTHERS.

THREE DAYS LATER,

THE MEN AMBUSHED AND MURDERED \h\h\h\h\hA SECURITY OFFICER

ON THE CAMPUS OF M.I.T.

\h\h\h\hIN 2015, M.I.T. UNVEILED THIS MEMORIAL

TO THEIR SLAIN OFFICER, \h\h\h\h\hSEAN COLLIER.

\h\h\h\h\hIT WAS DESIGNED BY ARCHITECTURE PROFESSOR

J. MEEJIN YOON.

\h\hIT‘S MADE UP OF 32 MASSIVE INTERLOCKING PIECES OF GRANITE

\h\h\h\hTHAT SYMBOLIZE THE STRENGTH AND UNITY

THAT BROUGHT MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER

\hAFTER THE BOMBINGS AND COLLIER‘S DEATH.

\hWHEN NIGHT FALLS ON NEW YORK CITY,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE SITE OF THE FORMER TWIN TOWERS

GLOWS WITH LIGHT.

\h\hTHIS IS THE NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11th MEMORIAL.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT WAS DESIGNED AS TWO LARGE REFLECTING POOLS

\h\h\h\hTHAT HAVE BEEN PLACED INSIDE THE FORMER FOOTPRINTS

OF THE TWIN TOWERS.

\h\h\hNEW YORK CITY DECIDED TO PRESERVE THESE TWO SITES

\h\h\hAS A WAY FOR NEW YORKERS TO REMEMBER THE NEARLY 3,000 PEOPLE

\hWHO PERISHED IN THE 1993 AND 2001 TERRORIST ATTACKS

ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.

\h\h\hIT ALSO HONORS THE FIRST RESPONDERS

AND OTHERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE AFTERMATH.

\h\hAFTER DARK, EVERY CITY PAINTS ITS OWN UNIQUE STORY

WITH LIGHT.

BUT THERE MAY BE NO TWO CITIES

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT DO IT WITH BIGGER SPECTACLES

THAN MIAMI AND LAS VEGAS.

♪

\h\h\h\h\hONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO UNDERSTAND THE OUTSIZED ROLE

\h\h\hTHAT CITIES PLAY IN THE LIFE OF AMERICA

\h\h\hIS TO PEER DOWN ON THE UNITED STATES,

LIKE AN ASTRONAUT,

FROM SPACE.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTODAY, MORE THAN 80% OF AMERICANS LIVE IN URBAN AREAS

THAT LIGHT UP NORTH AMERICA \hIN GREAT POOLS OF LIGHT.

FROM THE GLOW OF TIMES SQUARE \h\h\h\h\hIN NEW YORK CITY...

\hTO THE MARQUEES OF CASINOS ALONG THE LAS VEGAS STRIP...

TO THE STREETS OF CHICAGO

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT FAN OUT FROM THE SHORES OF LAKE MICHIGAN...

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO HOUSTON, WITH HIGHWAYS THAT LOOK LIKE

\h\h\h\h\hGIANT SPOKES OF A WHEEL AT NIGHT...

AND TO THE MANY CITIES THAT SURROUND SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

THESE VAST URBAN CENTERS

MAY LOOK JUST LIKE TAPESTRIES \h\h\h\hOF LIGHT FROM SPACE.

BUT WHEN YOU GET UP CLOSE,

\h\h\h\hTHEY OFFER A CHANCE TO DISCOVER THE MYRIAD WAYS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT PEOPLE IN THESE VERY DIFFERENT CITIES

WORK AND PLAY.

\h\h\h\h\h\hAS THE MOON RISES OVER THE SANTA MONICA HILLS,

\h\h\h\h\hCOLORFUL VEINS APPEAR ACROSS LOS ANGELES

AS THOUSANDS OF COMMUTERS \h\h\h\h\h\hHIT THE ROAD

\h\hON L.A. COUNTY‘S 515 MILES OF FREEWAY.

♪

TONIGHT, MOST OF THESE DRIVERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE HEADING HOME,

\h\h\h\hBUT SOME ARE ON THEIR WAY DOWNTOWN

\h\h\h\h\hTO WATCH THE LAKERS TAKE ON THE HOUSTON ROCKETS,

HERE AT THEIR HOME COURT \hAT THE STAPLES CENTER.

NIGHT BRINGS OUT SPORTS ADDICTS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN CITIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY...

...AND NOT JUST FANS OF \h\hPROFESSIONAL TEAMS.

HERE IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMETROPLEX,

A FRIDAY NIGHT RITUAL \h\h\h\hIS UNDERWAY.

CROWDS ARE CHEERING ON

TWO OF THEIR FAVORITE \hHIGH SCHOOL TEAMS,

\h\hTHE SACHSE MUSTANGS AND THE ROWLETT EAGLES,

IN A STADIUM THAT‘S ALMOST \h\h\hBIG ENOUGH TO BE PRO.

IF THE MUSTANGS WIN TONIGHT,

\h\h\hTHEY‘LL TAKE HOME THEIR THIRD CHAMPIONSHIP IN A ROW.

♪

\h\h\hTHERE‘S PLENTY OF LAND IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX

\h\h\h\hTO BUILD STADIUMS AND HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELDS.

BUT THAT‘S NOT THE CASE \h\h\h\hHERE IN MIAMI.

EVERY NIGHT, SOCCER PLAYERS \hCOME TO A PARKING GARAGE

AT 444 BRICKELL AVENUE, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hDOWNTOWN,

\hTO PLAY ON FIELDS BUILT ON A ROOFTOP.

\h\hIN SOUTH AMERICAN CITIES LIKE LIMA AND RIO DE JANEIRO,

\h\h\h\h\hIT‘S COMMON TO FIND SOCCER FIELDS

ON THE ROOFS OF BUILDINGS

SINCE THERE‘S VERY LITTLE SPACE \h\h\h\h\h\hLEFT ON THE GROUND.

THESE FIELDS HAVE BEEN OWNED \h\h\h\h\h\h\hBY PAVEL PARDO,

A FORMER PLAYER FOR MEXICO‘S \h\h\h\hNATIONAL SOCCER TEAM.

\h\h\hTHE PICKUP GAMES HERE LAST RIGHT UP UNTIL 2 A.M.,

\h\h\h\h\hWHEN THE LIGHTS GO OFF AND THE PLAYERS FINALLY GO HOME.

♪

BUT FOR MANY IN MIAMI,

THAT‘S THE TIME WHEN THEIR NIGHT IS JUST GETTING STARTED,

ESPECIALLY HERE,

ALONG OCEAN DRIVE \hIN MIAMI BEACH.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT‘S BEEN AN ALL-NIGHT PARTY TOWN

\h\h\hSINCE THIS CITY WAS FOUNDED IN 1915.

\hTHAT‘S WHEN DEVELOPERS TRANSFORMED MIAMI BEACH

FROM A NARROW MOSQUITO-PLAGUED \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBARRIER ISLAND

\h\h\h\h\hINTO A DESTINATION WITH LUXURY CLUBS AND HOTELS.

TO LURE WEALTHY VACATIONERS FROM NORTHERN STATES LIKE NEW YORK,

\h\h\h\h\hTHEY BUILT 800 ART DECO-STYLE BUILDINGS,

\h\h\hMANY OF WHICH ARE STILL STANDING.

ONE OF THEM IS THE COLONY HOTEL \h\h\h\h\h\hAT 736 OCEAN DRIVE,

WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN 1935.

\hHOTELS LIKE THIS ONE HELPED TURN MIAMI BEACH

INTO A BOOMTOWN IN THE 1930s.

TODAY, OCEAN DRIVE IS STILL \hA BIG DRAW FOR CLUB-GOERS

WHO FILL ITS ROOFTOP BARS

AND TRY AND GET PAST THE ROPES \h\h\h\hAT POPULAR NIGHTCLUBS,

LIKE LIV,

INSIDE THE LEGENDARY FONTAINEBLEAU HOTEL.

BUT THE CITY OF MIAMI ITSELF,

LOCATED JUST ACROSS \h\h\hBISCAYNE BAY,

\h\h\h\h\h\hALSO KNOWS HOW TO PUT ON A PARTY.

IT‘S THE HOST OF THE ANNUAL \h\h\hULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL.

\h\h\h\h\hEVERY YEAR IT TURNS SOUTH FLORIDA‘S LARGEST CITY

INTO A GIANT SPECTACLE,

WITH HUGE EXPLOSIONS OF SOUND AND LIGHT.

♪

BUT THERE MAY BE NO METROPOLIS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE NATION

WITH NIGHTTIME ENTERTAINMENT AS CAPTIVATING AS LAS VEGAS.

♪

\h\hTHE VEGAS STRIP IS FAMILIAR TO MANY

AS A FEAST OF COLOR AND LIGHT.

\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT ONE OF ITS BIGGEST SPECTACLES

IS A CHOREOGRAPHED DANCE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF WATER.

♪

THESE ARE THE FOUNTAINS \h\h\hOF THE BELLAGIO.

\h\h\h\h\h\hUNDER THE SURFACE OF THIS 8-ACRE MAN-MADE LAKE

ARE 1,200 WATER JETS.

\h\h\h\h\hSOME OF THEM, CALLED SUPER SHOOTERS,

\h\h\h\hCAN SEND WATER 240 FEET INTO THE SKY.

VEGAS MAY BE THE ENTERTAINMENT \h\h\h\hCAPITAL OF THE NATION,

BUT WHEN THE FOUNTAINS \h\h\h\hOF THE BELLAGIO

START THEIR CAREFULLY \hCHOREOGRAPHED DANCE,

ALL EYES ALONG THE STRIP \h\h\h\h\hPEER UP IN AWE

\h\h\h\hAT WHAT MAY BE VEGAS‘S MOST POPULAR PERFORMERS OF ALL.

♪

\h\h\h\hBUT ONE SPECTACLE FEW PEOPLE HERE EVER SEE

\h\h\hIS THAT OF THE HUNDREDS OF WINGED NOCTURNAL PREDATORS

THAT SWARM IN THE SKIES OVER THE STRIP AT NIGHT

IN SEARCH OF PREY.

\h\h\hSHOOTING OUT OF THE TOP OF THE LUXOR HOTEL AND CASINO

IS A VERY POWERFUL \h\h\hRAY OF LIGHT

CALLED THE SKYBEAM.

IT WAS CREATED WITH 39 7,000-WATT BULBS

AND HAS BEEN CALLED

THE BRIGHTEST BEAM OF LIGHT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE WORLD.

\h\h\hIT‘S SO POWERFUL, THE AIR OVER THE LUXOR

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCAN REACH 500 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THIS SHAFT OF LIGHT DRAWS \h\hTHOUSANDS OF INSECTS,

AND THOSE INSECTS \hMAKE THE SKYBEAM

THE PERFECT FEEDING GROUND \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR BATS.

LOOK CLOSELY, AND CHANCES ARE

YOU‘LL SEE HUNDREDS \hOF THESE PREDATORS

SWARMING AS THEY FEAST \h\h\hIN THE NIGHT SKY.

\h\h\hTHIS MAY BE THE STRANGEST SPECTACLE OF ALL IN LAS VEGAS.

♪

IT‘S JUST AFTER SUNSET \h\h\h\h\h\hIN SEATTLE,

\h\hAND AT THE BASE OF THE SPACE NEEDLE

A SERIES OF STRANGE GLASS FORMS HAVE JUST COME ALIVE WITH LIGHT.

\hTHESE BRILLIANT PLANT-LIKE SHAPES

ARE THE WORK OF GLASS ARTIST \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDALE CHIHULY,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA NATIVE OF THE NEARBY CITY OF TACOMA.

PEOPLE COME HERE AFTER DARK

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO EXPERIENCE THIS QUIET GARDEN OF GLASS,

WHICH WAS CREATED IN 2012

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hON THE SITE OF A FORMER AMUSEMENT PARK.

CHIHULY, WHO TRAINED IN EUROPE,

PIONEERED NEW WAYS OF PRODUCING GLASS

\h\hSO HE COULD CREATE DELICATE NATURAL FORMS

OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS.

\h\h\hTHIS GARDEN IS NOW ONE OF THE CITY‘S MOST VISITED SITES.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY, \hOUTSIDE OF BOSTON,

STUDENTS ARE GATHERING \hIN A CIRCLE OF LIGHT

IN HARVARD YARD.

THIS IS A TEMPORARY INSTALLATION BY ARTIST TERESITA FERNANDEZ.

\h\h\h\h\hSHE MADE IT WITH THOUSANDS OF FLEXIBLE RODS

THAT MOVE AND MAKE SOUND \h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE WIND.

\hFERNANDEZ NAMED HER WORK "AUTUMN, NOTHING PERSONAL,"

AFTER AN ESSAY

BY AFRICAN-AMERICAN WRITER \h\h\h\h\h\hJAMES BALDWIN.

\hSHE WANTS IT TO GET STUDENTS HERE THINKING AND TALKING ABOUT

\h\hHOW HUMAN HISTORY AND THE WORLD ITSELF

ARE IN A CONSTANT \hSTATE OF CHANGE.

♪

\h\hTHERE‘S REALLY NO END TO WHAT YOU CAN DISCOVER

\h\hWHEN YOU PEER DOWN ON LIFE IN AMERICA‘S CITIES AFTER DARK.

THAT‘S ESPECIALLY TRUE \h\h\h\hIN LOS ANGELES

FOR THOSE WHO COME HERE \h\h\h\h\h\hFOR A DRINK

AT THE HIGHEST OUTDOOR BAR IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

IT‘S CALLED SPIRE 73

\hBECAUSE IT LIES ON THE 73rd FLOOR

OF THE WILSHIRE GRAND,

\h\hTHE TALLEST BUILDING WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHIS SKYSCRAPER, WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN 2017,

WAS DESIGNED TO CELEBRATE \hCALIFORNIA‘S LANDSCAPE.

THE GLASS CROWN WAS SHAPED AFTER A ROCK FORMATION

IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK \h\h\h\hCALLED HALF DOME,

\hWHILE ITS REFLECTIVE FAÇADE IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN INSPIRED

\h\h\h\hBY THE GLASSY SURFACE OF CALIFORNIA‘S MERCED RIVER.

\h\h\h\hBUT FOR MANY PEOPLE, THIS BUILDING‘S BIGGEST DRAW

\h\h\h\h\hIS THE VIEW FROM ITS ROOFTOP BAR.

\h\h1,000 FEET ABOVE THE STREETS OF L.A.,

IT OFFERS ANGELINOS

\h\h\hA CHANCE TO LOOK OUT ACROSS THE DAZZLING LIGHTS

OF THE MOST POPULATED \hCOUNTY IN AMERICA,

FROM THE SUNSET STRIP

TO THE SANTA MONICA PIER.

AND IF THEY LOOK DOWN,

\h\hTHEY CAN ALSO CATCH SIGHT OF THEIR FELLOW CALIFORNIANS

ICE SKATING IN PERSHING SQUARE,

\h\h\hRIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS FAMOUSLY HOT AND DRY METROPOLIS.

\h\hTHESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE MILLIONS OF LIGHTS

THAT MAKE L.A. COUNTY \h\hGLOW FROM SPACE.

♪

WHETHER YOU‘RE LOOKING DOWN \h\h\h\h\hON THEIR STREETS

FROM STAGGERING HEIGHTS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOR RACING RIGHT ACROSS THEIR WATERS,

AMERICA‘S GREAT CITIES

ARE FULL OF RIVETING TALES.

ONE ROSE FROM ASHES

TO BUILD THE TALLEST TOWER \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE WORLD.

IT WAS A SIMPLE IDEA IN ANOTHER

THAT TRIGGERED A REVOLUTION \h\h\h\h\hIN GLOBAL TRADE.

THERE ARE INSPIRING ARTISTS

WHOSE WORK DAZZLES \h\h\hWITH LIGHT...

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND WORKERS WILLING TO TAKE DARING RISKS

TO KEEP THEIR METROPOLIS \h\hMOVING DAY AND NIGHT.

THESE ARE THE POWERFUL STORIES \h\hOF AMERICA‘S GREAT CITIES.

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