Meanings
- uncountableThe construction of many tall or densely situated buildings in a city.
The city's urban plan prescribes a 500‐foot height limit there to preserve the area's present character, and Mr. Starbuck, long‐time foe of “Manhattanization,” said be feared that granting the variance would lead to unwanted office towers up and down the street.
1979 February 12, “‘Manhattanization’ Fears Snag Crocker Bank Plan”, in New York Times1 more example
Throughout the country, “Manhattanization” is a scary term that gets thrown at any developer who wants to increase density. And yet the number of Americans who want to live in NYC is not small; it’s huge. NYC 1-bedroom rents have been soaring, even as they stagnate nationwide: [data graph shown]. Someone wants to live in NYC, obviously.
2025 August 15, Noah Smith, “America has only one real city. We need a few more of them. How can we get them?”, in Noahpinion [Substack], retrieved 15 Aug 2025
Origin
Cite this entry
Manhattanization. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Manhattanization
“Manhattanization.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Manhattanization. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Manhattanization,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Manhattanization.
Source: Manhattanization on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.