A photograph of Akron above lower Manhattan reveals rows of working piers and how completely the island once functioned as a major port. London followed a related pattern as its largest commercial berths shifted progressively down the Thames toward Tilbury. Increasing ship size made the river's bends and restricted central approaches less practical even though the Port of London continued to exist. Larger vessels therefore moved working port geography away from both city centers and changed their relationship with maritime infrastructure.
Notable Point · 2:40:14-2:46:25
How larger ships moved major ports away from city centers
An Akron photograph prompts a comparison between Manhattan's former forest of piers and the Port of London's migration down the Thames as ships outgrew central-city approaches.