What did the New Haven Harbor shoreline look like before the industrial revolution?
Where were the mills located that propelled industry in the city, and what contaminants did they leave behind?
How has the area surrounding Tweed New Haven Airport changed since the time of its construction?
A new interactive digital atlas created by Yale's New Haven Environmental History Project (NHEH) invites users to probe the city's historical landscape for answers to such questions, and to make connections with the city of the present day.
The New Haven Digital Atlas is a powerful tool for gaining a better understanding of how the city has changed over time, said Paul Sabin, faculty director for Yale Environmental Humanities, which oversees the project, and the Randolph W. Townsend, Jr. Professor of History in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
"By studying these changes, students and community members can engage with major themes in urban history, including the manipulation of water, development of industry and communities, the role of infrastructure, and the creation of public space," Sabin said.
The goal is to make the atlas a teaching tool for local schoolteachers. Yale Environmental Humanities recently hosted about 30 K-12 teachers and community members at an event introducing the atlas and demonstrating how it might be used in the classroom, Sabin said.
