Cityscape Indianapolis

panorama of downtown indianapolis skyline in 2016.



alexander ralston s plat of town of indianapolis, today known mile square.

indianapolis planned city. on january 11, 1820, indiana general assembly authorized committee select site in central indiana new state capital, appointing alexander ralston , elias pym fordham survey , design town plan indianapolis. ralston had been surveyor french architect pierre l enfant, assisting him plan washington, d.c. ralston s original plan indianapolis called town of 1 square mile (2.6 km), near confluence of white river , fall creek.

the plan, known mile square, bounded east, west, north, , south streets, centered on traffic circle, called monument circle (originally governor s circle), indianapolis circle city nickname originated. 4 diagonal streets radiated block monument circle: massachusetts, virginia, kentucky, , indiana avenues. city s address numbering system begins @ intersection of washington , meridian streets. before submersion sanitary tunnel, pogue s run included plan, disrupting rectilinear street grid southeast.

downtown indianapolis indiana world war memorial plaza historic district. landmarks include american legion (left) , scottish rite cathedral (right).

noted 1 of finest examples of city beautiful movement design in united states, seven-block indiana world war memorial plaza historic district began construction in 1921 in downtown indianapolis. national historic landmark includes neoclassical american legion , central library buildings, depew memorial fountain, several sculptures , memorials, , open space, hosting many annual civic events.

after completion of soldiers , sailors monument, ordinance passed in 1905 restricting building heights on traffic circle 86 ft (26 m) protect views of 284 ft (87 m) monument. ordinance revised in 1922, permitting buildings rise 108 ft (33 m), additional 42 ft (13 m) allowable series of setbacks. citywide height restriction ordinance instituted in 1912, barring structures on 200 ft (61 m). completed in 1962, city-county building first skyscraper in city, surpassing soldiers , sailors monument in height 100 ft (30 m). building boom, lasting 1982 1990, saw construction of 6 of city s ten tallest buildings. tallest salesforce tower, completed in 1990 @ 811 ft (247 m). indiana limestone signature building material in indianapolis, included in city s many monuments, churches, academic, government, , civic buildings.

compared similar-sized american cities, indianapolis unique in contains 200 farms covering thousands of acres of agricultural land within municipal boundaries. horse farms , corn , soybean fields interspersed suburban development commonplace on city s periphery, in franklin township. stark contrast between indianapolis urban neighborhoods , rural villages result of 1970 city-county consolidation, expanded city s incorporated boundary coterminous marion county.