Ground Zero

Eight years after terrorists felled the World Trade Center towers in New York City, progress on rebuilding the site has been slow and mired in controversy.

The long-delayed and troubled design for Manhattan's Ground Zero site has undergone some improvements and been revealed in a new model. But as New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Oroussoff notes, the design is still lacking.

Seven years on, the site of the former World Trade Center remains largely barren. However, despite delays and claims of over-budgeting, the Port Authority says new development at Ground Zero s expected to finish on schedule.

Metropolis Magazine visits Ground Zero as building begins, and finds that the bold plans and architectural dreams have fizzled.