Central Park is an 850-acre rectangle at the center of Manhattan, an oasis of green perfectly contrasted with the dense buildings around it. But that location and brilliant design were not foregone conclusions, and this video tells the story of the design of America’s most famous park.

Venice is an iconic city, known for its network of canals. How did such an extraordinary city come to be? How were the canals built? And how do they work today?

Cairo is more than just pyramids — in fact, the city was founded thousands of years later. Cairo’s history is one of conquest and construction, mosques and madrasas.