Amid crowds of cranes, rumbling concrete trucks and grand schemes for its future, New York is experiencing one of the greatest eras of development in its history.

A series of dramatic skyscrapers, including the new World Trade Center, is set to transform the city as financial giants such as Goldman Sachs and Bank of America cash in on the strength of the US economy. The reclassification of former industrial zones in Manhattan and Brooklyn is resurrecting tens of millions of square feet as prime residential and commercial real estate.