Schwartz coined the phrase "gridlock" in 1980, noting that the engineer who helped him declined any credit. "He was on to something,"Schwartz writes. "I'm pretty sure that the first line in my obituary is going to mention it."
Schwartz uses the dramatic back story-a massive transportation workers' strike in New York City-as context for a factual explanation of how city grids work and how effective planning can maximize connectivity throughout those grids.