Cities are never static; they can transform in months, years, or centuries. On this week's show, TED speakers explore how today's cities are informed by the past, and how they'll need to evolve for the future.

-- In the heart of urban Brooklyn, a 300-year old farmhouse still stands. Archaeologist Alyssa Loorya explains how artifacts found at the site trace the life cycles of New York City--from 1720 to today.

Architect Marwa Al-Sabouni says French colonial design segregated Syria's cities and laid the groundwork for division and civil war. The future of the country may depend on how it decides to rebuild.

Thai landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom  designed a way to offset flooding in Bangkok by designing a park with underground tanks. She says her design can protect delta cities that are sinking.

Every twelve years, 100 million people descend upon a temporary city built for the Kumbh Mela festival in India. Architect Rahul Mehrotra says other cities can learn from this ephemeral megacity.