'Gotham', by Tobias Frere-Jones..

THANX DUDE! SPOT ON

Whoa.

"...Gotham which draws from similar sources" -- like what?

I sketched out the basic idea for Proxima Sans (particularly the lowercase) around 1981. (I called it Zanzibar at the time, just because I liked the word. The name Proxima Sans came later.) In 1991, I was art director of a magazine were I was using Gill Sans. I liked it, but wanted something a bit plainer and more geometric. Taking this basic concept and the earlier ideas I had explored with Zanzibar, I began working on what would ultimately become Proxima Sans (1994).

Many existing faces influenced the look of Proxima Sans. I wanted something with the general proportions and stroke contrast of Helvetica or Akzidenz Grotesk, but with construction principles and details borrowed variously from Futura, Kabel, the American gothics (Copperplate Gothic, News Gothic, Franklin Gothic, etc.) and the U.S. Federal Highway signage typeface (the same one that inspired Font Bureau's Interstate). The result was a hybrid; a face combining humanist proportions with a somewhat geometric appearance.

The similarities between Proxima Sans and Gotham I attribute to zeitgeist. Avenir, which is even older, is also somewhat similar, except that its proportions are more like Futura. Given that Adrian Frutiger's aim was to redesign Futura, this is only natural.

I have a soft spot for Helvetica; it was one of the first fonts I admired when I started really looking at fonts as a teenager. I moved on and became more interested in other fonts. I still like it okay, but it's been over-used.

I don't think there is a direct connection between Akzidenz Grotesk and Franklin Gothic. Franklin Gothic came out of the American "gothic" tradition--mainly wood types. Akzidenz Grotesk has German roots. They were roughly contemporaneous. Similar stuff was being done in England at the time. Bureau Grotesque is out of that tradition. No doubt there was some cross-pollenation, but it wasn't like it is today.

Akzidenz means something like "standard" or "commercial." (In fact, when Akzidenz Grotesk was imported to the U.S. in the 1950s, it was renamed "Standard." That's the name I first knew it as.)

Gotham was the font chosen for the cornerstone of the Freedom Tower which may eventually get built at Ground Zero, in some form or another.

This article explains why it was deemed appropriate.

Akzidenz means something like “standard” or “commercial.” (In fact, when Akzidenz Grotesk was imported to the U.S. in the 1950s, it was renamed “Standard.” That’s the name I first knew it as.)

this is incorrect. among german speaking printers akzidenz meant a print-job of small scale: folders, buisness cards, forms etc.. anything that isn't book, newspaper or magazine printing.
akzidenzien (plural) also meant headlines, it was used synonimous to display (engl.) - and from that root the font akzidenz grotesk was named. translated it would be something like display sans.

And I always thought it was just a faux-teutonic way of spelling "Accidents"!