David,
 
The problem, is relying too heavily on documents to identify
archaeologicall significant properties in the first place. Urban
areas should, in my humble opinion, never be "written off" without
some substantial, deep testing (preferably mechanical). What we call
"urban disturbance" or engineers call "uncompressible fills" are what
make up, in the old world, "tells." To me, the joy of working in the
city is that there are many well preserved, highly stratified sites,
often where you least expect them, and that IN-DEPTH documentary
research is usually possible (but only fubdable AFTER you find the
sites).
 
Dan Mouer