2 days ago
- Robert Moses, a powerful urban planner, built extensive infrastructure in New York including parks, bridges, and highways but often prioritized cars over people, leading to negative social impacts.
- His early achievements like Jones Beach and Long Island parks were impressive, but his later projects caused displacement, environmental damage, and segregation through low overpasses that blocked buses.
- Moses's controversial projects included the Gowanus and Cross-Bronx Expressways, which destroyed neighborhoods and displaced thousands, while his vision for car-centric cities influenced other U.S. cities like San Francisco and Seattle.
- The author reflects on Moses's legacy, noting his power and permanence but also the harm caused, as seen in Randall's Island and the flaws of his planning philosophy.
- The book 'The Power Broker' by Robert Caro inspired the author's road trip, offering deep insights into Moses's life, achievements, and failures, highlighting the complex relationship between urban development and community.