Robert Moses: Master Builder of New York City

2018/07/12

Robert Moses (1888–1981) was an extraordinary administrator who created New York's urban infrastructure from the early 20th century through the 1960s. The structures he built, such as the Triborough Bridge from the airport to Manhattan and the Henry Hudson Bridge, are too numerous to mention. Attractive facilities like beaches, parks, zoos, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and the United Nations Headquarters were all projects he was involved in.

When Moses was active, New York was facing an explosion of immigrants living in poor conditions without toilets or windows, crime was rampant, and diseases were spreading. The middle class was fleeing to the suburbs, and there was a fear that if left alone, the city would decline and riots might occur. Concerned, Moses persuaded the governor to build numerous state parks on scenic Long Island to provide urban dwellers with light, greenery, and healthy recreation areas. In an era when the concept of "public" was thin, he demonstrated the spirit of noblesse oblige, working on 17 state parks, 13 massive bridges, and a total of 1,000 kilometers of new highways. Furthermore, he used his authority to clear dozens of slums and build modern high-rise housing and mixed-use facilities. Utilizing New Deal and private funds, the total number of units supplied reached 30,000, housing 270,000 residents.

However, Jane Jacobs, an urban critic who advocated for the "preservation of comfortable neighborhoods" from a citizen's perspective, organized an opposition movement and thwarted his plans for the Lower Manhattan Expressway. Amidst a growing trend of private rights, such as the "Not In My Backyard" sentiment, and increasing environmental awareness, no large-scale infrastructure has been newly built there since. Public opinion shifted significantly toward the Jacobs style, which continues to this day.

In this century, calls for the maintenance of exhausted infrastructure have grown stronger, and there has been a movement to re-evaluate Moses. He is being recognized as the person who saved the city from decline, and there are movements awaiting the appearance of a "second Moses." My book follows his upbringing, his golden age when he received unanimous praise, his end marked by criticism and disappointment, and the recent re-evaluation, shedding light on his great contributions. To create an attractive city, in addition to a citizen-centered approach, the enhancement of large-scale infrastructure requiring strong leadership is essential.

Robert Moses: Master Builder of New York City

Yasuhiko Watanabe (Author)

Kajima Institute Publishing

302 pages, 2,600 yen (excluding tax)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of writing.