Paper 2
Megan Riordan
CORE 390
Robert Moses
Robert Moses was a wealthy German Jew who grew up on the east side of Manhattan. He was an educated man with an undergraduate degree from Yale. After graduation he went abroad to study British Civil Service. He eventually returned to New York City and earned a Ph.D. from Columbia University. After several jobs he began to work for Governor Alfred E. Smith where his ambitious building endeavors began (NY Times).
Robert Moses was considered to be one of the greatest public works innovators of the mid-20th century, earning him the title of “master builder” of New York City; he played the largest role in the physical development of the City of New York. During the course of 44 years Moses completely changed the façade of the city. Moses helped construct numerous housing developments for low to middle income people, bridges, roadways and recreational facilities including his crown jewel Jones Beach State Park (NY Times). It must be known that Moses was not an engineer nor was he an architect he was just a masterful planner (Ballon 93).
One of his numerous building projects was focused on the use of the automobile and scenic parkways; scenic parkways were the escape routes for city dwellers to escape the noise and pollution and enjoy the state park system Robert Moses created. Interestingly to note Moses created ‘parkways’ because highway building was strictly enforced by federal mandates. ‘Parkways’ were considered recreational and access routes for the state parks. (Ballon 86-87). Moses used the recently completed Bronx River Parkway, designed by Hermann Merkel and Gilmore Clarke, as an example to follow (Ballon 87).
Moses focused his early parkway building on Long Island beginning with The Southern State Parkway and the Wantagh State Parkway. Upon completion of the parkways on Long Island Moses moved on to New York City where he focused on the West side of Manhattan. This was known as the West Side Improvement. Modeling project plans for a shoreline parkway in California Moses helped build the Henry Hudson Parkway and the Henry Hudson Memorial Bridge along with creating Riverside Park (Ballon 87). While focusing on this project he also broadened his scope with a plan to connect the Westchester, the Bronx and Manhattan.
Moses went on to build new parkways and bridges connecting the Bronx, Westchester and Manhattan including The Saw Mill River Parkway, The Hutchinson River Parkway and the West Side Highway (Ballon 87). Continued development included the Marine Parkway and Bridge, the Interborough parkway (known now as the Jackie Robinson Parkway) followed by the Cross Island Parkway, The Belt Parkway and yes the Long Island Expressway with the Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway (Ballon 88).
Robert Moses was creative when it came time to fund these projects. When the initial funding for these projects was depleted he developed government facilities that erected toll booths at bridges and some highways to fund operations. He subsequently used some of the revenue to fund future projects.
One project Robert Moses was responsible for was the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The building of this road in 1953 resulted in destruction of the original picturesque bluff that is now known as the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. This disturbed the local residents and resulted in the beginning of the Brooklyn Heights preservation movement (ENY).
Not all of Robert Moses plans were successful. Moses was contemplating the idea of building a bridge from Long Island’s Oyster Bay to Westchester County. This was met with much resistance especially from the affluent people on Long Island’s north shore. Another failed idea was the extension and expansion of Fifth Avenue in lower Manhattan. This would have dissected Washington Square Park in the middle. This proposal had riled the local residents and there dislike for Moses (Russo, class discussion). Further critique of Moses’ bridge and roadway construction included the exclusion of mass transportation. There were no concessions made for mass transit. Moses’ argument was that it was a future for the automobile (Baloon 91).
As a result of Moses successful planning he was put in charge of the World’s Fair in 1939 by then Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. He focused exhibits on his idea of what the future world will look like. Moses’ plans for the World’s Fair were loosely based on construction of buildings, roads and bridges that were already in progress (Ballon 89).
Robert Moses passed away at the age of 92 on July 29, 1981 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Bayshore NY. In coming full circle Good Samaritan Hospital over looks Robert Moses Parkway that leads to Robert Moses Park which was named for him.
The author of this paper and her family often utilized the parks and parkways Moses is responsible for constructing. It is common folklore though that when Moses created Jones Beach and the parkway system he instructed the bridges to be so low that public buses would not be able to pass underneath. Therefore the poor people who could not afford cars would not be able to utilize Jones Beach.
CORE 390
Robert Moses
Robert Moses was a wealthy German Jew who grew up on the east side of Manhattan. He was an educated man with an undergraduate degree from Yale. After graduation he went abroad to study British Civil Service. He eventually returned to New York City and earned a Ph.D. from Columbia University. After several jobs he began to work for Governor Alfred E. Smith where his ambitious building endeavors began (NY Times).
Robert Moses was considered to be one of the greatest public works innovators of the mid-20th century, earning him the title of “master builder” of New York City; he played the largest role in the physical development of the City of New York. During the course of 44 years Moses completely changed the façade of the city. Moses helped construct numerous housing developments for low to middle income people, bridges, roadways and recreational facilities including his crown jewel Jones Beach State Park (NY Times). It must be known that Moses was not an engineer nor was he an architect he was just a masterful planner (Ballon 93).
One of his numerous building projects was focused on the use of the automobile and scenic parkways; scenic parkways were the escape routes for city dwellers to escape the noise and pollution and enjoy the state park system Robert Moses created. Interestingly to note Moses created ‘parkways’ because highway building was strictly enforced by federal mandates. ‘Parkways’ were considered recreational and access routes for the state parks. (Ballon 86-87). Moses used the recently completed Bronx River Parkway, designed by Hermann Merkel and Gilmore Clarke, as an example to follow (Ballon 87).
Moses focused his early parkway building on Long Island beginning with The Southern State Parkway and the Wantagh State Parkway. Upon completion of the parkways on Long Island Moses moved on to New York City where he focused on the West side of Manhattan. This was known as the West Side Improvement. Modeling project plans for a shoreline parkway in California Moses helped build the Henry Hudson Parkway and the Henry Hudson Memorial Bridge along with creating Riverside Park (Ballon 87). While focusing on this project he also broadened his scope with a plan to connect the Westchester, the Bronx and Manhattan.
Moses went on to build new parkways and bridges connecting the Bronx, Westchester and Manhattan including The Saw Mill River Parkway, The Hutchinson River Parkway and the West Side Highway (Ballon 87). Continued development included the Marine Parkway and Bridge, the Interborough parkway (known now as the Jackie Robinson Parkway) followed by the Cross Island Parkway, The Belt Parkway and yes the Long Island Expressway with the Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway (Ballon 88).
Robert Moses was creative when it came time to fund these projects. When the initial funding for these projects was depleted he developed government facilities that erected toll booths at bridges and some highways to fund operations. He subsequently used some of the revenue to fund future projects.
One project Robert Moses was responsible for was the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The building of this road in 1953 resulted in destruction of the original picturesque bluff that is now known as the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. This disturbed the local residents and resulted in the beginning of the Brooklyn Heights preservation movement (ENY).
Not all of Robert Moses plans were successful. Moses was contemplating the idea of building a bridge from Long Island’s Oyster Bay to Westchester County. This was met with much resistance especially from the affluent people on Long Island’s north shore. Another failed idea was the extension and expansion of Fifth Avenue in lower Manhattan. This would have dissected Washington Square Park in the middle. This proposal had riled the local residents and there dislike for Moses (Russo, class discussion). Further critique of Moses’ bridge and roadway construction included the exclusion of mass transportation. There were no concessions made for mass transit. Moses’ argument was that it was a future for the automobile (Baloon 91).
As a result of Moses successful planning he was put in charge of the World’s Fair in 1939 by then Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. He focused exhibits on his idea of what the future world will look like. Moses’ plans for the World’s Fair were loosely based on construction of buildings, roads and bridges that were already in progress (Ballon 89).
Robert Moses passed away at the age of 92 on July 29, 1981 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Bayshore NY. In coming full circle Good Samaritan Hospital over looks Robert Moses Parkway that leads to Robert Moses Park which was named for him.
The author of this paper and her family often utilized the parks and parkways Moses is responsible for constructing. It is common folklore though that when Moses created Jones Beach and the parkway system he instructed the bridges to be so low that public buses would not be able to pass underneath. Therefore the poor people who could not afford cars would not be able to utilize Jones Beach.