Blog #1 (on Robert Moses)

Woo Seok Choi

Blog #1

20160216

Before reading Phillip Lopate’s “Rethinking Robert Moses,” I had no idea that Robert Moses was regarded in such bad light. My eighth grade history teacher, Ms. O’Sullivan, was actually a relative of Moses and always spoke of his great successes in transforming the city. I think this much is unarguable.

I generally agree with Lopate’s arguments in defense of Moses. I think people are too short-sighted and deluded by their apparent humanitarianism. One main criticism of Moses was his lack of consideration for displacing poor-income families. But I bet that most of the critics wouldn’t prefer having these ghettos in the first place. They’re just nitpicking in order to feel relevant in some bigger social issue. I think that the benefits of building new homes, parks, highways, and bridges outweigh the concerns of destroying these communities. This is an insensitive viewpoint. Although poor, these communities may have been culturally rich; does anyone deserve to lose his home? Being a poor immigrant myself, it would suck to see my family be kicked out from our community. But I’m also a utilitarian; I can’t blame Moses for what he did.

What I find more interesting than whether or not Moses’ projects were beneficial or not, is whether or not Moses was racist and how this could’ve influenced his project plans. Michael Powell, in his 2007 NYTimes article “A Tale of Two Cities”, mentions documented cases that suggest Moses integrated anti-black ideas into his projects. As quoted, “One is that Moses chilled the water at a swimming pool in East Harlem based on his belief that blacks disliked cold water. The other is that Moses built low bridges to keep buses — ostensibly carrying black passengers — away from Jones Beach.” Perhaps Moses didn’t care as much about public planning as he did about targeting black communities.

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As for the second article by Justin Davidson, “Can Andrew Cuomo Be a Less Toxic Robert Moses?”, I really have nothing much to say. I was somewhat confused as to what the author’s opinion of Cuomo was. Davidson writes that Cuomo’s plans are superficial and perhaps a waste of money. But then, the title of his article seems to suggest that Cuomo is doing a good job? I don’t know. It’s also hard for me to agree or disagree on whether Cuomo’s plans are really worth the money being invested into them. But I can certainly say that improving the subway system and providing free subway wifi are double-plus good in my books.

Cuomo vs. Moses

Was Robert Moses a blessing or a curse? In his article, Rethinking Robert Moses, Phillip Lopate addresses the constant negative views against Moses. Lopate argues that Robert Moses wasn’t all that bad, and we can’t just focus on the worst plans amidst an abundance of good ideas. While Moses did seem like a bit of a control freak, it was partially because he was up for the challenge, and changes could get done under his watch. Moses was responsible for the construction of several bridges such as the Triborough and Verrazano Bridge, created 627 miles of highways and parkways, and paved the way for the UN headquarters and Lincoln Center. Moses had grand views for the city and he was able to build up NYC to what it is today.

Following this major transformation, Moses stepped out of the picture, and now all eyes are on Governor Cuomo. Justin Davidson of New York Magazine, wrote about the possibility of Andrew Cuomo becoming the next Moses. In Can Andrew Cuomo Be a Less Toxic Robert Moses?, Davidson discusses the idea of a Moses 2.0. Cuomo is now trying to change the city by building on to extensive systems such as the LIRR, MTA, adding space to Javits, and revamping Penn Station. Unlike Moses, Cuomo can’t build it all from scratch. He’s trying to make changes, but all of his proposed ideas are only grazing the surface of a larger set of problems. While Penn Station might look modern in the next few years and the MTA users will finally be able to access wifi, does this solve our daily issues of congestion and poor transit service? Yes, these major face-lifts might seem more attractive to tourists and the rest of the world, but how is it impacting us as New Yorkers? The aura of new upgrades will fade quickly, and our core issues as eternally busy traveling New Yorkers will remain the same. We are confined to this small chain of 5 boroughs that need ingenuity and creativity for change, not a paintbrush and new tiles.

Blog dates

As we discussed in class today, you are each to post twice to the course blog, and submit responses four times, following the guidelines laid out in the syllabus. You have been assigned to post on the following dates.

Woo & Revital – Tu 2.16, Th 3.24

Lucius & Kevin – Th 2.18, Tu 3.29

Ben & Tanvir – Th 2.25, Th 3.31

Michael & John – Th 3.3, Tu 4.5

Naomi & Tala – Th 3.10, Th 4.7

Alasdair & Tamarah- Tu 3.15, Tu 4.12

Thank you!

Readings update for 2/16

Do note that the reading from Robert Caro’s “The Power Broker,” listed on the syllabus is no longer assigned for Tuesday 2/16.