Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses encapsulate New York’s dueling impulses, a city as committed to its past as it is to constantly reinventing itself. Making their struggle even more interesting is its gender dynamic, Moses dismissing resistance to his plans as being voiced only by “a bunch of mothers.” Rationalism and subjectivism found themselves at odds once again. The question was posed yet another time, “Who is the city for?”
It speaks to the strength of New York City that, with some difficulty, it is able to accommodate both of these visions and provide some space for both the little guy and the massive. It is a balance only maintained by constant struggle, though. Thinking back to our Greenwich Village walking tour is a little depressing. The area is gorgeous now, a mecca for family-based tourism. This would have been unthinkable only a while ago. But is the struggle necessary to keep New York New York still alive enough? Or is it doomed to be a “playground”? Not as obviously sterile as Moses’ vision but ultimately not really of the neighborhood at all.
