Near the end of his Introduction to “The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York”, Robert A. Caro poses a question. He states, “Robert Moses was America’s greatest builder. He was the shaper of the greatest city in the New World. But what did he build? What was the shape into which he pounded the city?” Most of this chapter is spent praising Moses for how he transformed New York City. The last 1/3 or so, is spent questioning his methods and asking, “At what cost? What did Moses have to do to accomplish this? Who did he have to bulldoze over to get this done?” In his introduction, Caro presents us with two different “schools of thought”. One being that Moses greatly influenced New York City’s cultural and physical future for the better and the other being that Moses was a power hungry man who displaced tons of people to build highways, housing, parks, expressways, etc. taking down anyone in his path, without care for the consequences of his actions.
So, simply put, was Robert Moses a hero or a villain? I would argue that although Moses didn’t use the most ethical methods to get the job done, he should be remembered as a hero, as the man who single-handedly reshaped the infrastructural landscape of New York City.
Moses built major roads, the Major Deegan Expressway, the Van Wyck, The Sheridan Expressway, the Gowanus Expressway, the Triborough Bridge, the Throgs Neck Bridge, the Harlem River Drive, the Henry Hudson Parkway, Jones Beach, Lincoln Center, Shea Stadium, numerous lecture halls, apartment houses and cultural centers, and many parks, just to name a few. In total he built 13 bridges, 416 miles of parkways, 658 playgrounds, and 150,000 housing units.
Yes, he was aggressive and displaced thousands of people, mainly the poor and African Americans, but the builders of Central Park did the same thing (as did Trump and many others). While someone like Moses might not be acceptable in today’s society, it would be unfair to taint his accomplishments by focusing on his less than pleasant character and the methods he used to achieve a common good. (As Caro does in “The Powerbroker”). That was simply a matter of eminent domain. Millions enjoyed, and continue to enjoy all the various structures that Moses built. A PBS article entitled “The Legacy of Robert Moses” writes, “When asked directly in his interview with Thirteen if, ‘his methods had been perhaps a little gentler or less direct or perhaps [he] had been more circumspect, would he have gotten as much accomplished?’ Moses is classically steadfast ‘No, I wouldn’t have gotten anything done. I’m absolutely sure of that.'”
An article from Metropolis Magazine written by Phillip Lopate, also explains that many anti-Moses sentiments come from the fact that Caro unfairly blames Moses for numerous controversial urban policies. However, Moses was not his policies, he only implemented them. People copied them because Moses was able to carry them out so skillfully. Lopate believes those policies would have been pushed through, Moses or no Moses, and I would have to agree.
In conclusion, Moses did what he had to do to get the job done. We are too quick to judge his accomplishments by predispositions we have towards Moses. It would have been impossible for Moses to create as much innovation as he did, if he were to have taken into consideration the needs of all the people. He did more good than bad. Moses took a NYC that was failing from the Great Depression (and before it), turned it on its head and now we have him to thank for most of the great things New York City is famous for.
(If you’re interested in more details regarding the specific things Moses did that could be perceived as bad, but may not have been, click here and read the sixth paragraph.)
I agree with you, Erin. Even though Moses’ methods can be criticized, he has done a lot to improve the condition of New York City. He not only thought of but also implemented plans for highways, bridges, and parks. New Yorkers had an awful time trying to get from place to place in their cars. The corruption in city government didn’t give money to areas that needed it. Instead, greedy city employees received high salaries and gave payoffs. The effects of this allocation of money were visible in the city. Parks were not well maintained, roads were unpaved, and construction projects weren’t finished. Put simply, Moses got stuff done. He forced many people of poverty and color out of their homes to make way for his highways but as a result of these uninterrupted roads many people were able to easily travel to other boroughs and the mainland.