Here's a breakdown of his impact:
What he did:
* Infrastructure Projects: Moses was responsible for building vast highways, bridges, parks, and public housing projects. Some of his most iconic works include the Long Island Expressway, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Jones Beach State Park, and the Queensboro Bridge. He also built numerous public housing projects, though these often became centers of poverty and crime.
* Urban Renewal: He was a major proponent of urban renewal, often using eminent domain to clear entire neighborhoods and rebuild them with new infrastructure and housing. This approach, while aimed at improving living conditions, led to the displacement of many residents, particularly minorities.
* Parks and Recreation: Moses created a vast network of parks and recreation facilities, including the Jones Beach State Park, the Bronx Zoo, and the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, which hosted the 1964 World's Fair. These projects helped improve public health and recreation opportunities for the city's residents.
Effects of his work:
* Positive Impacts:
* Improved transportation infrastructure: His roads and bridges made travel around the city faster and easier.
* Increased recreation opportunities: His parks and recreational facilities provided valuable green spaces for residents.
* Economic growth: His infrastructure projects contributed to the city's economic growth and expansion.
* Negative Impacts:
* Displacement of communities: His urban renewal projects often displaced residents, particularly minorities, who were forced to move to less desirable areas.
* Car-centric city: Moses favored cars over public transportation, contributing to the city's dependence on automobiles and traffic congestion.
* Environmental damage: His projects often led to the destruction of natural ecosystems and the loss of green spaces.
* Limited access to resources: His projects often favored wealthy communities and segregated minorities.
Controversy:
Moses was a controversial figure due to his authoritarian style, his disregard for public opinion, and his displacement of communities. He was accused of racism for his targeted use of urban renewal to displace minority communities and for his refusal to allow public transportation to reach his parks, making them less accessible to those without cars.
Legacy:
Robert Moses left a lasting impact on the landscape and infrastructure of New York City. His work, while ambitious and innovative, was also criticized for its social and environmental consequences. Today, his legacy is a complex one, prompting a continued debate about the trade-offs between development, social justice, and environmental sustainability in urban planning.
Further Reading:
* The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro
* Robert Moses and the Modern City: The Transformation of New York, 1900-1940 by Kenneth T. Jackson
* The City of Parks: Robert Moses and the Rise of New York's Public Spaces by David Michaelis