The Highway Fight that Changed Cities Forever
Summary
TLDRThis video recounts the historic battle between Robert Moses, a powerful urban planner, and Jane Jacobs, a grassroots activist, over the future of New York City. At stake was the proposed Lower Manhattan Expressway, a project Moses championed to alleviate traffic but which threatened to destroy neighborhoods like Soho and Little Italy. Jacobs fought to preserve the unique character of urban spaces, advocating for local communities. The video highlights their contrasting philosophies and the lasting impact of their conflict on city planning, while also reflecting on the relevance of their ideas today.
Takeaways
- 🏙️ Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs clashed over urban planning approaches in New York City, representing top-down and bottom-up philosophies, respectively.
- 🛣️ Moses proposed the Lower Manhattan Expressway (Lomex), a highway to connect key bridges and reduce traffic but which would have displaced thousands of residents in Soho and Little Italy.
- 📚 Jane Jacobs, a writer and activist, opposed the project, arguing for preserving neighborhoods and focusing on strengthening communities rather than demolishing them.
- 🏗️ Moses, known for his power in New York urban development, oversaw massive infrastructure projects including highways, bridges, and public housing, shaping modern New York.
- 🚦 Moses prioritized efficiency and modernism, often disregarding the local impact, such as displacing communities for the sake of urban renewal.
- 🏘️ Jacobs fought to save neighborhoods targeted for urban renewal, arguing they had value and vibrant communities worth preserving, influencing urban planning philosophies.
- ⚖️ The Lomex project became a pivotal battle, with Jacobs and community coalitions halting the plan after extensive protests, and this marked a shift away from Moses' dominance.
- 📉 Moses' influence waned as urban renewal projects became increasingly criticized for displacing low-income residents, including cases like Lincoln Center, which replaced the vibrant San Juan Hill neighborhood.
- 🏗️ Despite Moses' fall, some argue today that his ability to build high-quality, long-lasting infrastructure efficiently is missed in current times of rising construction costs and aging infrastructure.
- 🏙️ The legacies of both Moses and Jacobs are being reassessed, with some seeing Jacobs' resistance to urban redevelopment as potentially contributing to modern issues like gentrification and NIMBYism.
Q & A
Who were the two key figures in the battle over the Lower Manhattan Expressway?
-The two key figures were Robert Moses, a master builder known for top-down urban planning, and Jane Jacobs, an activist and author who advocated for bottom-up, grassroots city planning.
What was the main difference in the urban planning philosophies of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs?
-Robert Moses focused on efficiency, large-scale infrastructure projects, and urban renewal, often at the expense of local neighborhoods. Jane Jacobs emphasized preserving local communities, mixed-use development, and planning that respected the organic growth of cities.
What was the Lower Manhattan Expressway (Lomax), and why was it controversial?
-The Lower Manhattan Expressway was a proposed highway designed to connect the Holland Tunnel with the Williamsburg and Manhattan Bridges, cutting through Lower Manhattan. It was controversial because it would have displaced thousands of people, destroyed neighborhoods like Soho and Little Italy, and prioritized suburban commuters over inner-city residents.
How did Robert Moses justify the displacement of residents for his projects?
-Robert Moses argued that displacing residents would improve their living conditions, as the areas targeted for redevelopment were often low-income and seen as dilapidated. He believed that the projects would alleviate traffic congestion and increase property values.
How did Jane Jacobs and her supporters oppose the Lower Manhattan Expressway?
-Jane Jacobs and her supporters formed a grassroots coalition that organized protests, marches, and picketing campaigns. They raised awareness through media outlets like the Village Voice and argued that the expressway would harm neighborhoods and not effectively reduce traffic.
What was the outcome of the battle over the Lower Manhattan Expressway?
-The expressway project was ultimately canceled in 1969 after Jane Jacobs' coalition successfully lobbied against it. Mayor John Lindsay and Governor Nelson Rockefeller withdrew support, and the project was officially 'demapped,' ending Moses's plans.
How did Jane Jacobs’ views on city planning challenge the mainstream approach of her time?
-Jane Jacobs challenged the prevailing notion of urban renewal, which often involved large-scale demolitions and modern infrastructure projects. She argued for preserving the social fabric of neighborhoods, advocating for mixed-use development, small blocks, and community-driven planning.
What were some of Robert Moses's most significant urban projects in New York City?
-Some of Moses's major projects included the construction of highways, bridges like the Triborough Bridge, public housing, tunnels, and parks. He was also instrumental in the development of Lincoln Center, which displaced the San Juan Hill neighborhood.
What was the significance of Jane Jacobs' book 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities'?
-'The Death and Life of Great American Cities,' published in 1961, is considered one of the most important books on urban planning. It critiqued modern city planning practices and advocated for a human-centered approach that valued the complexities and social interactions of urban life.
How has the legacy of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs been re-evaluated in modern times?
-While Robert Moses is often criticized for his disregard for communities and his authoritarian style, some argue that his ability to build lasting infrastructure efficiently is missed today. Jane Jacobs' ideas on preserving urban neighborhoods are celebrated, but some critics point out that her principles can now be associated with gentrification and nimbyism. Both figures' legacies are viewed through the lens of current urban challenges.
Outlines
⚔️ Clash of City Planning Titans: Robert Moses vs Jane Jacobs
This paragraph sets the stage for a legendary battle in urban planning between Robert Moses, a powerful figure in New York's development, and Jane Jacobs, an activist known for her grassroots approach. Their fight centered around the proposed Lower Manhattan Expressway (Lomax), which Moses championed as a way to alleviate traffic and raise property values, while Jacobs argued it would destroy communities like Soho and Little Italy. Moses believed in top-down planning, focusing on efficiency and progress, while Jacobs advocated for preserving neighborhoods and fostering organic, bottom-up growth.
🏗️ Lincoln Center: The Costs of Urban Renewal
This paragraph highlights Robert Moses’ role in the construction of Lincoln Center, a massive cultural hub built on the former San Juan Hill neighborhood. While the project provided space for prestigious institutions like Juilliard, it displaced thousands of low-income Puerto Rican and African-American residents. Jane Jacobs began to rise in prominence during this time, opposing Moses' slum clearance projects and calling city planning a 'pseudoscience.' Her critique challenged Moses and other planners who sought to modernize cities through large-scale demolition and redevelopment.
🚧 Jacobs vs Lomax: The Showdown
In this paragraph, the narrative returns to the clash over the Lower Manhattan Expressway. As Moses pushed forward with the plan, Jacobs organized protests, including picketing campaigns and marches. Despite Moses’ strong backing from powerful allies like David Rockefeller, Jacobs' grassroots efforts succeeded in halting the project temporarily. Her coalition of local residents and media outlets helped sway public opinion, eventually forcing Mayor Wagner to pause building condemnations. Jacobs' arguments against the expressway highlighted the negative impact it would have on property values and traffic in Lower Manhattan.
✊ Jacobs’ Persistence and the End of Lomax
This paragraph continues the fight between Moses and Jacobs, with Moses regaining momentum as he persuaded Mayor Wagner to restart the Lomax project. However, Jacobs' group employed creative tactics, such as using New York City’s landmarks law to protect buildings threatened by demolition. After Mayor Lindsay took office in 1966, he became more skeptical of the expressway, and protests led by Jacobs kept pressure on city officials. Jacobs was even arrested during a public meeting but was later released. Ultimately, Governor Rockefeller ended the project in 1969, marking the decline of Moses' influence.
📖 The Legacy of Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses
This paragraph discusses the long-term impact of both Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs on urban planning. Jacobs’ ideas are now highly regarded, and her book *The Death and Life of Great American Cities* remains influential, though some of her concepts, like fighting redevelopment, have been re-evaluated in the modern context of urban challenges like gentrification and housing shortages. On the other hand, Moses, despite his authoritarian methods and controversial projects, is credited with building lasting infrastructure. The debate over whose approach—Jacobs’ grassroots planning or Moses' top-down efficiency—is better for today’s cities remains open.
🎥 Upcoming Video: The Mysteries of Boston Streets
The final paragraph shifts focus to the creator's next video on the confusing layout of Boston's streets, available on Nebula, a creator-owned streaming service. The paragraph also promotes Nebula, highlighting its benefits, including early access to content from various creators and exclusive videos. The section serves as an invitation to join Nebula for viewers who want to support the creator's work and watch content ahead of its release on YouTube.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Robert Moses
💡Jane Jacobs
💡Lower Manhattan Expressway (Lomex)
💡Urban Renewal
💡Grassroots Planning
💡Slum Clearance
💡The Death and Life of Great American Cities
💡Top-Down Planning
💡SoHo
💡Gentrification
Highlights
Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs were diametrically opposed figures in urban planning, representing top-down efficiency versus bottom-up grassroots planning.
The main point of contention between Moses and Jacobs was the proposed Lower Manhattan Expressway (Lomex), which would have displaced thousands of residents in areas like Soho and Little Italy.
Moses believed urban renewal, including slum clearance and large-scale infrastructure, was essential for modernizing cities and alleviating traffic congestion.
Jane Jacobs, in contrast, argued for preserving neighborhoods and improving their strengths rather than demolishing them for new developments.
Jacobs and her supporters fought to stop the Lomex, emphasizing the value of local communities, diversity, and small businesses over Moses' grand visions of highways and towers.
The clash between Jacobs and Moses symbolized larger debates on city planning in the mid-20th century, focusing on the future of U.S. cities and urban spaces.
Moses held vast power, controlling numerous public projects in New York from the 1930s to the 1960s, building bridges, tunnels, and parks while shaping the city's infrastructure.
Moses used federal funding during the Great Depression to develop public spaces like parks and swimming pools, showcasing his ability to execute large projects under budget.
Urban renewal, as executed by Moses, displaced low-income residents for projects like Lincoln Center, which eradicated thriving cultural communities such as San Juan Hill.
Jane Jacobs criticized city planning as a pseudoscience, offering a counter-narrative to urban renewal policies by emphasizing organic, community-driven urban growth.
Jacobs’ views were crystallized in her famous book, *The Death and Life of Great American Cities*, which remains one of the most influential texts in urban planning.
Despite Moses' powerful allies, including David Rockefeller, Jacobs and her coalition successfully stopped the Lomex project through grassroots organizing and legal maneuvers.
The cancellation of the Lower Manhattan Expressway in 1969 marked a victory for Jacobs and a turning point in U.S. urban planning, symbolizing a shift toward more community-centered approaches.
Moses' fall from power coincided with growing critiques of large-scale urban renewal projects, which were increasingly seen as destructive to local communities.
While Moses’ infrastructure projects were lauded for their efficiency and durability, his legacy is complicated by accusations of racism and the displacement of minority communities.
Jane Jacobs’ ideas have influenced urban planners for decades, but her critiques are also being re-evaluated, particularly in the context of gentrification and modern housing crises.
Transcripts
it was truly the city planning fight of
the century two of the most well-known
people in the field representing
diametrically opposed viewpoints
battling over one huge project in the
largest city in the United States
in one corner you had the master builder
of New York Robert Moses at the height
of his power from 1946 to 1953 no public
project in New York could get built
without his approval he built highways
public housing Bridges tunnels and more
in the other corner you have Jane Jacobs
an activist and author who earned a name
for herself examining how cities
functioned as an editor for the magazine
architectural forum she would later go
on to pen the most famous book on U.S
city planning the death and life of
Great American cities Jacobs represented
bottom-up Grassroots planning and Robert
Moses represented the top-down
efficiency that typified the era they
faced off over a proposed Highway that
would cut through Lower Manhattan the
project was aptly named the Lower
Manhattan Expressway or Lomax the
expressway was designed to connect the
Holland Tunnel with the Williamsburg
Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge giving
commuters an easier way to cut through
the island it would have decimated the
neighborhoods of Soho in Little Italy
displacing thousands Moses didn't even
deny the impact he said the area was
dilapidated low income with low Prof
property values he diagnosed the
overarching problem as traffic
congestion building the expressway would
alleviate traffic make the area more
attractive and raise property values
displacing people would in his mind
probably improve their condition Moses
believed that in moving tenants out of
the path of Highway construction we must
proceed in a Humane decent way and help
them find other homes and business
places Moses's perspective was also one
of the entire New York Region he had to
consider the needs of residents of the
inner city and the outer boroughs he was
never going to be the efficient
productive master builder by listening
to the complaints of every community
group in a city of millions of people
Jacobs had a different view while she
admitted that those neighborhoods of
lower Manhattan were not in great shape
they're by no means slums and had quite
a few good things going for them
she believed that planner should
identify strengths and fix weaknesses
not demolish and start over
Soho for example was not the wealthy
neighborhood it is today but at that
time was still a productive light
industrial and Warehouse District that
employed many New Yorkers of color
demolishing that area to benefit
Suburban commuters struck Jacobs as
unfair and jacobs's opposition to Moses
and what he represented didn't start
with Lomax let's start this story from
the beginning after the bike belt
foreign
Moses was born in New Haven Connecticut
in 1888 but his family moved to
Manhattan in 1897. Moses went back to
New Haven for college and after
graduating Yale got involved in the
administration of Governor Al Smith
Moses always missed her efficiency set
to the task of reforming the state
government he took on the corrupt
Tammany Hall political machine Moses's
early Ascent came because of his
incredible intelligence diligent
preparation and Savvy understanding of
politics it didn't take long firm to use
those assets to amass unparalleled power
the governor appointed him the president
of the Long Island State Parks
Commission in 1924 and the chairman of
the New York State Parks Commission that
same year Moses proved his worth by
developing Jones Beach State Park taking
a swampy piece of land and turning into
the most visited Beach on the east coast
of the U.S with over 6 million visitors
each year
Moses continued to rise in prominence
and was appointed New York Secretary of
State in 1927 and then the commissioner
of the New York City Department of parks
in 1933. during the Great Depression
money flowed into cities and states from
Washington for poverty relief and Moses
was instrumental in using that funding
to build public swimming pools parks and
public housing in 1934 he became
chairman of the Triborough Bridge and
tunnel Authority which built the
Triborough Bridge it was told and
quickly generated a surplus which Moses
used to build more toll-funded projects
which eventually gave him nearly an
endless stream of money he could use on
other projects to continue to build
influence during and after World War II
Moses was at the height of his power he
seemed to build everything this
coincided with Federal legislation that
would change U.S cities forever it was
known colloquially as urban renewal but
started out as Title 1 of the federal
Housing Act of 1949. the ACT provided
federal dollars to local Redevelopment
agencies to engage in slum clearance and
urban Redevelopment this law was a
response to declining property values in
Central City cities people and
businesses moved out to the suburbs
thanks to the automobile and Suburban
housing as was a part of a housing law
the money had to be used to clear
primarily residential areas or fund
projects primarily residential in nature
but nothing stopped a local agency from
clearing a slum to have a developer
built a commercial project and there was
nothing stopping a commercial developer
from building luxury condos
affordability wasn't written into the
law updates to the law passed in 1954
1959 and 1961 brought in the scope of
the law encouraging more commercial
development downtown and funded
expansions to the universities hospitals
and cultural institutions everyone
agreed that urban renewal is necessary
and that shiny skyscrapers with broad
concrete plazas were the future one of
the most notable examples of this was
Lincoln Center in Manhattan today it's
home to a series of Performing Arts
venues the Juilliard school for
Performing Arts housing and more prior
to 1955 it was the San Juan Hill
Neighborhood it was low income and
populated by Puerto Rican and
African-American residents and a
thriving cultural scene of its own it's
known as the home of the Charleston and
Bebop and an influential home for jazz
musicians thousands of residents and
hundreds of businesses were displaced
when the land was cleared to build
Lincoln Center the residents could not
afford to live in the newly constructed
housing on site and most moved to Harlem
are the outer boroughs the mayor's slum
clearance committee identified San Juan
Hill as the place for Lincoln Center and
authorized the neighborhood's demolition
its chairman was Robert Moses it was in
this environment that Jane Jacobs Rose
to prominence she was born in Scranton
Pennsylvania in 1916. she moved to New
York during the Depression and started
to work as a freelance writer eventually
Landing an architectural Forum it was
here in the 1950s that her views on City
Planning and urban renewal crystallized
into a forceful critique she called city
planning a pseudoscience she pissed off
a whole lot of prominent city planners
during this time including Lewis Mumford
and none other than Robert Moses he said
of Jacobs Jane Jacobs isn't really worth
refuting she has the architectural Forum
following and the professional critics
with her but nobody with any experience
or responsibility is impressed by such
captious owl dropping Moses's distaste
for Jake came in part from her
opposition to the Lincoln Center project
she also opposed Moses's plans for a
highway through Washington Square Park
and an urban renewal public housing
project in the West Village the efforts
to stop those projects were successful
which didn't please Moses Jacobs had
earned a powerful enemy all of this
brings us back to The Showdown over the
Lower Manhattan Expressway Robert Moses
was in the Twilight of his career but
still a formidable foe ever bent on
efficiency and reducing traffic
congestion and you have Jacobs
advocating for small blocks local
businesses and the kind of urban
messiness that ultimately makes a place
attractive Jacobs helped build a diverse
Coalition of residents across ethnic
groups that made their voices heard in
community meetings and local media she
also had allies in organizing she was
recruited to this cause by father Gerard
Le Montana who is church stood in the
path of the bulldozer Moses started with
the upper hand as he had the regional
plan Association the downtown Chamber of
Commerce and David Rockefeller president
of Chase Bank and the founder of the
downtown Lower Manhattan Association on
his side by 1960 Moses had the federal
money to build comics and had in fact
begun to build a tunnel in the area
between the Williamsburg and Manhattan
bridges in response Jacobs LaMontagne
and others organized picketing campaigns
in front of City Hall and despite these
protests the city began condemning
buildings in anticipation of their
demolition
but jacobs's message began to pierce the
dominant narrative thanks in part to
Alternative media Outlets like the
Village Voice she also knew how to make
news
she and father Lemont 10 organized a
March from lemon attempt to church in
Little Italy to Gracie Manch to petition
the mayor to stop the project in
response Moses had lamontagne's boss
Cardinal Spellman prevent him from
organizing but their newsmaking had
worked temporarily and mayor Wagner
halted building condemnations he was
swayed by Jacob's point that the highway
would reduce poverty values near the
highway and did not reduce traffic
congestion as Moses suggested and by
this point New York already had a robust
Highway network with multiple ways of
getting around all five boroughs the
Lomax link wasn't strictly necessary
but the battle wasn't over yet Moses
smeared Jacobs is an obstructionist and
continued lobbying behind the scenes
Jacobs responded by chairing The Joint
Committee to stop the Lower Manhattan
Expressway to keep the pressure on as
well Moses convinced mayor Wagner to
flip and got the project back on track
in 1964. and condemnations began again
thousands of people in 800 businesses
were displaced in January 1966 mayor
Wagner was out and mayor Lindsay was in
and he was far more skeptical of Lomax
than Wagner Moses began the process of
sinking his teeth into the new mayor
while Jacob's group looked for ways to
stop the highway they figured out that
if they used New York City's new
landmarks law to declare a building in
the path of the highway is historic they
could stop the project and they did at
least until Moses could figure out a way
around it mayor Lindsay and Moses
proposed bearing Lomax or building it
over neighborhoods to minimize impacts
though there would still be demolitions
and the cost would be far higher the
project just refused to die and the
chief engineer of the State Highway
Department held a meeting on the subject
in 1968 where he minimized opposition
voices the crowd at the meeting chanted
for Jacobs to speak week after speaking
the chief engineer had Jacobs arrested
charged with inciting a riot and
criminal mischief she was the only
person arrested she eventually got off
with just a fine the protests pushed
mayor Lindsay to withdraw support for
the project Governor Nelson Rockefeller
no fan of Moses officially ended the
project at the state level and in 1969
Lomax was demapped never to return
Rockefeller began to strip Moses of his
leadership positions greatly reducing
his influence and in 1974 urban renewal
ended the era of Moses was over and
Jacobs and her philosophy took root
among planners around the United States
you'll find her at the top of just about
every list of greatest Urban thinker we
teach her in City Planning classes and
University but the death and life was
published over 60 years ago and some are
re-evaluating the legacies of both Moses
and Jacobs Robert carro's Pulitzer
prize-winning book The Power broker has
been the de facto account of Moses's
life and it's not a pretty picture in
one famous account Cairo describes how
Moses designed bridges over the Jones
Beach Parkway so low that buses carrying
black and Puerto Rican New Yorkers
couldn't reach the beach but where in an
era where critical infrastructure built
50 to 100 years ago is failing us Rising
construction costs make it difficult to
repair and replace let alone expand our
infrastructure to things like new Subway
Lines and High-Speed Rail Robert Moses
for all of his flaws built high quality
Urban infrastructure built to last on
time and under budget there are quite a
few Mayors out there who love a Robert
Moses minus the massive ego and blatant
racism but people who read the death and
life today might feel like some of the
advice in that book no longer applies
her advice to fight for urban enclaves
in the face of Redevelopment sounds an
awful lot like nimbyism and many of the
neighborhoods Jacobs fought to save
including Soho rapidly gentrified
pricing out low-income residents nimism
and gentrification are widely seen as
two of the major challenges facing
today's cities it's not hard to find
people who'll be okay with tearing down
a couple blocks of low density housing
in shops to replace it with high density
housing to alleviate the housing crisis
does this mean that Jane Jacobs was
wrong or that we shouldn't be learning
about her simply put no we just have to
remember that she was writing for an
audience in the 1960s not an audience in
the 2020s urban problems were just
radically different then and that's what
she was addressing suburban sprawl and
Rapid disinvestment in downtowns pose
massive challenges to city leaders it
was a problem never seen before brought
about by a technology that hadn't
existed before the automobile Moses saw
this as an opportunity needed to clear
slums in modernized cities Jacob sought
as an opportunity to amplify what makes
cities unique and special when compared
to suburbs the idea that U.S downtowns
could become so sought after that there
would be a lack of affordable housing
didn't even cross her mind in 1961. the
opposite was happening it's just
problematic to ascribe a label that we
use today to someone writing 60 years
ago Jane Jacobs wasn't really a NIMBY
yes she was opposed to slum clearance
but she was also posted a new highway
Construction and building out-of-scale
Urban monoliths many urbanists today
would be on her side with those nimby's
today are all about preserving property
values and stopping change Jane Jacobs
didn't mind change
cities in general are changing and we
have to decide whether we want Jane
Jacob style change Robert Moses style
change or something different entirely
for this new era these Jacobs versus
Moses type debates were happening in
cities across the U.S including Boston
the setting for my next video in that
video I take you through the history of
the city's streets to answer the
question why are Boston streets so
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