Jane Jacobs vs Robert Moses: Urban Fight of the Century
Summary
TLDRThe video script narrates the influential battle between urban activist Jane Jacobs and city planner Robert Moses over the future of New York City in the 20th century. Jacobs, armed with her book 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities,' led a grassroots movement to prevent the construction of the Lower Manhattan Expressway, which threatened to displace thousands and destroy historic neighborhoods. Her fight symbolizes a broader struggle for the soul of cities, advocating for vibrant, interconnected urban spaces over automobile-centric development.
Takeaways
- 🏙️ The script tells the story of Jane Jacobs, an influential urban theorist, and her battle against Robert Moses, a powerful urban planner known for his transformative projects in New York City.
- 🛤️ Robert Moses was responsible for numerous infrastructure projects, including parkways, expressways, bridges, and tunnels, that significantly changed the landscape of New York City and Long Island.
- 🚏 In the early 1960s, Moses aimed to build a super highway through lower Manhattan, which would have displaced thousands and destroyed historic structures, but faced opposition led by Jane Jacobs.
- 📚 Jane Jacobs published 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities,' a book that criticized top-down urban planning and advocated for a bottom-up approach that valued existing communities and street life.
- 🌟 Jacobs emphasized the importance of mixed-use neighborhoods, small-scale buildings, and 'eyes on the street' for safety and community, challenging the prevailing orthodoxies of urban renewal.
- 🛂 Jacobs and her fellow activists organized rallies, demonstrations, and public hearings to fight against the Lower Manhattan Expressway and other Moses projects that threatened their neighborhoods.
- 💪 The community's resistance, led by Jacobs, was successful in halting the Lower Manhattan Expressway, marking a significant victory for community-based urban planning over large-scale, top-down projects.
- 🏛️ The script highlights the establishment of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1965, which helped protect historic buildings and districts from demolition, influenced by Jacobs' advocacy.
- 🚶♀️ Jacobs' perspective valued the lived experience of city dwellers, the importance of public spaces, and the organic development of cities, as opposed to Moses' focus on infrastructure and modernization.
- 🔄 The narrative contrasts the 'new is better than old' mentality of the time with Jacobs' appreciation for historical continuity and the texture of life in cities, advocating for a sensitivity to history in urban planning.
- 🌱 The script suggests that Jacobs' ideas have enduring relevance, influencing urban planning and the recognition of the importance of community engagement and historical preservation in city development.
Q & A
Who is Jane Jacobs and why is she considered an urban legend?
-Jane Jacobs was an influential urban theorist and author, best known for her book 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities.' She is considered an urban legend because of her significant impact on urban planning and her battle against the urban renewal projects led by Robert Moses, advocating for the preservation of neighborhood vitality and historic structures.
What was the role of Robert Moses in New York City's transformation during the 20th century?
-Robert Moses was a powerful public works official who, for 50 years, was responsible for the construction of hundreds of miles of parkways, expressways, bridges, and tunnels in New York City and Long Island. His projects transformed the city but also led to the destruction of many historic neighborhoods.
What was the significance of the Lower Manhattan Expressway project proposed by Robert Moses?
-The Lower Manhattan Expressway project was significant because it aimed to drive an eight-lane elevated highway straight across the heart of lower Manhattan, which would have destroyed thousands of historic structures and displaced nearly 10,000 residents. The project became a battleground for the future of urban planning and the preservation of neighborhoods.
How did Jane Jacobs' book 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities' influence the urban planning debate?
-Jane Jacobs' book provided a counter-narrative to the prevailing urban planning orthodoxies of the time. It emphasized the importance of neighborhood vitality, the role of small businesses, and the need for 'eyes on the street' for safety and community. It inspired residents to fight against destructive urban renewal projects.
What was the outcome of the battle between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses over the Lower Manhattan Expressway?
-Jane Jacobs and her allies successfully opposed the Lower Manhattan Expressway, leading to the project's cancellation. This marked a significant victory for community activism and the preservation of urban neighborhoods over large-scale urban renewal projects.
What was the impact of the Lower Manhattan Expressway battle on New York City's urban development?
-The battle led to a reevaluation of urban development priorities in New York City, emphasizing the importance of preserving historic neighborhoods and public spaces over large-scale infrastructure projects that could disrupt community life.
What is the significance of the establishment of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in New York City?
-The Landmarks Preservation Commission, established in 1965, was significant because it provided a legal framework for the protection of historic buildings and districts in New York City, preventing their destruction by urban renewal projects.
How did Jane Jacobs' activism extend beyond writing to include direct community involvement?
-Jane Jacobs was actively involved in community organizing, leading rallies, demonstrations, and public hearings to fight against urban renewal projects that threatened neighborhoods. She was even arrested for her activism, which further galvanized public support.
What were the key principles of Jane Jacobs' approach to urban planning?
-Jane Jacobs advocated for an approach to urban planning that emphasized the importance of mixed uses, small-scale buildings, and a diversity of spaces that fostered community interaction. She believed in the 'intricate ballet' of street life and the need for 'eyes on the street' for safety and community engagement.
How did Jane Jacobs' views on urban planning differ from those of Robert Moses?
-While Robert Moses focused on large-scale infrastructure projects to modernize the city, Jane Jacobs emphasized the importance of preserving the existing urban fabric, arguing that new developments should complement rather than replace the old, and that the vitality of neighborhoods was essential to the city's health.
What is the legacy of Jane Jacobs' fight against the Lower Manhattan Expressway?
-The legacy of Jane Jacobs' fight is the affirmation of the value of community involvement in urban planning and the recognition that large-scale infrastructure projects can have detrimental effects on neighborhoods and city life. It also marked a turning point in the approach to urban development, leading to more community-oriented and preservation-minded policies.
Outlines
🏙️ The Battle for Urban Preservation
This paragraph introduces the narrative of Jane Jacobs' fight against Robert Moses' urban development plans in New York City during the 20th century. Jacobs, an urban theorist, is depicted as a hero who challenged Moses, a powerful figure in urban planning known for his extensive construction projects. The paragraph sets the stage for a David and Goliath story, highlighting the influence of Moses and the resistance led by Jacobs, as documented in a PBS series by Ric Burns. The focus is on the proposed Lower Manhattan Expressway that threatened to destroy historic neighborhoods, and how Jacobs' activism and her book, 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities,' became pivotal in shaping urban planning discussions.
🌿 The Vision of Urban Vitality
This paragraph delves into Jane Jacobs' perspective on urban planning and the importance of community and neighborhood harmony. It contrasts her views with the destructive urban renewal projects of the post-World War II era, which she argued led to the loss of vital urban economies and community spirit. Jacobs advocated for the preservation of public spaces and the acknowledgment of the complex, organic order of city life. The paragraph also touches on the negative impacts of urban renewal, such as the rise in crime and the loss of community cohesion, and how Jacobs' ideas resonated with the public, influencing a shift in urban planning philosophy.
🚦 The Fight Against Expressway Expansion
The third paragraph details the active resistance led by Jane Jacobs and her allies against Robert Moses' plans for the Lower Manhattan Expressway. It describes the community's efforts in organizing rallies, demonstrations, and public hearings to challenge the prevailing automobile-centric and urban renewal ideologies. The paragraph highlights Jacobs' role as an activist, not just a writer, and the formation of unlikely coalitions among various groups to protect their neighborhoods. The narrative culminates in a crucial meeting where the board of estimate is urged to reject the expressway proposal, emphasizing the importance of public opinion and the right to one's environment.
🎉 Victory Against the Lower Manhattan Expressway
This paragraph celebrates the successful opposition against the Lower Manhattan Expressway, marking a significant victory for Jacobs and her supporters. It recounts the pivotal meeting on December 11, 1962, where the board of estimate voted against the expressway, influenced by the powerful opposition led by Jacobs. The paragraph conveys the relief and joy of the community, viewing the decision as a Christmas present and a reprieve from a long-standing threat. It also reflects on the broader implications of the victory for the future of New York City and the culture of cities, emphasizing the triumph of public space and the city block over modernization at any cost.
🏛️ The Legacy of Preservation and History
The fifth paragraph discusses the lasting impact of Jacobs' fight on urban planning and the appreciation for historical preservation in cities. It highlights the establishment of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1965, which saved numerous buildings and districts from demolition, reflecting a shift in values towards recognizing the importance of history and community in urban environments. The paragraph also contrasts the approach of Robert Moses, who viewed the city primarily as a transportation problem, with Jacobs' holistic view of cities as living, interconnected communities. It suggests that New York's unique character, including its ability to support a car-free lifestyle, is partly due to the preservation of its neighborhoods and public spaces.
💡 Creativity, Innovation, and the Future of Cities
In the final paragraph, the conversation with Jane Jacobs shifts towards the importance of creativity and innovation in urban development. Jacobs emphasizes the value of human capital and the need for new ideas to improve city living. She expresses her preference for writing and educating over engaging in political fights, although she acknowledges the necessity of opposing harmful development projects. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on Jacobs' enduring legacy and her commitment to common sense and practical solutions in urban planning, as well as a mention of resources for further exploration of her work and related topics.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Jane Jacobs
💡Robert Moses
💡Urban Renewal
💡Expressway
💡Community Activism
💡Urban Planning
💡Landmarks Preservation Commission
💡Eyes on the Street
💡Public Space
💡Urban Design
💡Cultural Continuum
Highlights
Vince Graham introduces the story of Jane Jacobs' battle against Robert Moses, a public works mastermind who transformed New York City.
The eight-part PBS series by Rick Burns on New York is recommended for its coverage of urbanism in the 20th century.
In the early 1960s, Robert Moses aimed to build a superhighway through the heart of Manhattan, affecting thousands of residents.
Jane Jacobs, a journalist and author of 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities,' led the opposition against Moses' plans.
Jacobs' book challenged the prevailing urban planning orthodoxies of the post-WWII era, advocating for the preservation of neighborhoods.
Jacobs emphasized the importance of urban economies and the interdependent functions within cities, threatened by the dominance of automobiles.
Her vision promoted integrated communities, walkability, and the vitality of public spaces over large-scale urban renewal projects.
The fight against the Lower Manhattan Expressway united diverse groups, showcasing the power of collective action.
Jacobs' activism included public demonstrations and challenging the automobile-centric culture of urban renewal.
The board of estimate's rejection of the Lower Manhattan Expressway marked a significant victory for Jacobs and community activists.
The triumph highlighted the importance of public opinion and the rights of residents in shaping urban environments.
The establishment of the landmarks preservation commission in 1965 was a legislative response to the preservationist movement.
Jacobs' perspective on the value of historical continuity and the built environment's impact on community life.
The contrast between Robert Moses' vision of modernization and Jacobs' emphasis on community and historical preservation.
Jacobs' approach to urban issues as a scientific mind, valuing observation and experiment over abstract theories.
Her commitment to writing and educating as her primary work, with activism being a response to direct threats to her community.
The enduring legacy of Jane Jacobs' ideas and their influence on urban planning and community engagement.
Transcripts
hi Vince Graham here with a picture of
me standing in front of the home of one
of my heroes the late Jane Jacobs Jane
Jacobs is an urban legend and this is
the story of her battle with Robert
Moses the polarizing Public Work Zar of
New York who for 50 years in the 20th
century transformed the city in Long
Island and in the process influenced a
generation of Engineers Architects and
urban planners it's an inspiring David
and Goliath story As Told by Master
documentarian Rick Burns and His
Brilliant PB S series on New York this
eight-part series which is available on
YouTube is wonderful I'd particularly
like to recommend Parts six and seven
for those interested in cities and Urban
Design because it covers the period of
New York in the 20th century which is
essentially the story of urbanism in
20th century America the story picks up
about 50 years ago in the early
1960s I hope you
enjoy hundreds of miles of Parkways and
expressways and dozens of bridges and
tunnels now connected the city to the
Suburban reaches of Long Island and
Beyond hundreds more had been driven
through the outer Burrows themselves
weaving together as Moses himself
declared the loose strands and frayed
edges of the Metropolitan arterial
tapestry but in all the frenzy of
construction the master builder had
never been able to penetrate the heart
of Manhattan itself with a super highway
and in 1961 he resolved to do something
about it fixing in his sights a
low-lying area of lower Manhattan
stretching from Chinatown in the South
up through the Wayward lanes and ancient
side streets of Greenwich
[Music]
Village we simply repeat that cities are
created by and for
traffic a City without traffic is a
ghost
town the area between Canal Street and
Third Street a strip 3/4 of a mile wide
is the the most depressed area in lower
Manhattan and one of the worst if not
the worst slums in the entire
city Robert
[Music]
Moses condemning the West Village as a
slum and the old cast iron District to
the South as an obstacle to the free
flow of
traffic by
1961 he had set in motion two immense
Federal
initiatives a vast urban renewal project
that would level 14 and tire blocks
along Hudson Street in the
village and an eight Lane elevated
Highway one of his most cherished dreams
that would drive straight across the
heart of lower Manhattan from the East
River to the Hudson destroying thousands
of historic structures and displacing
nearly 10,000 residents and
workers it's difficult to even make
anyone understand what would have
happened he would have
bulldozed a swath about 225 ft wine
right across Lower Manhattan today
that's the kin District of
Soho what was the vision what was the
aims of a man who would decide for the
sake of the automobile to cut a swath
across a city across a beautiful vibrant
bustling part of the
city and you know Robert Moses wanted to
build three expressways across New York
City not just the low Manhattan he had a
mid Manhattan Expressway which would
have run across 30th Street in the air
and he wanted to build one again at
ground level at 125th Street in Opera
Manhattan
expresso for decades nothing had stopped
the Juggernaut of road building or
slowed the Rampage of urban renewal
which in the name of rebuilding the city
had torn the heart out of one Community
after
another but this time things would turn
out differently
determined to save Manhattan from the
devastation that had blighted the Bronx
residents of the village banded together
and resolved to fight selecting as their
leader a 45-year-old journalist and
working mother from Hudson Street who
had that very year published a
groundbreaking book about the mistakes
of urban
planning her name was Jane Jacobs the
book was called the death and life of
Great American cities and New York would
never be the same again
and it started out by saying something
like this is an attack on City Planning
and then she went through the Litany of
what the cor and other ideologues had
imagined what a city should be as
opposed to what a city really
was Jane Jacobs was taking on the
orthodoxies of planning that had
prevailed in the postor War II period
the ideas of lobier and the bow house
and and other planners who thought that
the city needed to be renewed
there were areas that that that that
needed help but the kind of help that
she saw that they needed was uh the
assistance to allow people to continue
living in their Brownstones in the
neighborhoods where they had a harmony
with their neighbors and the destruction
of those neighborhoods is one of the
great tragedies of of post World War II
New
York she understood that Urban economies
are different she understood the sort of
beehive thousand different
interdependent functions nature of urban
economies and that's what we lose when
we surrender the street to the
automobile when people don't want to be
on the street anymore when they reshape
their lives in a way that they're always
in privatized space rather than sharing
public space Jan Jacobs knew 35 years
ago that that was a recipe for the
destruction of what makes cities
wonderful
look what they have
built lowincome projects that become
worst centers of delinquency and
vandalism than the slums they were
supposed to
replace promenades that go from no place
to nowhere and have no
promenaders expressways that eviscerate
great
cities this is not the rebuilding of
cities
this is the sacking of
cities Jan
Jacobs she hit the nerve at the right
moment with that book it was the right
book at exactly the right moment because
she made people see particulars She Made
Them See the
street this had been a period of urban
renewal when everything was on a model
on a big PL or a drawing with overlays
and she made people look at the street
and what was there she spoke about the
eyes on the street the smaller buildings
where people looked out and watched
their neighbors she spoke about the
small stores the mom and pop stores all
the things that urban renewal Not only
was destroying but didn't acknowledge
existed she basically said that from her
house at 555 Hudson Street in the West
Village from the sidewalk of her block
you could observe what a whole city was
like but it returned the discussion of
what urbanism should be about what New
York should be about from big land plan
games to individuals shops streets cars
crosswalks networks of people people
rich and poor living more closely
together less concerned with the
elevator to the 35th floor and more
concerned with the life and the
five-story walk up
under the seeming disorder of the old
city wherever the old city is working
successfully is a marvelous order for
maintaining the safety of the streets
and the freedom of the
city it is a complex
order its Essence is the intricacy of
sidewalk use bringing with it a constant
succession of eyes
this order is composed of movement and
change and we may liken it to the
dance not to a simple-minded Precision
Dance but to an intricate ballet in
which the individual dancers and
ensembles all have distinctive Parts
which miraculously reinforce each
other and compose an orderly whole
Jane
Jacobs her writing enabled people to
imagine her block but also enabled
people to see to see other blocks she
created maybe without intending to do it
a kind of empathy and opened up
possibilities for empathy as a political
force in the' 60s so that once people
could imagine how other people lived
even if they didn't concretely know they
could help them they could work for them
they could work together
when she comes out with her book in
1961 it's it's not just that it's
brilliantly written it's py it's punchy
it's down to earth uh uh you know it's
enjoyable it's entertaining it's mind
capturing it's not just that it's that
what she is doing is providing a
counternarrative a counter argument a
counter vision of what the city is but
it's a vision that says you don't want
to break out manufacturing and send it
off somewhere else you don't want to
fact send the citizens off to the
suburbs you what you want to have is an
integrated Community the way it used to
be in essence but you want to have
people in a position to walk to work you
want small scale buildings you want
people to be able to watch the streets I
mean crime to some extent is beginning
to explode in the city in the ' 50s and
a lot of it is you know there certainly
is the pathology of drugs and such but
it is also from shattered communities
that have been renewed and removed and
highweed out and are in turmoil and are
about you know in the 60s to really
explode and not just here again but all
across the
country armed with a philosophy capable
of countering those in power Jacobs and
her colleagues threw themselves into the
fight holding rallies staging
demonstrations and attacking in public
hearings and in print the underlying
assumptions behind the culture of the
automobile and of urban
renewal and also you know Jacobs is an
activist she doesn't just simply write
about this stuff but then she's out in
the streets she's demonstrating they're
trying to block the Lower Manhattan
Expressway they're trying to stop the
plan to run roadways through Washington
Square they're counter planning they're
planning a West Village building project
which is based on
[Music]
Rehabilitation as he had in the Bronx
Robert Moses fought them every step of
the way marshalling every weapon at his
command to blunt the opposition
those personally
affected adversely or he thinks he is he
going to be opposed to you don't want it
B he doesn't want it done at all or he
wants it done somewhere else want moved
away now he may be wrong in more than
half the case or 3/4 of the case he's
wrong from his own point of view what do
you mean by that I mean by that that he
doesn't know what's in his own
interest he isn't smart enough to
visualize what you're going to do once
you build the thing he comes around and
he tells you he was always for it has
that happened to you all the time all
the
time for decades Robert Moses had simply
ridden Ru Shad over all those who
disagreed with him brutally negating the
power of votes Jane Jacobs charged with
the power of
money but this time he had completely
misjudged the strength of the opposition
rising up from the streets of Greenwich
Village which had been the center of
political dis sent in the city since the
days of the Triangle shirt waste factory
fire and
before I think it maybe couldn't have
happened anywhere else the lower e side
is different the village is different it
has a history there were very
experienced organizers we were not
Johnny come
L's we not only knew how to organize we
not only knew how to get publicity we
not only knew how to mobilize the troops
but we knew how to form
coalitions mafiosi radical Jews Factory
owners Chinese Merchants people who
ordinarily never had anything to say to
each other people who ordinarily hated
each other came together to stop
this they discovered that different
kinds of people could work together and
really make a difference and generate a
kind of power that neither of them by
themselves could ever have
imagined they would call A meeting and
there would be three times as many
people as anybody expected they'd have
to find a new Hall uh and there was a
particular thrill in this at the end of
the ' 50s and the start of the 60s that
we might be able to really make a
difference and that there was a power
that was even greater than the power of
cars power of
people at the head of the unlikely
Coalition was Jane Jacobs herself
frustrated at one public hearing she and
her colleagues tore up the St R's report
then declared that since there was no
official record of the hearing there had
been no
hearing she was arrested and charged
with Riot inciting to Riot criminal
mischief and obstructing public
administration but public support for
her actions only grew Mr Moses says that
the expressway must go through
regardless of who stands in the way do
you agree with that absolutely not if
this Expressway goes through it will
absolutely be catastrophic this will set
a pattern no doubt there that will be
followed there in other parts of the
city and if he has his way he'll
crisscross the city north south east and
west bisected triced Every Which Way
with expressways expressways to Mr Moses
are evidently more important than people
the evidence of the need of that thing
is overwhelming from the point of view
of engineering and
traffic that's all that matters we're in
the end
yes congestion gets bad enough
have to have
it meantime what
happens the salvio doesn't want it so
[Music]
what the battle over the Lower Manhattan
Expressway came to a crucial climax on
the night of December 11th
1962 at a tense crowded meeting of the
board of estimate on the second floor of
City Hall
except for one old man ablan Lewis
delelio declared I've been unable to
find anyone of technical competence who
was for this so-called
Expressway and this old man is a
cantankerous stubborn old man who has
done many things which may have in their
time been good for New York
City but I think that the time has come
for the stubborn old man to realize that
too many of his dreams turn out to be
nightmares for the city
and this board must realize that if it
does not kill this stupid example of bad
City Planning that the stench of it will
haunt them and this great City for many
years to
[Music]
come Jane Jacobs led the fight against
that Expressway that was Moses's last he
had many last teras but that really did
it every major politician Lindsay cotch
then a congressman was in it the debates
were all over the Press nationally and
internationally and somehow the fate of
what an inner city historic but still
very modern city would be was being
decided on whether these super projects
whether clearance for housing or foreign
Expressway could go forward in um an
existing City or whether the people who
lived there had rights to their own
environment in the end Jacobs and her
allies
prevailed Board of estimate in an
executive session
today voted unanimously to turn down the
proposal for a lower Manhattan express
the board
[Music]
pleas I wonder how David felt when he
bested Goliath that's the way we felt we
felt we beat Robert Moses you know sir
you look fairly relieved too you lived
right in the path of the proposed on
Groom Street so this is a reprieve from
a long time sentence isn't it it is yes
it was the greatest thing the mayor ever
did for the people in that neighborhood
because everybody was worried of that
and everybody was getting sick over it
so when they hear this news this will be
the best news that they ever heard for
Christmas this will act as a Christmas
present for the people on Broom Street
would you say that uh the result
was in this this case a Triumph of
public opinion against Bob Moses no no
there hasn't been any Triumph for
anybody
[Music]
yet Robert Moses always felt that he was
a tremendous failure in Manhattan that
he couldn't communicate his vision to
people
he built highways around the edges but
he could never get through the center
people just wouldn't buy it they stayed
attached to their streets to their
grungy houses to their crummy
neighborhoods and kept them from doing
this they abstained from the flow they
didn't want to be part of the
flow one result of this is that
Manhattan is one of the very few parts
of America where you can live a whole
life without a car and where your daily
life can depend on the street and on
interacting with other people and on
seeing what's going to happen in ways
that you don't
plan and in that Way New York is
different from I think probably every
other American city it may be the only
American City without an expressway
going through the center of town and
Moses felt extremely frustrated and
mortified by this but he just couldn't
do it the community protests were too
great it was a crucial turning point in
the life of New York and in the culture
of cities
everywhere with their stud running
Victory Jacobs and her allies had
reasserted the value of the city block
and by extension that of urban public
space itself challenging the most basic
assumptions upon which New York had
proceeded since the dawn of the Modern
Age that the new was always better than
the
[Music]
old and there's a sensitivity to history
which is also a new dimension to this I
mean you got to understand that since
the 20s it's been modern modern modern
and modern means dump the past break
with the past think new think Art Deco
think streamline think projectile think
you know tear down the old stuff not
just because well there may be you know
constraint on our ability to make
profits but because it's old because the
new is intrinsically superior to the
old but Jacob says wait a minute part of
the texture of life in a city is that
people are not just connected to each
other on the street by virtue of being
neighbors but they're connected in
time there's some sense in the buildings
around you that you know remain that
give you a sense of being part of a
Continuum you know the history isn't
dead it's not something which has been
transcended today is not the first day
of the rest of your life people are
beings in time and they need to be uh
surrounded not entirely but you know to
some extent by the Legacy the built
environment of the
past 3 years later Jacob's Triumph would
would be codified in an extraordinary
new law when on April 19th
1965 mayor Robert Wagner signed
legislation establishing the landmarks
preservation
commission the agency came 2 years too
late to save Penn Station but in the
years to come it would save hundreds of
individual buildings in New York from
the records ball along with entire
districts including Brooklyn Heights
Greenwich Village and Soho
itself vibrant places Robert Moses had
yearned so passionately to
[Music]
transform well the Dark Side of Moses's
character was probably every bit as
prominent as the bright side especially
in the context of New York
City on the one hand we can admit that
the city needed a Robert Moses to adapt
and become a modern city on the other
hand Robert Moses saw the city in some
sense as a transportation problem but
New York is more than a transportation
problem and having created let's say the
kind of minimal number of New Roads and
new bridges that the city needed to sort
of function in the second half of the
20th century then he began to maybe
continue that beyond what was absolutely
essential and persons like Jane Jacobs
and others began to say now wait a
minute why do we need this road that the
whole purpose of things is not to see
how fast you can move traffic that
there's a City there that there are
people who live in neighborhoods there
are people who like it the way it is and
I think that Moses never really
understood that a man who never drove
but who created an automobile kind of
circumstance a man who was responsible
for Planning and Building this enormous
metropolis and I think you can't escape
the feeling that he really wasn't
comfortable in the very City that he was
responsible for building
[Music]
are you surprised that after all this
time and the evidence that we've seen in
cities like Detroit and uh all the sort
of urban disasters that we've experience
that that in some ways you're still
regarded as a radical no it doesn't
surprise
me
um people don't change their minds that
fast somebody said
um it's rather Grim thing that uh
progress occurs funeral by
funeral and I think there's a lot of
Truth to that
um I put a great deal of faith in young
people uh of course they turn old and
they may get Frozen in their ideas but
uh they don't have quite as much trouble
accepting new
ideas okay I'm on the left and I want to
embrace Jane Jacobs I'm in the center
and I want to embrace Jane Jacobs I'm on
the right and I want to embrace Jane
Jacobs I have reasons from all
ideological positions to both love you
and loathe you yeah that's because I'm
not
ideological what I think ideologies are
blinders always have been the kind of
mind I have is
basically uh a scientific
one and I
respect um observation and
experiment and what
happens and not
uh abstractions or theories about what
ought to be or what ought to
happen I like to know how things really
work you hold creativity and innovation
in real high esteem yes because we have
to do things better than we're doing
them and where are we going to get
better ways if we aren't creative and if
we aren't Innovative we use what's
called human capital our skills
experience and human capital is
wonderful it's the it doesn't run out
the more you use it the more you have of
it I want to close on uh Jane Jacobs
because uh here you are you're writing
books you told me before you're going on
a book Tour all over the West Coast I
noticed when there was a an issue about
a highrise in Yorkville and Tonto you
were at the public uh meeting what keeps
you so passionately committed to the
things that you really believe in well
I'm really much more passionately
committed to writing about them that's
what I um that's my real work and that's
what I'm most eager to do I don't like
getting in these fights I they make my
life abs
uh not because it's absurd to to oppose
these things if you're a responsible
person you have to
oppose uh things that are dumped right
on your neighborhood right in the area
that you know
about
uh
but uh I don't choose these issues
they're they're absurd issues usually
and I feel they make my life absurd they
seem to be some idea that I enjoy being
a troublemaker no I
enjoy uh sitting and writing and
learning
um and uh trying to educate
people um I don't enjoy
uh having to push all that aside for
nonsense Jane Jacobs I want to thank you
very much for joining me as always it's
a real pleasure
oh thank you you have very good
questions inspired by This brilliant
champion of Common Sense a street was
named for Jane Jacobs in ion it
intersects with Misa street named for
lvic Von misas who actually had a lot in
common with Jane Jacobs included below
this video are links to the Amazon
author page for Jane Jacob so you can
check out her books as well as links to
the interviews excerpted here and a
video I produced about the about how the
Robert Moses methods have been applied
in Charleston over the last 50 years
thanks again for listening
関連動画をさらに表示
The Highway Fight that Changed Cities Forever
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Amanda Burden: How public spaces make cities work
Urban Design vs Urban Planning: Understanding the Differences
What is Urban Planning? Crash Course Geography #47
What is URBAN DESIGN / Famous URBAN DESIGNERS and there THEORY with PDF
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