Reddit reviews The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
We found 34 Reddit comments about The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
The Power Broker Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
NY, Conn, Mass, and NJ are infested with low low overheads, engineered specifically, in accurate historical terms, with no doubt or theory, for roads to not fit buses. All the original NE ''parkways'' were to serve the nice people with their own cars ways to get in and out of bucolic non urban splendor. They literally openly made sure buses filled with undesirable city negros could not follow.
The taconic. The Saw Mill. The Merritt. The Palisades. The cough cough ROBERT MOSES parkway, the Sunken Meadow, The Grand Central, the Northern State, the Southern state, The Bethpage., the Loop parkway,
All ''parkways'' were carefully planned to ensure that no buses followed the ''nice people'' to the parks. There's a whole book about it, that is probably the book with the highest critical praise of any 20th century non-fiction book.
''The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York Paperback – July 12, 1975'' https://www.amazon.com/Power-Broker-Robert-Moses-Fall/dp/0394720245
''Robert Moses wove enduring racism into New York's urban fabric'' http://boingboing.net/2016/08/22/robert-moses-wove-enduring-rac.html
https://www.longislandpress.com/2013/11/30/robert-moses-the-last-master-builder/
''Argument Without End
That Moses was highhanded, racist and contemptuous of the poor draws no argument even from the most ardent revisionists. But his grand vision and iron will, they say, seeded New York with highways, parks, swimming pools and cultural halls, from the Belt Parkway to Lincoln Center, and thus allowed the modern city to flower.'' http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/nyregion/thecity/06hist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moses
I really wish the state would use the money planned for widening I-35 and other 'improvements', and buy up 130/45 and change that to I-35, making the current I-35 into a business highway -- this would force all through truck traffic out of downtown.
Expanding highways and making these improvements will not only (further) destroy walkability and split the east side and west side of town from each other, but it only encourages more sprawl and doesn't improve traffic in the long run. I mean, I-10 west of Houston is 8 lanes each way, and still has major traffic during rush hour.
If you want to learn more about how more highways mess up cities and don't do anything for traffic, please read The Power Broker.
If you want more, there's a 1300 page Pulitzer-prize winning book about Moses
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Broker-Robert-Moses-Fall/dp/0394720245
Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!
Here are your smile-ified links:
Here's a "quick" primer
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I love reading and hearing about model cities. Here's some other media if you like this sort of stuff.
[Book]
One of the most engrossing biographies I've ever read, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York is the story of a power hungry paperclip maximizer but instead of prioritizing paperclips over everything, Moses prioritizes wildly expensive highways. His fall, around the late 60s, lead to renewed interest in public transit and a counter-revolution articulated in Jane Jacobs' The Death and Life of Great American Cities.
Seeing Like a State A condemnation on the central planners infatuation with the top-down and observable over the bottom-up and functional.
[Article]
Reports of the death of China's vacant cities may be [greatly exaggerated.](
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-16/china-s-manhattan-sheds-ghost-town-image-as-towers-begin-to-fill)
Seeing Like A State: Book Review A fun review of the book mentioned above.
[Podcast]
Every city planner has a plan until they get doused with a squatter's bucket of piss.
For those further interested in charter cities, see recently-ousted world bank chief economist Paul Romer's conversation on charter cities.
On Usonia, Flank Lloyd Wright's stab at an affordable model US town.
The Power Broker by Robert Caro. Humongous and incredibly compelling biography of Robert Moses, the guy responsible for the bulk of infrastructure projects you just mentioned and many more.
Neat question. The two obvious big names from Urban Planning are Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs. They epitomize Modernist planning and Post-Modern planning, respectively.
Robert Moses was one of the most important non-elected officials in the 20th Century, with the most popular account being Robert Caro's massive biography, The Power Broker. He was a fantastically smart legal wiz who came to power in the 1920s in New York and was the standard-bearer for sweeping top-down government approaches to development. He used his knowledge and authority to gain more and more power, creating some of the first modern highways in bridges all over New York City and state that helped influence the Interstate Highway Act and the urban car-centric model.
He can be viewed as quite a villain these days (think the unbridled power of Mr. Burns on the Simpsons), especially as academic planners now generally recognize the huge negative impacts that Modernist American planning had. There was massive economic and social displacement where things like the Cross Bronx Expressway ripped working-class immigrant neighborhoods in half, allowing commerce to escape urban centers and help create mid-century ghettoization. In short, the modernist approach can be seen as paternalistic at best and willfully concentrating power at the expense of the masses at worst. That said, depression-Era New York had huge problems (dilapidated housing and political corruption, to name two) that Moses' public works projects helped alleviate, and he was one of the country's most powerful advocates for public parks even in the face of massive growth and sprawl.
Moses sat on countless commissions and authorities for decades, his power only finally waning in the 1960s as the top-down modernist approach of (Post) World War II America faced its loudest criticisms with the related Civil Rights, Hippie, Environmentalist, Anti-Vietnam movements: Americans were finally scrutinizing the "Build Build Build Cars Cars Cars Roads Roads Roads" model that had driven cities for decades, which brings us to Jane Jacobs.
Jacobs (who got herself a Google Doodle last week for her 100th birthday), was a Greenwich Village liberal and fierce critic of the Moses-type technocratic planning. She was a community organizer who helped stop Moses as he tried to push through plans for highways in Midtown and Lower Manhattan. For those unfamiliar, these are two of the economic and social cores of New York City - she argued that roads are supposed to serve us, not destroy our important urban spaces.
If you ask a city planner what sole city planning book to read (myself included), the overwhelming favorite will be Jacobs' 1961 book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, the most important critique of modernist planning to date. Instead of sprawling highways and engineering projects, Jacobs saw the healthiest urban spaces as walkable, intimate, friendly and inviting and on a human-scale. She advocated for small city blocks, much wider sidewalks and mixed-use spaces instead of the classic Sim City "Residential/Commercial/Industrial" segregated zoning.
While there has since been plenty of critique of Jacobs' post-modern model, today's planning leans much closer to Jacobs' vision (at least in academic settings): Planners are more focused than ever on the post-modern walkability, mixed-use, high-density, equal-access, participatory planning model. Although this seems like a healthier place for planning than the Moses model of old, the academic ideals clash with the huge legacy of the Modernist planning approach (We can't just up and rebuild cities every time a theory changes, after all), along with the neoliberal financialization and privatization of so many of our spaces over the last few decades, so it's still as muddy as ever.
Anyway, that's a slight oversimplification of some of the history, but Moses and Jacobs were certainly the biggest avatars of the Modernist and Post-Modernist planning movements and have been as influential in the field of planning as anybody.
The Power Broker
More power consolidated into one position, not possible to recreate in today's circumstances...for worse...and better.
My non-fiction pick -
My Fiction Pick. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to give two different recommendations, but tough titties, because this novel is one of the best I've ever read.
The novel follows the Mason family as they travel the country trying to find their particular place in the world. I won't say more than that. If you liked The Grapes of Wrath, or East of Eden, you should check this book out.
It is absolutely the best book I've read in the last year, and immediately threw my "top ten list" into question.
722 Miles - is about the Subway system
Fat of the Land: Garbage in New York
The New York City Museum of Complaint - 300 years of actual complaint letters from the Municipal archive
The Power Broker - How Robert Moses shaped the city. Edit: of the ones I've listed, this one is required reading.
Yep. Btw these are two great books that talk about how the physical structure of cities, a.k.a. urban planning, has brought about the changes that we see in OP's picture, and that we can pretty much blame one person for making cities super car-centric: Robert Moses.
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394720245/
The Death and Life of Great American Cities https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HWKSBDI/
What is your particular interest? I can offer you some general suggestions, but if you are interested in a certain era or neighborhood or person I can point you in that direction too.
For a succinct history going up until the 2000s, look to The Restless City. If you are more interested in power politics of the 20th Century, The Power Broker is the definitive source (boo Robert Moses). Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning is a great look at the city in 1977, a tumultuous time both politically and socially.
Much of the history of the city after the mid-19th Century centers around the development of railroads, elevated trains and the subway system. 722 Miles and A Century of Subways are both excellent books about the growth and evolution of the transit network. I picked up Grand Central: How a Train Station Transformed America for the 100th Anniversary of the Terminal, and it was an informative and lively read.
Here's a "quick" primer
Probably the most influential urban planning book ever was written as a response to trends in 1960s development: The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs. Along the same lines, the Pulitizer Prize winning The Power Broker by Robert Caro is the definitive biography of Jacobs-nemesis Robert Moses who was super important in the planning decisions made in New York City in the 50s and 60s.
Witold Rybczynski's Makeshift Metropolis includes a pretty good summary of urban planning throughout the 20th century in America, which is helpful for putting trends from the 1960s into context.
I don't have a specific book to recommend here, but also look into the design of Brasilia, since it was by far the biggest and most complete project designed on the sort of modernist principles that dominated the 50s and 60s urban planning scene. It's obviously not an American city, but many of the planners and architects who worked on it worked on American projects as well, and the ideas that influenced it were very important in American thinking on urban design also.
These are all sort of general interest recommendations, though. Sorry if you were looking for something more technical.
The Power Broker by Robert Caro is supposed to be excellent. Doesn't really fit in the architecture / food / pictures criteria.. but hey
You can blame Robert Moses for that.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Broker-Robert-Moses/dp/0394720245
Currently reading, and would like to finish:
Started in 2014, put down, would like to finish in 2015:
Would like to re-read in 2015:
Would like to read in 2015:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moses
If you want something (a lot) more detailed, read "the Power Broker"
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Broker-Robert-Moses-Fall/dp/0394720245/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487431274&sr=1-1&keywords=the+power+broker
Here's the Amazon link for those interested: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Broker-Robert-Moses-Fall/dp/0394720245
Not OP but you should totally read Robert Caro's The Power Broker. It's a ~1,500 page tome but it's a fantastic breakdown of the history of Moses specifically, and Jacobs as well.
Then follow it up with Jacobs' Death and Life of Great American Cities for the counter argument. After that you can decide if you want to get into City Planning as a career. Lots of politics unfortunately...
May I point you to these series of books written by Robert Caro that goes into detail about how one obtains, keeps, and uses political power?
Once you read them you'll understand how 'the system' works. "The Power Broker" is especially illustrative. One man, Robert Moses, pretty much remade NYC between the 1920's and the 1960's. Never was elected to anything.
Thank you!
My favorite book is probably the most boring book to alot of people: The Power Broker by Robert Caro. It's all about how one man basically created the New York that we know today, and was the most powerful man in the State even though he was never elected to any position.
My favorite movie is probably Caddyshack. Because... it's Caddyshack!
Clearly this right-wing libertarian dude doesn't have to commute through Penn Station.
He's just wrong. Honestly, if there was a reasonable argument against historical preservation, it is not present in this blog post. Does he really think that Grand Central would still be standing if it didn't have landmark status? GCT was bought for a measly $80 million in 2006 because it's worth nothing to real estate developers as a train station (contrast that with the tiny footprint of 432 Park Ave. which has >$1B in value), but it has an incalculable benefit to New Yorkers.
He doesn't even make the case that landmarks increase rent prices (which could be worth discussing). He just wants to build things faster and without obstruction. Which is EXACTLY how they built things between the 1920's and the 1960's.
Get a copy of this book and read the chapter on former New York Governor Al Smith. It will serve as an excellent primer on leadership. This is a loose paraphrase and it may not be correct, but Smith's motto was "You will identify the issues, and I will fight for them." Also, ask questions to take the group's temperature often. I like the question "What are the issues?" It served me well when I had to supervise a group of older men. (You will not be able to resolve most of these issues, but it will allow your group to vent and let them know that you are listening to them, both of which are extremely important.)
 
edit: They don't make leaders like Smith any more. As proof, here is another quote from him:
 
>No sane local official who has hung up an empty stocking over the municipal fireplace, is going to shoot Santa Claus just before a hard Christmas.
Unfortunately a grossly overblown transportation system focused far to heavily on car and truck traffic, especially in cities. I'm no expert but having read The Power Broker ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0394720245/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/186-5344940-1539417) certainly puts an interesting historical perspective on this statment.
I'll do you one better this is one of the best books I've ever read. Will completely change the way you think about politics and infrastructure.
the powerbroker https://www.amazon.com/Power-Broker-Robert-Moses-Fall/dp/0394720245
It might not be so much a book on conspiracies but if you wanna know how true power functions behind the scenes I can think of no better book than
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
greatest biography ever written imo
Agree. If you (people of Reddit) want to read about the mistakes made in city planning in America (such as bulldozing diverse neighborhoods to put in inaccessible highways and completely seperating residences and businesses), and the book that brought about some much needed change, please read: Jane Jacobs - Death and Life of Great American Cities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_and_Life_of_Great_American_Cities
Also you may be interested in reading one of the greatest history books every written:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Broker-Robert-Moses/dp/0394720245
I've been reading The Power Broker. It's an interesting look into corruption in government, and public works projects, and it's also very well written. It's a bit long but I'd recommend it.
Sincer nu știu dacă sunt destule persoane cărora le pasa ca sa dau un răspuns complet.
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Dar pot sa dau o referința despre cum s-a realizat aproximativ inversul.
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https://www.amazon.com/Power-Broker-Robert-Moses-Fall/dp/0394720245
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Despre birocratul din umbra care a transformat NY in oraș automobilistic prim măsuri ceaușiste.
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TLDR in capitalism/liberalism automobilistic redezvoltarea urbana nu este nici fezabila nici dezirabila.
Sooo good. The Power Broker
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro
A bit more recent than the other suggestions already posted, but a riveting read (especially if you're a New Yorker).
One of the most acclaimed books of our time, winner of both the Pulitzer and the Francis Parkman prizes, The Power Broker tells the hidden story behind the shaping (and mis-shaping) of twentieth-century New York (city and state) and makes public what few have known: that Robert Moses was, for almost half a century, the single most powerful man of our time in New York, the shaper not only of the city's politics but of its physical structure and the problems of urban decline that plague us today.