Urban Sociology: Analyzing the Visions of Moses and Jacobs in NYC

This report delves into the contrasting urban planning approaches of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs, focusing on their impact on New York City's development. During the Great Depression, Robert Moses, with the support of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, spearheaded extensive infrastructure projects, prioritizing modernization through highways and large-scale construction, often at the expense of existing neighborhoods and communities. In contrast, Jane Jacobs championed the preservation of existing neighborhood life, emphasizing the importance of diverse, walkable communities and the social fabric of urban spaces. The report highlights Moses's focus on large-scale projects, such as the Lower Manhattan Expressway, and Jacobs's advocacy for preserving historic buildings and the needs of residents. The report examines the key differences in their philosophies, their successes, and failures, and the lasting impact of their visions on the city's landscape and urban planning principles. It emphasizes the importance of integrating the needs of diverse neighborhoods and the significance of affordable housing and other benefits for inhabitants in urban development.

Running head: URBAN SOCIOLOGY
Urban Sociology: Moses and Jacobs
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Author Note

URBAN SOCIOLOGY
The sixth episode of the documentary “The City of Tomorrow (1931-1940)”
highlighted the economic failure of America during 1929 led to the financial
development of the nation.1 The social unrest and poverty of the great depression era the
American citizens suffered great desperation. In order to manage it, the policy makers of
New York under the president ship of Dr. Franklin Roosevelt started to gather money
from Washington to New York. The mayor of New York Fiorello Henry La Guardia tried
to utilize the opportunity and with the help of twentieth century’s master builder Robert
Moses planned to rebuild the city. The New York City has been changing its political
position in the nation’s existing scenario as such federal initiatives have been bringing to
the center of nation’s power. They together gave birth to the ‘New Deal’ out of the great
depression that influentially changed the city and the nation.2 They imagined, planned
and executed strategies to bring out the city out of the darkest time and made it a new
bold one. During the 1930 the multiple development plan by Robert Moses along with
the automobile was about to change the city into something bigger and better.3
Robert Moses planned to reshape the city through expanding it to the suburbs but
in the process he ignored the inner infrastructure of the city that needed to be up graded
and large number of urban lower class. In the development process Robert Moses
destroyed the Pen Station that fueled the movement of New York’s landmark
preservation. Activist Jane Jacobs highlighted the need for preserving the existing
1 "New York: A Documentary Episode 6 A City Of Tomorrow." YouTube. N.p., 2013. Web. 8 Oct. 2017.
2 "Robert Moses And The Modern Park System (1929–1965) : Online Historic Tour : NYC
Parks." Nycgovparks.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 Oct. 2017.
3 Bloom, Nicholas Dagen. Public housing that worked: New York in the twentieth century. University of
Pennsylvania Press, 2014.

URBAN SOCIOLOGY
neighborhood life. Moses imagined New York to be a modern place of titanic buildings
and highways and city blocks. Moses proposed the Lower Manhattan Expressway and for
that 416 housing building home of 2200 people, 365 stores and 480 commercial buildings
had to be demolished.4 The cast iron made architecture was considered one of the most
significant architectural sign of the city. She highlighted that shift in the urban economy
will affect the interdependent functions depending upon the street if that is entirely gone
to the automobile. Jane Jacobs encouraged the residents, intellectuals, immigrants,
laborers to join the movement to save the homes and businesses of that area. However,
Robert Moses failed to judge the strength of the people of Greenwich Village that was the
city’s political dissent.5 Moses failed to connect to the city and understand the need of
the people and he also failed that he could not communicate his vision to the people. In
1965 the Landmarks Preservation Commission starts working on saving the station.
Moses developed the city a lot on the surface level but did little care for the
people who actually created it. Jane Jacobs pointed out the neglect that the neighborhood
gets from such initiatives. The people who actually built the city would have faith for the
future and for their future generations. Modern sociology demonstrates that for any
builders or planning programs has to understand and integrate the need of the diverse
neighborhood. The developers have to offer affordable housings and other benefits for
thousands of inhabitants who are likely to be suffered and in return they will support the
necessary growth of the city.
4 Paletta, Anthony. "Story Of Cities #32: Jane Jacobs V Robert Moses, Battle Of New York's Urban Titans." the
Guardian. N.p., 2016. Web. 8 Oct. 2017.
5 "Jane Jacobs Vs Robert Moses: Urban Fight Of The Century." YouTube. N.p., 2012. Web. 8 Oct. 2017.

URBAN SOCIOLOGY
Reference
"Jane Jacobs Vs Robert Moses: Urban Fight Of The Century." YouTube. N.p., 2012. Web. 8 Oct.
2017.
"New York: A Documentary Episode 6 A City Of Tomorrow." YouTube. N.p., 2013. Web. 8
Oct. 2017.
"Robert Moses And The Modern Park System (1929–1965) : Online Historic Tour : NYC
Parks." Nycgovparks.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 Oct. 2017.
Bloom, Nicholas Dagen. Public housing that worked: New York in the twentieth century.
University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014.
Paletta, Anthony. "Story Of Cities #32: Jane Jacobs V Robert Moses, Battle Of New York's
Urban Titans." the Guardian. N.p., 2016. Web. 8 Oct. 2017.