Robert Moses

Robert Moses (December 18, 1888 – July 29, 1981) was an American urban planner and public official who worked in the New York metropolitan area during the early to mid-20th century. Moses is regarded as one of the most powerful and influential people in the history of New York City and the state of New York. Moses' construction projects transformed the New York area and revolutionized the way urban areas across the United States were designed and built. His philosophy of urban development influenced a generation of engineers, architects, and urban planners across the United States. Never elected to any office, Moses held myriad positions throughout his more-than-40-year career including New York City Parks Commissioner and chairman of the Long Island State Park Commission. At various points, Moses held as many as 12 titles simultaneously. Working closely with New York governor Al Smith early in his career, Moses became an expert in writing laws and influencing the operations of state government. As head of the Triborough Bridge Authority, Moses was instrumental in the construction of major transportation arteries including the Cross Bronx Expressway, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and the Long Island Expressway, as well as major crossings and transportation infrastructure projects such as the Triborough Bridge, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, the Throgs Neck Bridge, the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, and the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. These highways, roadways, and bridges, alongside other urban renewal efforts, often sacrificed large swaths of low-income housing and replaced them with public housing projects. As President of the Long Island State Park Commission, Moses oversaw the construction of Jones Beach State Park, the most visited public beach in the United States, and was the primary architect of the New York State Parkway System. Moses wielded enormous power as he had near-complete control of tolls collected on the various...