“Today’s NIMBYism, though it gathers under the rallying cry ‘Not in my backyard,’ is not actually concerned with individual people and their property, either. It’s not ‘my backyard’ but rather somebody else’s backyard they’re talking about—and seeking to control.“
Thank you! That's awesome, dude. I was in Paris a couple years ago and had a blast. Infrastructure there is beautiful. The Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge is amazing, it's got these amazing steel sculptures on the side.
I'm a little late to this post, but enjoyed it thoroughly. Thoughtful and fair. The ghost of Robert Moses also hangs over the mismanaging (in my opinion) of the future of the BQE, one of my white whales.
Thanks, Brian! I've loosely followed the reconstruction saga for the Brooklyn Heights section of the BQE, and I wonder if this is another instance where the world would have been different if Moses had liked to build tunnels.
Interesting article. I have never had the guts to plow through all 1200 pages of “The Power Broker.” It was simply too long.
Your article clearly illustrate the trade-offs involved in large-scale construction projects within densely-populated urban centers. The unchecked power of Robert Moses and the massive web of checks by NIMBYs are two extremes to be avoided, but I am not sure where the best balances lays.
Thanks, Michael! It's a beast of a book! I recommend it as a literary work in its own right, but it requires context and further reading (like the other book I mentioned, "Robert Moses & the Modern City") to get a fuller, more nuanced picture of the history. That said, I think Caro ably demonstrates Moses's character.
Beyond that, yes, these are definitely complicated questions!
“Today’s NIMBYism, though it gathers under the rallying cry ‘Not in my backyard,’ is not actually concerned with individual people and their property, either. It’s not ‘my backyard’ but rather somebody else’s backyard they’re talking about—and seeking to control.“
Amazing quote 🙌🏻
Thanks! Amazing handle, by the way. I've been flâneuring my way across France the past two weeks.
Thank you! That's awesome, dude. I was in Paris a couple years ago and had a blast. Infrastructure there is beautiful. The Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge is amazing, it's got these amazing steel sculptures on the side.
I'm a little late to this post, but enjoyed it thoroughly. Thoughtful and fair. The ghost of Robert Moses also hangs over the mismanaging (in my opinion) of the future of the BQE, one of my white whales.
https://brianhoward.substack.com/p/the-brooklyn-queens-expressway-how?r=c50dd
Thanks, Brian! I've loosely followed the reconstruction saga for the Brooklyn Heights section of the BQE, and I wonder if this is another instance where the world would have been different if Moses had liked to build tunnels.
The 99pi series is incredible
Yes! It's been excellent.
Interesting article. I have never had the guts to plow through all 1200 pages of “The Power Broker.” It was simply too long.
Your article clearly illustrate the trade-offs involved in large-scale construction projects within densely-populated urban centers. The unchecked power of Robert Moses and the massive web of checks by NIMBYs are two extremes to be avoided, but I am not sure where the best balances lays.
Thanks, Michael! It's a beast of a book! I recommend it as a literary work in its own right, but it requires context and further reading (like the other book I mentioned, "Robert Moses & the Modern City") to get a fuller, more nuanced picture of the history. That said, I think Caro ably demonstrates Moses's character.
Beyond that, yes, these are definitely complicated questions!
Love the Ozymandias Revisited quote!
When I think of Moses I automatically think of that poem.