This chapter takes a close look at Robert Moses and his sweeping, often contentious influence on New York City’s parks and public works during the 1930s. It paints a vivid portrait of Moses as a driven, politically savvy figure whose methods left a lasting mark on the city—sometimes at great cost to its most vulnerable residents and to the ideals of urban reformers.
Moses’ approach was shaped by his acute awareness of the fleeting nature of federal funding. He understood that government support could disappear without warning, so he moved with urgency, bulldozing through city bureaucracy to get projects underway before the money dried up. To make this happen, Moses didn’t hesitate to sidestep rules or strong-arm officials. He was notorious for using personal attacks and public smear campaigns to neutralize anyone who got in his way. One telling example is his treatment of Deputy Comptroller Douglas Matthewson. When Matthewson became an obstacle, Moses used the press to tarnish his reputation, ensuring that resistance was swiftly crushed.
But Moses’ tactics went beyond intimidation. He was quick to exploit the era’s anti-Communist paranoia, branding his opponents as Communists or sympathizers, regardless of the facts. This strategy proved especially potent during the “red scare” of the 1930s. The case of Paul J. Kern, a trusted aide to Mayor La Guardia, stands out. Kern’s push for civil service reforms threatened Moses’ control, so Moses set out to poison Kern’s relationship with the mayor through lies and public attacks. Eventually, he labeled Kern a Communist, orchestrating a campaign that led to Kern’s political ruin. These ruthless maneuvers, which foreshadowed the tactics of the McCarthy era, often destroyed the careers and lives of those who dared to challenge Moses.
Moses further solidified his power by preying on the anxieties of city officials. He manipulated Mayor La Guardia’s fear of being linked to Communism to oust reformers like Isaacs and Kern, ensuring his grip on the Park Department remained firm. Most commissioners fell in line, bullied into submission, though a few, like Windels, managed to resist. Moses also found ways around the city’s main funding body, the Board of Estimate, by leveraging federal funds and creating a sense of urgency around deadlines. He placed loyal aides in key departments and secured funding in stages, making it nearly impossible for anyone to halt a project once it had begun. These strategies allowed him to push his agenda with little effective opposition.
When it came to securing money, Moses often downplayed project costs to the Board, only to return for more funds once work was underway. His commanding presence and deep expertise let him dominate meetings, silencing critics with sharp retorts and sheer force of personality. The chapter contrasts the relative ease Moses enjoyed building in rural areas, where he could act unilaterally, with the far greater challenges of urban projects, which often meant displacing people and reshaping neighborhoods—sometimes with unpredictable and far-reaching consequences.
The chapter also explores the unique difficulties of planning public works in New York City compared to Long Island. In the city, every project had to contend with the existing fabric of neighborhoods and the lives of residents. Moses’ methods, which worked well on Long Island’s open spaces, risked erasing the character and complexity of city neighborhoods if applied without care. While his vision was bold, it often failed to account for the needs of poorer communities. The author argues that successful urban planning depends on engaging with residents and tailoring projects—whether parks or highways—to fit local needs. Balancing recreational and conservation uses in city parks, especially given limited space and competing demands, requires thoughtful, community-driven decisions.
Moses’ preference for active recreation over preserving natural spaces is illustrated by his work at places like Heckscher State Park, where he valued only the developed areas. The chapter discusses the challenges of creating small parks in dense neighborhoods, the high costs involved, and the importance of community input. As car ownership increased, debates flared over whether roads in parks should prioritize beauty or convenience. Moses’ autocratic style, marked by a refusal to listen to the public, experts, or even his own staff, led to a decline in the quality of his team and the decisions they made.
As Moses took on more responsibilities, his hands-on approach and high standards gave way to delegation and standardization, resulting in more generic, uninspired designs. Restrictions from agencies like the WPA further stifled creativity. Oversights—such as neglecting to accommodate baby carriages in city parks—highlighted a growing disconnect from the needs of urban park users.
The chapter is critical of the bleak, utilitarian playgrounds that sprang up under Moses’ watch. These spaces were often harsh, unwelcoming, and poorly maintained. Attempts to beautify them failed, thanks to vandalism and neglect. Moses’ focus on grand projects over small, local parks—especially in poorer neighborhoods—meant that efforts like the vest-pocket park initiative quickly fizzled out. Reformers, particularly those connected to settlement houses, saw the urgent need for parks in slums, arguing that green spaces were vital for children’s safety and community health. Yet Moses prioritized parks for the middle class, limiting access to large parks and neglecting to build small parks where they were needed most.
The conflict between Moses and reformers came to a head over the question of parks in the 1930s. Moses dismissed calls for small parks in slums as impractical, instead pointing to large projects as supposedly accessible alternatives. Reformers countered that these were out of reach for many slum residents and pushed for local green spaces. They also criticized Moses for replacing natural parkland with concrete facilities. Despite some public support, reformers struggled to make headway, as Moses remained committed to his vision of parks as active, developed spaces rather than natural retreats. The chapter closes by reflecting on the enduring impact of Moses’ philosophy on the city’s green spaces and the communities they were meant to serve.