Infrastructure, Power, and Planning: Lessons from Mid-20th Century New York
- Course Number: C1072
- Credits: 3 hours
- Instructor: Ellen C. Huang, PE
- Price: $30
Course Outline
Robert Moses played an extraordinary role in shaping twentieth-century New York through an ambitious program of bridges, tunnels, expressways, parkways, parks, beaches, housing, and civic development. Although he never held elected office, Moses accumulated extensive administrative and financial authority that allowed him to plan and complete public works on a scale rarely achieved by a single public official. His projects improved regional mobility and recreational access, but many also displaced communities, encouraged automobile dependence, and imposed lasting social and environmental costs.
This course examines Moses's accomplishments, project-delivery methods, sources of institutional power, and complex legacy. Through major projects and contested proposals, participants will explore the relationships among engineering, infrastructure finance, public authorities, urban planning, political influence, and community engagement. The course draws practical lessons for modern professionals responsible for planning and delivering infrastructure that is technically successful, publicly accountable, equitable, and responsive to long-term community needs. This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance understanding of the course materials.
At the end of this course, there will be a multiple-choice, open-book quiz, which is designed to enhance your understanding of the course material.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Describe Robert Moses's role in developing New York's major transportation, park, recreational, housing, and civic infrastructure.
- Explain how public authorities, toll revenue, bond financing, advance project preparation, and centralized administration enabled Moses to deliver large-scale public works.
- Evaluate the transportation, land-use, community, environmental, and equity consequences associated with selected Moses-era projects and unbuilt proposals.
- Apply lessons from Moses's accomplishments and controversies to contemporary infrastructure planning, stakeholder engagement, project governance, professional responsibility, and long-term decision-making.
Course Content
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