The Theater Of Municipal Infrastructure

"On a stage in lower Manhattan, a gang of young dramatists shines a spotlight on a visionary bureaucrat named Moses as he seizes power, builds an empire of bridges, tunnels, parks and expressways, then falls to ruin amid knowing jokes about urban planning.

...In other words, with the right civic script and stagecraft, it's apparently easier these days to fill a small theater with paying customers than to fill a large polling place with engaged citizens.

...Not every city has a Moses or a Mulholland to sing about. But once you encounter a play like these, you start looking for stories behind structures, says Julie Burros, director of cultural planning for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and a city planner by training."

Thanks to Chris Steins