The Middle Ground Between Moses and Jacobs

This article from Triple Canopy looks at the unrealized urban planning ideas of former New York City Mayor John Lindsay, which were somewhere in between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses.

1 minute read

August 24, 2009, 9:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"In place of Moses's racially partitioned New York, Lindsay had promised a new city that would be integrated and equal, dense in population and activity, accommodating to people as well as to automobiles.

Every citizen would be entitled to every patch of public land, and every new housing project, park, and highway would be considered as part of a comprehensive renewal plan. Freeways would tunnel under enormous new housing towers, which would in turn punctuate the famous skyline while still abetting traditional street life. It was an urban vision at once radically futuristic and reverent of the dynamism of New York's past. And it was time, Lindsay felt, that old man Moses made way for it."

Friday, August 21, 2009 in Triple Canopy

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A Firefighter sprays water from a hose at a tall blaze.

US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060

Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.

November 4 - Inside Climate News

People cross a crosswalk in Los Angeles.

LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks

Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.

November 4 - ABC7

Two women walking on the sidewalk in Dallas.

Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code

The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.

November 4 - Yahoo News