[MarkDaMan]

Cafe Unknown has a terrific write-up on Robert Moses's effects on Portland, and his plans for future Portland. I suggest you head on over and check it out:

http://cafeunkown.blogspot.com/

Some highlights
http://bp1.blogger.com/_Q5jG4MBzjac/RetTFbED1oI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/_kPY4fh_7kY/s400/DSC02251.JPG
The plan emphasized freeway development. Transit was not addressed, it wasn’t even mentioned. One of the striking features of the map of proposed freeways is how familiar it looks, containing early versions of the I-5 routing through downtown ( further east) I-405 and I-205 (closer in).

http://bp1.blogger.com/_Q5jG4MBzjac/RetQ4bED1mI/AAAAAAAAAMA/TIdQVqy6E6A/s400/DSC02241.JPG
The 1943 version of the Fremont Bridge (seen in this mock-up photograph from the report) was a suspension bridge, a style used by Moses for his Throgs Neck and Verrazano-Narrows bridges. Note that Harbor Drive (torn down to make Tom McCall Waterfront Park) is expanded north of the Steel Bridge.

http://bp2.blogger.com/_Q5jG4MBzjac/RetPlrED1kI/AAAAAAAAALw/snURY0U5iCo/s400/Harbor+Drive.jpg
Harbor Drive

[JoshYent]

nice!

lots of interesting stuff in there!

[pdxskyline]

I was wondering when someone would post about that. Cafe Unknown has some great finds.

Moses, what a scum. NYC would have a bigger subway system today if it wasn't for him. Instead they got massively clogged transportation infrastructure that is waaaaay too expensive to build out now. At least he threw in some trees and some nice scenery in some places to blunt the ugly concrete freeways.

[MarkDaMan]

I was wondering when someone would post about that. Cafe Unknown has some great finds.

slow news week for developments, allowed me to catch up on some blogs

[pdxman]

I'm all in favor of good highways but moses was out of control. All that concrete!

[WonderlandPark]

d I-205 (closer in).


http://bp2.blogger.com/_Q5jG4MBzjac/RetPlrED1kI/AAAAAAAAALw/snURY0U5iCo/s400/Harbor+Drive.jpg
Harbor Drive

Come on now, that would be a real nice waterfront, sit back, wind in the hair taking in the river and bridges at 55mph. What a great city it would have been. Don't forget to add the Mt. Hood freeway to the map!

[tworivers]

^^^ I have that same postcard in my "collection".

My house almost surely would not exist had Moses' plan come all the way to fruition.

[zilfondel]

Yea, such a pity. Instead we're stuck with these costly toy trains and.... *blink*

Sorry, too much of that libertarian poisoning must be taking its effect on me.

[Bear]

Moses greatest trick was understanding the law and the capital markets well enough to obtain funding through Authorities. And he understood how to keep the funding coming in and reallocating it to new projects through refunding bonds.

I would read up a little more. Sure, later in life he had a black mark, however NYC had major issue before he showed up. Crowding, no open space and horrible transportation infrastructure. He was a product of his times. If trains were the desired form of transportation, he would have built tons of trains lines. But people were buying cars and moving to the suburbs and he built the roads that allowed them to connect back to the city. Not only did he build highways, but at one time, New York State, thanks to Moses had more highways that the rest of the United States combined. He built bridges and he helped to support the ongoing development that people wanted.

Say what you will, but Moses did some great things for New York State as well (I grew up in NYC). Flushing Meadow Park, Jones Beach, Robert Moses State Park up near Buffalo and countless little parks throughout NYC.

[MarkDaMan]

maybe so, but his plans for Portland were terrible...

[Bear]

maybe so, but his plans for Portland were terrible...

I was addressing the comments regarding New York and his negative impact - I am not really familiar with what Moses wanted to do to Portland and why he would have been involved there. This obituary from the NY Times is a good indication of his accomplishments. Funny he is reviled for his highways, but his real impact was parks and bridges

[Bear]

dupe post