Clash of Urban Philosophies: Moses versus Jacobs

The conflicting urban philosophies of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs concerning the proposed Lower Manhattan Expressway (Lomex) remain pertinent today. Urban and transportation planners must balance top-down planning and citizen activism. Moses conceived and created most New York City public works. He presumed completion of his envisioned elevated highway across Lower Manhattan. Surprisingly, citizen groups led by Jacobs mobilized to stop it. This article presents Lomex from inception through the tumultuous political and personal battles of the 1960s until its demapping, focusing on the urban philosophies of Moses and Jacobs to highlight the need for today’s planners to combine them