"Parks are the outward visible symbol of democracy."
--Robert Moses, 1956
In five decades of public service, Robert Moses (1888-1981) had an extraordinary impact on the physical environment of New York. He played a primary role in the development of its parks, transportation, and housing. Moses was born on December 18, 1888 in New Haven, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale in 1909, received a jurisprudence degree from Oxford University in 1911, and a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University in 1914.
Moses began his career in the public interest in 1913 as a municipal investigator. Beginning in 1924, Moses held a dozen City and State positions, many concurrently, including: Chairman of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA), New York City Construction Coordinator, and sole member of the New York City Parkway Authority. Invested with this authority, Moses constructed 416 miles of highway and thirteen bridges, and thus reached his goal of bringing New York into the automobile era.
Moses entered into his legendary association with parks through Governor Alfred E. Smith. In 1924 he was appointed Chairman of the Long Island State Park Commission and President of the New York State Parks Council. On January 18, 1934, Moses was sworn in by Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia as Commissioner of the first unified, citywide Department of Parks, a position he held for 26 years, until he resigned to head the 1964-65 Worlds Fair.
In the course of his remarkable career, Moses was responsible for an unprecedented number of physical expansions and improvements. During the Depression year Moses successfully matched his vision for parks with the resources provided by the Works Progress Administration, a federal social program. With over 80,000 laborers and 1,840 architects and engineers at its disposal in 1935, Parks was able to launch projects such as the Riverside Park extension, Flushing Meadows Corona Park and the building of 11 swimming pools. From 1934 to 1960, park acreage more than doubled, to 34,673 acres. Other projects included the addition of 658 playgrounds, 17 miles of beach, zoos, recreation centers, and ballfields. Moses was removed from his last public office when the TBTA was abolished by Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller in 1968.
Situated just south of the United Nations , this full-block site was acquired by the city in 1937 as part of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel construction, another Moses undertaking. The playground, which was completed in 1941, shares the block with the tunnels ventilating tower. The site was named for Moses by the City Council in 1982, when there was a proposal to build an apartment tower on it.
FAQs
The New York Society for Parks and Playgrounds was incorporated in 1891, described as a “moral movement not a charity.” The New York Society was founded by Charles A. Stover, former Mayor Abram S. Hewitt, and Columbia University President Seth Low.
What is the history of Robert Moses State Park? ›
Established as Fire Island State Park in 1908, the park is the oldest state park on Long Island. Its current name was given to honor Robert Moses, the influential mid-20th century urban planner and former president of the Long Island State Park Commission.
Who built NYC parks? ›
Vaux and Olmsted worked together on the eventual design for the park, now known as the Greensward Plan, beginning the partnership that generated the designs for Central Park and Morningside Park in Manhattan, and Prospect Park and Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, among others.
What projects did Robert Moses build? ›
He was principally responsible for the construction of major public projects in the state and city of New York including the Triborough Bridge, Queens Midtown Tunnel, Bronx Whitestone Bridge, the Henry Hudson Bridge, the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, the Throg's Neck Bridge, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the Westside ...
What did Robert Moses do to Central Park? ›
Central Park experienced a revival in 1934, when Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia appointed Robert Moses NYC Parks Commissioner. Moses received federal funding to develop massive planning projects citywide, including 19 playgrounds, ballfields, handball courts, and Wollman Rink in Central Park.
When was the first playground built? ›
The first playground was built in 1859, and over the past century and a half, the playground has undergone a good deal of revision and refinement. The first playground was built in Manchester, England, but the idea of playgrounds was first developed in Germany.
Who owns the park in NYC? ›
Central Park is owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation but has been managed by the Central Park Conservancy since 1998, under a contract with the municipal government in a public–private partnership.
How many NYC Parks are there? ›
New York's 1,942 parks are home to more than 1,000 playgrounds, 800 athletic fields, 550 tennis courts, 60 public pools, and 30 recreation centers, as well as many other active and passive assets.
What is Robert Moses most known for? ›
Moses built his reputation as the man who "gets things done" with three projects on Long Island; Jones Beach State Park, and the Northern State, Southern State, and Wantaugh Parkways. In addition he had several other state parks built throughout Long Island, and the parkways to get people to them.
How much was Robert Moses worth when he died? ›
Robert Moses, who controlled and spent millions of dollars on public construction projects in New York State, left less than $50,000 in assets when he died on July 29, according to his will.
During his tenure as chief of the state park system, the state's inventory of parks grew to nearly 2,600,000 acres (1,100,000 ha). By the time he left office, he had built 658 playgrounds in New York City alone, plus 416 miles (669 km) of parkways and 13 bridges.
What is the oldest park in New York City? ›
Bowling Green Park became more of an "official" park — perhaps the first city park — when it was established by the Common Council on March 12, 1733 (2008 marks its 355th anniversary).
What is the biggest park in New York City? ›
More than three times the size of Manhattan's Central Park, Pelham Bay Park is the City's largest park property. Visitors to the park enjoy miles of bridle paths and hiking trails, Orchard Beach, the Bartow-Pell Mansion, two golf courses, and a breathtaking 13-mile saltwater shoreline that hugs Long Island Sound.
Which park in New York was built on the old railway? ›
The High Line is an elevated freight rail line transformed into a public park on Manhattan's West Side. It is owned by the City of New York, and maintained and operated by Friends of the High Line.
Who built Central Park New York? ›
Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, Central Park influenced the development of urban parks nationwide and is widely regarded a masterpiece of landscape architecture. Central Park is a National Historic Landmark (1963) and a Scenic Landscape of the City of New York (1974).
Who built Riis park? ›
Jacob Riis Park was designed by Robert Moses, who in 1929 had created Jones Beach as a state park further east on Long Island. The Atlantic Ocean beach, boardwalks, courtyards, and walkways gave the city's poor a respite from cramped tenements and crowded city streets.
When was Columbus Park NYC built? ›
The park opened in the summer of 1897, with bench-lined curved walkways and an expansive, open grassy area.
