BLUE
Profile banner
BL
Blair Lorenzo / The Fox and the City
@foxandcity.bsky.social
The world-famous urban theorist who…wait, this has to be honest‽ Independent Professional Urbanist and Writer, creating in-depth critiques of urban spaces, places, and systems. ExDir, Effective Transit Alliance. She/her
338 followers141 following671 posts
BLfoxandcity.bsky.social

Yeah, basically owned the neighborhood before anyone noticed. I'm probably still on the side that the expansion was a good idea, but I get why people viewed it that way.

0
BLfoxandcity.bsky.social

Alstom needs to open a manufacturing plant in Allston. Imaging the builders plates! "Built by Alstom in Allston"

1
BLfoxandcity.bsky.social

Ways to know your brain is broken: while reading about Harvard's proposed expansion into Boston in the early 2000s, I kept reading "Allston" as "Alstom."

2
BLfoxandcity.bsky.social

Very true, especially when he was getting money for tiny New Haven. Good book.

0
BLfoxandcity.bsky.social

There was also just the matter of getting first in line. NYC finished its expressway buildout before most cities. (Although there is an argument to be made here about the role of highway protests).

1
BLfoxandcity.bsky.social

I agree, but then again, Title 1 and public housing was never that much of Moses's bag. More about roads and parks. To be fair, a lot of that genius mattered more pre-war, when he was knitting together New Deal packages rather than the federal fire hose that was to come.

1
BLfoxandcity.bsky.social

Gotcha, makes perfect sense!

0
BLfoxandcity.bsky.social

It's a bad situation that needs a more through, forward-looking response, IMHO.

0
BLfoxandcity.bsky.social

I don't disagree at all, but the systemic issues are also far older. Going back before the pre-1666 Great Fire of London, the urge to rebuild as quickly as possible has been the norm in disaster recovery. The problem is that planning / fortification takes time, unless plans are already done.

1
Profile banner
BL
Blair Lorenzo / The Fox and the City
@foxandcity.bsky.social
The world-famous urban theorist who…wait, this has to be honest‽ Independent Professional Urbanist and Writer, creating in-depth critiques of urban spaces, places, and systems. ExDir, Effective Transit Alliance. She/her
338 followers141 following671 posts