Robert Moses: Staten Island — The Bridge and the Landfill

About This Tour

See how a single bridge transformed Staten Island from quiet borough to suburban boomtown, forever altering its character and setting in motion decades of rapid, often unplanned growth. This tour explores the bridge, the expressway, the landfill, and the parks that define Moses's last great project, tracing how each piece of infrastructure reflected his broader philosophy of reshaping the city through massive public works. The bridge itself opened the once-isolated borough to a flood of new residents and development pressure that followed, fundamentally altering land use patterns and straining local resources in ways that planners had not fully anticipated. The expressway extended this transformation, prioritizing automobile access and suburban expansion over the preservation of the borough's rural and small-town character. Meanwhile, the landfill, one of the largest in the world at the time, became a defining feature of the local landscape, raising questions about environmental stewardship and the unintended consequences of urban infrastructure that Moses's era of planning often overlooked. The parks woven throughout this narrative offer a counterpoint, reflecting genuine efforts to provide green space and recreation amid rapid change. Walking this route reveals the tensions inherent in Moses's vision: a desire to modernize and connect the city balanced against the ecological and social costs borne by a borough ill-prepared for such rapid transformation. This tour invites reflection on how infrastructure built for one era's ambitions continues to shape Staten Island's identity, environment, and growth patterns today. Much of what we understand about Robert Moses today comes from the work of Robert Caro, whose landmark 1974 biography The Power Broker drew on years of archival research and hundreds of interviews to expose how a never-elected official amassed extraordinary power over New York's parks, roads, and bridges. Caro's Pulitzer-winning account remains the definitive study of Moses's legacy, and his framing of Moses as a figure who prioritized automobile mobility over community life shapes how these tours read the infrastructure around you. A note before you begin: Robert Moses tours don't necessarily offer beautiful views. His work could be quite utilitarian at times — concrete overpasses, retaining walls, and highway embankments rather than picturesque vistas. But this bold infrastructure profoundly affects how the people living here navigate their daily lives and reinforces patterns of economic segregation that persist to this day. It explains why some parts of New York City are wonderfully walkable, while others feel cut off and car-dependent. As you walk, you'll also get to see how modern-day green space initiatives are softening the impact of Moses's more controversial work, reclaiming spaces beneath and beside his highways for community use, planting gardens, and building waterfront access where once there was only asphalt and chain-link fence.

Tour Highlights

Tour Route & Stops