I always reference the Power Broker when it comes to urban planning, but in particular I'd like to reference the language Caro uses to describe how Moses built

I always reference the Power Broker when it comes to urban planning, but in particular I'd like to reference the language Caro uses to describe how Moses built his creations: driving, ramming, pushing. Getting something built in New York is a process of force, of sheer will, of political domineering. It's a nice sentiment to view building as a collective effort where we all come together in a democratic process and build something that we all love. But that's just not true. It's a process by which some will lose and many will win. It's a process that, for better or worse, will have long term effects that are only understood years after the fact. It's also a process that is not suited to an electoral system with candidates who leave office after a few years. You need someone who will sustain the effort for decades, who will not buck or bend, even to public will, and who can offer the institutional knowledge that the article mentions. This does provoke a rather tricky question: Is too much democracy bad for public works? Because someone like Moses was ultimately a dictator. And granted, Moses caused horrific damage to many neighborhoods, carved racism into the city's structure, and irreparably shifted the city in favor of cars. But he also got stuff done and it's debatable that a more democratic system would have accomplished even half of what he did.