Robert Moses Master Builder – Political Master of New York

Mark Nunan will discuss the career of Robert Moses, the master builder who played a larger role in shaping the physical environment of New York City and State than any other figure in the 20th century. A pragmatic builder of public structures for five decades, Moses has been praised as a genius, a creative visionary, and “the most influential seminal thinker” in 20th-century urban renewal. However, the Moses vision of New York, less one of neighborhoods and brownstones than one of soaring towers, open parks, highways and beaches, eventually was called into question by critics. His political mastery also became highly controversial as he was considered too powerful for an unelected official. A national debate about twentieth-century metropolises emanated from the tenure of Robert Moses.

An international executive, Mark joined COS. Inc. in 1982 and retired from their New York office as a Senior-Vice President in 2018. COS is a private firm that provides business and economic development services to corporations and governments across a wide range of activities from public infrastructure and engineering to aerospace, defense and environmental services. He has worked on engagements with some of the largest US, European and Asian companies and governmental agencies, such as The French Minister of Commerce, The City of New York Economic Development Corporation and the Mayors of Metz and Marseille.