To this day, “master builder” and city planner, Robert Moses, is regarded as one of the most influential and controversial figures in the history of New York City’s urban growth and decay. Accused of favoring “car culture,” he placed an importance on building highways, which left our rail infrastructure largely neglected.

But before Moses, there were plans for a regional rail network to unify New Jersey, New York City, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley.

Now, in a “Post-Moses New York,” we can reexamine how we invest in public transit infrastructure in order to build a system that can efficiently move people from one place to another. ReThink Studio is inviting you to join in on the conversation with “PLAN 2050: Penn Station & A Post-Moses New York,” a May 9th conference, co-sponsored by Untapped Cities, the University Transportation Research Center and The Architects Newspaper.

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The event will focus on the history of our region’s transportation infrastructure development, various proposals to unify the regional network, and Plan 2050, the vision for the future. The evening will following with a panel of thought leaders discussing the feasibility of the plan, the opportunities it unlocks and what it means for the city we live (and commute) in.

Reserve your tickets here. The presentation begins at 6:30pm at The Great Hall at The Cooper Union (7 E 7th St.) with wine and hors d’oeuvres to follow.

Next, check out The NYC That Never Was: 7 Robert Moses Projects That Were Never-Built and 5 Things in NYC We Can Blame on Robert Moses.