“Save the Square!”: The Fight for Washington Square Park

The battle between city planner Robert Moses and urban preservation activist Jane Jacobs is well-documented. But it was Shirley Hayes, Greenwich Village resident and mother of four, who began the fight, waging a seven-year campaign to prevent Moses from creating a four-lane thoroughfare directly through Washington Square Park. As we walk through the history of Hayes’ efforts to “Save the Square,” we will visit The Village Voice headquarters, residences of neighbors and fellow advocates Eleanor Roosevelt and Edward Hopper, and the park grounds where folksingers Joan Baez and Bob Dylan performed in the wake of Hayes’ victory. This walk will reflect on the power of individuals to advocate for change within communities.