Hoboken then and now

                It isn’t hard to walk around Hoboken and pick out flaws in design.  The extremely limited parking, massive potholes, and the combined sewer system that dumps raw sewage in the Hudson after a sizable rainstorm all are major issues that Hoboken residents deal with daily.  Despite the issue, it isn’t hard to figure out that standards of construction were different when Hoboken was first built and they have changed drastically since then.  A lot has changed since Colonel John Stevens bought the parcel of land we know as Hoboken, and in 2004 the Hoboken Master Plan was adopted in an attempt to bring the city into the 21^st century while preserving its history.

                The attitude of construction in the mid-19^th century was much different than it would be today.  Due to the industrial revolution, population skyrocketed in Hoboken.  The many jobs available in the area caused Hoboken to reach its max population of 70000 in 1922.  There was more emphasis on the economic status of the industrial area rather than the conditions of living at the time.  With a large portion of residents not having hot water or a private bathroom, living conditions were rather rough at the time.  As the time passed, so did the time of economic growth with many of the factories shutting down and much of the shoreline being taken up by containerization, population started to dwindle along with Hoboken’s reputation.  Finally in 1957 a master plan was developed to redevelop the community essentially creating the Hoboken that we know today. 

                The master plan enacted in 1957 accounted for a minimum of one hundred years to rehabilitate the area and clean up the streets of Hoboken many problems still remained.  Hoboken in the early 21^st century became a commuter town in which many young adults starting a career dominated.  Hoboken still has many problems that needed to be addressed and in 2004 the second master plan was adopted in order to celebrate the historic past of Hoboken while contemporizing and solving many of the town’s issues.  Standards have grown drastically in the past hundred years, giving pressure to modernize the historic town, while at the same time keeping the historic feel of Hoboken.  The master plan focuses on prominent issues that we face today while keeping the aesthetics already provided by the diverse past that took place in Hoboken.  There is now an initiative to make Hoboken a family town with goals to repair the infrastructure and reduce the use of cars by increasing pathways that encourage travel by foot around town.  This coupled with an initiative for more open park areas and green infrastructure to reduce sewage being dumped in the Hudson.

                The Hoboken master plan accounts not only for the near future, but plans for a change in the entire community in the next 150 years.  The innovation used to uphold standards held in place today, with pieces of irreplaceable infrastructure is truly a magnificent display of engineering.  In the not so distant future Hoboken will undergo a massive change for the better, and it will benefit the community as a whole.