"We're not going back to corsets, we're not going back to building ships, " said Mitchell Moss, a New York University urban-planning professor who has been a Bloomberg campaign consultant.

WSJ: New Project Brings Anchor To Navy Yard

"These are vital projects, and they'll reinforce the infrastructure of the city, " says Mitchell Moss, director of the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management at New York University.

NPR: New York Expanding Nation's Biggest Transit Hub

"It's filled with gritty buildings, has a rough texture and all of the amenities, which make it attractive for night life, " said Mitchell Moss, a New York University urban planning professor.

WSJ: Complaints Over Hell's Kitchen Bars