The Death and Life of Great American Cities

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It's a hit!

As far as I can see, urban planning, at least in my city, consists of enacting and enforcing strict zoning regulations, keeping different city func... (show more)

As far as I can see, urban planning, at least in my city, consists of enacting and enforcing strict zoning regulations, keeping different city functions carefully separated from each other and forcing people to travel long distances to perform daily tasks, and figuring out ways to help cars go faster (a dead-end goal if ever there was one). The actual task of creating the built environment is delegated to developers, who operate using identikit plans and long-outdated templates for suburban sprawl even when building in the middle of older city districts. Occasional lip service is paid to tackling sprawl and building smarter, but zoning and cars win the day every single time. I think anyone who wants to work in city planning or architecture should have to take a test showing that they have read and understood this book. The need has only gotten more urgent since this book was written, and I can't believe city officials, at least in my area of the world, are still blindly following the same stupid path they were on almost half a century ago when Jane Jacobs so brilliantly pointed out its futility. I was astonished at how relevant and readable this book is. An epilogue describing what's happened to the neighbourhoods she uses as examples would be interesting; it may exist, but I was reading an old library copy of the book. Get your hands on this book and read it. It will change the way you look at where you live. (show less)

 

 

by Leslie Robertson

No, it's a flop!

Reading this book became a chore. It was overly detailed and hard to follow, making the reading experience painful and not remotely entertaining. T... (show more)

Reading this book became a chore. It was overly detailed and hard to follow, making the reading experience painful and not remotely entertaining. That being said, I’m sure it was much more relevant and held some value forty years ago.
What annoys me is that I feel I was swindled into purchasing this book because of its good reputation, and status as a classic. I guess I can only blame clever marketing. (show less)

 

 

by William Dunn

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  Wow. Jacobs' book is as stunning in it's accurate portrayal of what will (did) happen when our cities were decimated by a specific vision of what cities "oughta" be as by its clarity and candidness. Page after page I thought to myself, "do those who are planning our cities in 2009 understand Jacobs' principles, and, if so, why don't I see much of it when I explore them?"

  I was especially appreciative of Jacobs' understanding that sustainable and healthy city plannin... (show more)

  Wow. Jacobs' book is as stunning in it's accurate portrayal of what will (did) happen when our cities were decimated by a specific vision of what cities "oughta" be as by its clarity and candidness. Page after page I thought to myself, "do those who are planning our cities in 2009 understand Jacobs' principles, and, if so, why don't I see much of it when I explore them?"

  I was especially appreciative of Jacobs' understanding that sustainable and healthy city planning must always be done with the people who inhabit the city and in tandem with the particular organic realities of *this* time and *this place* in a city, rather than use theoretical and mechanical "principles" to make decisions.

  Finally, her wit, honesty, and bold writing were completely refreshing. She was willing to name names and point fingers. Oh, for someone to rise above the politics and corporate tug-of-war today to have some honesty in our cities today!

  I would love to be in dialogue with others who appreciated Jane Jacobs' seminal work.
  Allen (show less)

   

  by Facebook-användare on Jul 20, 2009 at 11:11AM

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  BEST BOOK EVER! Okay, that might be a little hyperbolic, but I LOVED this. I thought I knew what she was going to say, and I 100% did not expect the level of insight she demonstrates. This is a great book for anyone who cares about cities or neighborhoods or streets. I found myself pulling up maps of cities I love and verifying her rules. I would compare this to Guns, Germs, and Steel in the way it gives you a mode of thinking about the world that is highly intuitive once you think about... (show more)

  BEST BOOK EVER! Okay, that might be a little hyperbolic, but I LOVED this. I thought I knew what she was going to say, and I 100% did not expect the level of insight she demonstrates. This is a great book for anyone who cares about cities or neighborhoods or streets. I found myself pulling up maps of cities I love and verifying her rules. I would compare this to Guns, Germs, and Steel in the way it gives you a mode of thinking about the world that is highly intuitive once you think about it but also challenges many of our unexamined assumptions about how stuff works. (show less)

   

   

  by Jim Talbott on Aug 13, 2009 at 05:37PM

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