Jane Jacobs 1916-2006
Jane Jacobs died a couple of days ago in Toronto, age 89. Jacobs is probably most known for her book ” The Death and Life of Great American Cities“. The book was published in 1961 and was deeply critical of the dominant urban planning and development at the time. Jacobs turned the attention on the the vibrant street life in the old inner city neighbourhoods in a period where most of the urban planning tried to demolish these enviroments and replace them with large housing project. In Scandinavia her thinking has influenced Marianne Gullestad in her early 70s study of Nøstet i Bergen (Livet i en gammel bydel : livsmiljø og bykultur pÃ¥ Verftet og en del av Nøstet).
In recent years the ideas and views expressed by Jacobs has influenced among others Ray Oldenburg’s book The Great Good Place.
This blogs category “The uses of sidewalks” is originally a chapter title in The Life And Death of Great American Cities.