The Death and Life of Great American Cities

New York City is touted as many things: It is the current financial capital of the world; it offers the unparalleled opportunities to those who migrate here; it is at the forefront of innovation—and yet it is still possible for people to remain more or less invisible while living here. I look to further investigate the paradox of how it is possible for a city to undeniably be two completely opposite things, at the same time. In the three works I chose, I found that each displayed both the greatness

The Death and Life of Great American Cities----The conditions for city diversity Jane Jacobs An illustrated report Background The death and life of great American cities was published in 1961. It was like an earthquake when it first appeared in the field of urban planning. At that time, the main stream of planning circle in America critiqued the book that it brought nothing but troubles to the field of urban planning. However, as time went by, the contents of the book have been increasingly accepted

successful neighborhood. Through Jane Jacobs’ book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, she details precise features that make a city successful. Among these, safe sidewalks, lively parks, and diversity of uses and users are the most important, and will be the focus of study. This paper will compare and contrast the changes taking place in the Budlong Woods community with those that are successful or unsuccessful in other city neighborhoods. Through these comparisons it will be determined

In Jane Jacobs’ “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” she pays special attention to sidewalks and sidewalk safety. As the title says, she spent her time writing about urban cities filled with strangers. Jacobs, knowing that there are more strangers than acquaintances in the vast cities, specified three qualities that must be present in a safe space. First, there must be distinct boundary between public and private space. Second, there must be “eyes on the street.” Finally, the sidewalk

The Death and Life of Great American Cities The Conditions for City Diversity analysis Part two of Death and Life explains several conditions for city diversity based on the observations of different American cities and discusses in depth the four factors that Jacobs believe are critical for the development of a city. The basis for generating diversity lies in these conditions, and cannot be secludedly achieved by planning and designing. This part lays out the foundation and is the basis for

areas of transportation in any city, determines many characteristics of a city such as whether people feel safe or not walking alone at night. If the streets aren’t safe, if there is a murder late at night, people will avoid walking in that area, causing the streets to become even more unsafe. One important lesson my parents have always impressed on me is that when I am walking at night in the city, always stick with the crowded streets in the main vein of the city, never the alleyways or the shortcuts

The silence is deafening. Other than the occasional screech of a cat fighting with a raccoon, there is no sign of human life. The nighttime is no time for neighborhood adventures, there is no one to save you from the dangers that lurk around every corner. Here, there are never any witnesses to avenge the victims of horrific crimes. A couple of weeks ago there was string of arson attacks; I watched the flames rise from the house across the way. I observed all the residents on the block as they stood

In Jane Jacobs’s acclaimed The Life and Death of Great American Cities, she intricately articulates urban blight and the ills of metropolitan society by addressing several binaries throughout the course of the text. One of the more culturally significant binaries that Jacobs relies on in her narrative is the effectively paradoxical relationship between diversity and homogeneity in urban environments at the time. In particular, beginning in Chapter 12 throughout Chapter 13, Jacobs is concerned greatly

The Life That We’ll Never Live In our lives today, we take advantage of all the luxuries that are presented daily. Freedom alone is one of the greatest luxuries we possess as an American nation. In Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs and Utopia by Thomas Moore, we are presented two life styles, which some might consider very similar in various ways. Both authors focus on a peaceful living lifestyle, to better the people of the nation. Although some of their specific details

Recently I read a book titled The Death and Life of Great American Cities written by Jane Jacobs (1961), which basically criticizes the urban planning processes generally employed in the planning, renovation and rebuilding of cities. Though it was published in 1961, the book is still considered a relevant piece of work and offers great insight to the various and sometimes ignored or unseen facets of the way a city organizes itself despite the city planning process. The book is considered many professionals