The Death and Life of Great American Cities

superannuity! a big city is not a collection of smaller towns, but its own entire organism.

A book by Jane Jacobs, first published in 1961. whose ideas remain pertinent and critical of the entire society which has been created by the organization and planning of american cities. I will discuss only american cities which i have experienced.

"But look what we have built with the first several billions: Low-income projects that become worse center for delinquency, vandalism and general hopelessness than the slums they were supposed to replace. Middle-income housing projects which are truly marvels of dullness and regimentation [cf. agrestic], sealed against any buoyancy or vitality of city life. Luxury housing projects that mitigate their inanity, or try to, with a vapid vulgarity. Cultural centers that are unable to support a good bookstore. Civic centers avoided by everyone but bums [unfortunately too true of Louisville's library], who have fewer choices of loitering places than others [since when is loitering negative, streets should be condusive to hanging around]. Commercial centers that are lackluster imitations of standardized suburban chain store shopping [she said this in 1961, and they still put a panera bread and starbucks in every similar development]. Promenades that go nowhere and have no promenaders [the classic empty waterfront situation, sealed from downtown behind the expressway]. Expressways that eviscerate great cities. This is not the rebuilding of cities. this is the sacking of cities."