For Jane Jacobs the city is a function of the people living in it. Without the people the city would not be the vibrant place that we love; there wouldn’t be corner activity, there would be no sidewalk cafes, and there would be no pretty window boxes full of flowers.
The small corner parks would have no one to love them and there would be no shop keepers cleaning the sidewalk. The city would become dull, lifeless and boring. For Jane Jacobs the key to a city is its people, and the paths they take, the interactions they have and the ownership they take in their street.
For planners the best way to truly get to know and understand how a city works is by getting immersed in it, feeling the vibe of the streets, and being involved in the daily discourse. I could think of nothing better to do with my career!
But great cities, I think, have a few more elements then just the people; there is a variety of building and building types, there are interesting destinations along a journey, there are focal points, loud places and quiet places. There are surprises around corners, spaces just for you to discover. Cities, with their mix of people, places and spaces are magical places for people to come alive and create truly wonderful things; they inspire us and help us to grow.
There is a great need for social as well as built environmental pleasures in any city though i believe Jane Jacobs was more utopian and perhaps somewhat naive in her approach to planning. I love my city and though it could do with a bit more of Jane's utopian delights the city is what you make of it...
ReplyDelete"For planners the best way to truly get to know and understand how a city works is by getting immersed in it, feeling the vibe of the streets, and being involved in the daily discourse. I could think of nothing better to do with my career!" -- you understand Jane Jacobs well.
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