The Death and Life of Great American Cities

by Jane Jacobs

First published 1961

Jane Jacobs, an urban writer in 1960s New York, challenges the powers that be – architects, city planners, and politicians – who are systematically destroying the vibrant diversity of American cities. She paints a vivid picture of lively street life as a "kind of ballet", arguing that it's this very chaos and spontaneity that gives cities their soul. Jacobs prescribes a radical new approach to urban design, one that empowers local communities and champions organic growth over top-down master plans. Her tour de force is a blueprint for humanistic city management – a vital manifesto that still resonates today.

Genres: 20th-century, non-fiction, urban, architecture, cities, academic

Vibes: thought-provoking

Tropes: social-commentary

Setting: United States

Period: 1960s

598 pages · Hardcover · Modern Library

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• Dark Age Ahead
• Edge of Empire
• Systems of Survival
• Cities and the Wealth of Nations
• The Nature of Economies

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