Who was Jane Jacobs and what was her vision of the ideal city?
Jane Jacobs was a famous activist in the NYC area. She was known
for opposing the "urban renewal" program and stressed that the
focus for urban improvement should remain on the streets. Building
new houses, facilities and infrastructure is not the answer for
solving all the woos of urban areas. Jacobs's ideal city would be
one that supported and maintained communal interaction on the
streets in neighborhoods. Busy streets filled with little
businesses and well known locals and residents would keep out the
"bad" influences an promote healthy interaction and relationships.
In addition, the residents and business owners would be eyes for
the street and keep a look out for unwanted dangers in order to
preserve the safety and wellbeing of their streets. This is
basically her ideals in a nutshell, but she has written many
articles that you could probably find online. Hope this helps!