What Jane Jacobs Taught Me About Cities, People, and Possibility

1. Who Jane Jacobs Was

Jane Jacobs was a journalist in New York, not a trained planner. She watched her city closely. She walked streets, visited parks, and talked to people. She saw how neighborhoods really worked .

2. Her Big Idea: Cities Are Like Living Things

Jacobs thought cities work like natural systems. They need many parts that fit together—homes, shops, old buildings, young businesses, sidewalks full of people. This mix makes a city alive .

3. Mixed Use, Small Blocks, Old and New

She noticed that busy streets come from having many uses in one place: shops, homes, offices. Short blocks let people walk and explore. Old buildings offer cheap space for new ideas. New buildings offer different kinds of homes. The mix keeps things fresh .

4. Eyes on the Street Keep It Safe

She said safe streets come from people being there. Store owners, neighbors, passersby keep watch. This is better than big police forces. People naturally feel safer where others are present all day .

5. She Fought a Big Highway Plan

In the 1960s, Robert Moses planned a big highway through Lower Manhattan. The road would have destroyed Greenwich Village and Washington Square Park . Jacobs led local residents. She wrote, spoke in hearings, organized meetings—even got arrested. She helped stop the highway .

6. What Her Work Did to Manhattan

Because of her efforts:

• Greenwich Village and East Village kept their small scale and charm;

• Washington Square Park stayed a lively gathering spot;

• People saw that local voices can change big plans .

Her ideas also turned into modern planning: short blocks, mixed buildings, community input.

7. Why She Inspires Me

She showed that one person can change a city if they pay attention and speak up. She taught me:

• To watch people and streets before making plans.

• That old and new must work together.

• That local ideas matter more than big plans from afar.

• To trust that cities are for people—not just cars or towers.

8. Lessons Everyone Should Learn

• Walk your city. Notice what works and what is missing.

• Support small businesses and mixed neighborhoods.

• Protect local voices when big changes are planned.

• Use simple features—short blocks, mixed use, eyes on the street, reuse old buildings—to make cities better.

9. Her Lasting Gift to the World

Jane Jacobs changed urban planning forever. She taught us to value life in the streets, joy in old corners, and power in local voice. Her work shows that a city is made of people first—and that when people care, cities thrive.