Description

Compassionate, sharply observant, and rich in detail, this groundbreaking work offers a crucial framework for evaluating the health of cities.

“The most refreshing, provocative, stimulating, and exciting study of this [great problem] which I have seen. It fairly crackles with bright honesty and common sense.” —The New York Times

A direct yet hopeful critique of the shortsightedness and intellectual arrogance that has shaped much of modern urban planning, *The Death and Life of Great American Cities* has been the definitive text in the field since its publication in 1961.

With striking clarity, Jane Jacobs explores what makes streets safe or dangerous, the true nature of neighborhoods and their role within the broader city, and why some communities thrive while others remain in poverty. She examines the importance of funeral parlors, tenement windows, diverse development, and the pitfalls of excessive investment in large-scale projects.