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Jane Jacobs

Jane Jacobs Quotes

Journalist

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Famous Jane Jacobs Quotes

“Reformers have long observed city people loitering on busy corners, hanging around in candy stores and bars and drinking soda popon stoops, and have passed a judgment, the gist of which is: "This is deplorable! If these people had decent homes and a more private or bosky outdoor place, they wouldn't be on the street!" That judgment represents a profound misunderstanding of cities. It makes no more sense than to drop in at a testimonial banquet in a hotel and conclude that if these people had wives who could cook, they would give their parties at home.”

PeopleIfsGivingLongHomePartyCitiesWifeStreetsJudgmentDrinkingProfoundBusyCornersStoresBarsCooksDecentHotelCandyMisunderstandingCity LifeReformersStoopsSodaBanquetsHanging AroundStreet LifeGistTestimonialCandy Stores
Book:The Death and Life of Great American Cities
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“Neighborhood is a word that has come to sound like a Valentine. As a sentimental concept, 'neighborhood' is harmful to city planning. It leads to attempts at warping city life into imitations of town or suburban life. Sentimentality plays with sweet intentions in place of good sense.”

PlaySoundCitiesSweetConceptsTownsIntentionPlanningNeighborhoodImitationSentimentalValentineGood SenseSentimentalityCity LifeCity Planning
Book:The Death and Life of Great American Cities
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“The first fundamental of successful city life: People must take a modicum of responsibility for each other even if they have no ties to each other. This is a lesson no one learns by being told. It is learned from the experience of having other people without ties of kinship or close friendship or formal responsibility to you take a modicum of responsibility for you.”

PeopleIfsFirstsCitiesResponsibilitySuccessfulLessonsFundamentalsTiesFormalClose FriendsCity LifeKinshipClose Friendship
Book:The Death and Life of Great American Cities
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“But look what we have built low-income projects that become worse centers of delinquency, vandalism and general social hopelessness than the slums they were supposed to replace. Cultural centers that are unable to support a good bookstore. Civic centers that are avoided by everyone but bums. Promenades that go from no place to nowhere and have no promenaders. Expressways that eviscerate great cities. This is not the rebuilding of cities. This is the sacking of cities.”

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Author:Jane Jacobs
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