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Jane Jacobs

ジェーン・イザベル・ジェイコブズ

Jane Isabel Jacobs

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1916-05-04 （Scranton, Pennsylvania, US）
Died
2006-04-25 （Toronto, Ontario, Canada） age 89
Nationality
United States, Canada
Languages
English
Religion
Protestant
Residence History
Scranton, Pennsylvania, US → New York City (Greenwich Village), US → Toronto (The Annex), Canada

Career

Occupations
journalist, author, urban theorist, activist
Active Years
1935-2006
Affiliations
Joint Committee to Stop the Lower Manhattan Expressway, Stop Spadina / Save Our City Coordinating Committee, The New School (affiliation)
Influenced
Richard Florida, Robert Lucas Jr., Edward Glaeser, New Urbanism thinkers

Education

Columbia University, School of General Studies
Country: United States
Attended for two years; did not obtain a degree

Awards

Order of Canada (Officer)
1996
Organization: Government of Canada (Order of Canada)
Result: Officer
Vincent Scully Prize
2000
Organization: National Building Museum
Result: 受賞
American Sociological Association Outstanding Lifetime Contribution (Community & Urban Sociology section)
2002
Organization: American Sociological Association
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Death and Life of Great American Cities

1961 urban studies / urban planning

A landmark critique of mid-20th-century urban renewal and large-scale planning, advocating for mixed uses, diversity, and the concept of 'eyes on the street' to preserve and enhance urban life.

mixed useeyes on the street (natural surveillance)community autonomyurban diversity and vitality
Adaptations
  • [documentary film] Citizen Jane: Battle for the City / Matt Tyrnauer (2017)

The Economy of Cities

1969 economics / urban economics

Argues that cities drive economic development through 'import replacement', presenting a city-centered theory of economic growth.

import replacementcity-led economic growth

The Question of Separatism: Quebec and the Struggle over Sovereignty

1980 politics / regional studies

Discusses Quebec separatism from an urban perspective, examining Montreal–Toronto dynamics and arguing for the political significance of cities.

cities and politicsregionalism

Cities and the Wealth of Nations

1984 economics / urban economics

Argues that the city, rather than the nation-state, is the primary unit of economic activity; extends her import-replacement ideas to a broader economic framework.

city-centered economic theoryimport replacement

Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics

1992 ethics / political economy

Presents two moral syndromes—commercial and guardian—and analyzes the effects when they are mixed, in a dialogue format.

moral foundationscommercial vs guardian ethics

The Nature of Economies

2000 economic thought / essay

A dialogue exploring parallels between ecosystems and economies, focusing on development, diversity, and system resilience.

ecosystem–economy analogiesdiversity and growth

Dark Age Ahead

2004 social commentary

Warns of civilizational decline in North America by examining weakening cultural pillars: family, education, scientific freedom, representative government, and professional accountability.

cultural decline warninginstitutions and citizenship

Bibliography

  • Constitutional Chaff; Rejected Suggestions of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 (compiled), 1941
  • The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961)
  • The Economy of Cities (1969)
  • The Question of Separatism (1980)
  • Cities and the Wealth of Nations (1984)
  • Systems of Survival (1992)
  • The Nature of Economies (2000)
  • Dark Age Ahead (2004)
  • Vital Little Plans: The Short Works of Jane Jacobs (2016)

Adaptations

  • Documentary 'Citizen Jane: Battle for the City' (2017)
  • Appearances/references in TV dramas and films (fictionalized portrayals)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
observational descriptionanalytical and polemical argumentationdialogue format in some works
Recurring Motifs
Ballet of the Sidewalkeyes on the street (natural surveillance)mixed use and diversitygrassroots civic activism

Health

  • stroke (apparent)
    2006
    Died in 2006 in Toronto, apparently of a stroke

Legacy

Jane Jacobs decisively influenced urban planning and urban thought. The Death and Life of Great American Cities popularized ideas of citizen-centered design, mixed use, and 'eyes on the street', shaping New Urbanism and urban regeneration practice. Her influence endures in awards, walks, exhibits and urban policy debates worldwide.

Museums

  • Jane at Home (exhibition) Toronto (Urbanspace Gallery, etc.) Opened in 2016

Academic Societies

  • American Sociological Association (Community & Urban Sociology section)

Archives

  • Jane Jacobs Papers at the John J. Burns Library, Boston College

In Popular Culture

  • Documentary 'Citizen Jane: Battle for the City' (2017)
  • Fictionalized portrayal in 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' (TV series)
  • 2016 Google Doodle (100th birthday)

Quotes

  • Expansion and development are two different things. Development is differentiation of what already existed. Expansion is an actual growth in size or volume of activity.
    Source: Interview in Reason magazine (Bill Steigerwald) (2001)
  • What's important is not that she died but that she lived, and that her life's work has greatly influenced the way we think.
    Source: Family statement at the time of Jane Jacobs's death (2006)

Trivia

  • Arrested in 1968 on charges related to inciting a crowd at a public hearing; charge later reduced to disorderly conduct.
  • Moved from the US to Toronto in 1968 and became a Canadian citizen in 1974 (with indications that US citizenship may have been lost at the time).
  • Jane's Walk, named in her honor, is a citizen-led neighborhood walking festival held in hundreds of cities worldwide (by 2016).
  • Google produced a Doodle for her 100th birthday in 2016.