The Death and Life of Great American Cities: The Historical Development of Urban Planning and Keys to Continue the Vitality of Big Cities

From New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, these big American cities have experienced a century of significant changes, recovering from the Great Depression and other economic crises time and time again. Many people thus believe that big cities will spontaneously flourish for eternity. However, it is important not to forget what happened to Detroit. Detroit once was the fourth largest city in America. In 2013, the city became the biggest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy protection. So, what are the factors that determine the prosperity and decline of big cities? The Death and Life of Great American Cities will give you the answer. 

The author of this book Jane Jacobs never studied urban planning in school and didn’t even receive a college degree. However, after she carefully observed the operation and rules of big cities, she concluded that vibrant cities have the following features: mixed primary uses of districts, short and uninterrupted streets, new buildings mixed with old buildings, and a high-density population. In her views, good cities automatically produce a complex “ballet”, which shows the vitality of big cities. 

Nevertheless, these views were contrary to the popular city planning theories at that time. According to traditional urban planning and renewal theories, big cities are considered enlarged small towns. Big cities are divided by function during planning and then combined. Such practices actually undermine the functions of a city as a whole. This book denounced such theories and provided new ideas and principles for the construction of big cities.