May She Rest in Peace

On April 25th, Jane Jacobs passed away. An author on many subjects ranging from urban planning to economics, Mrs. Jacobs always had a special meaning to me. She wrote the famous book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities in 1961, and I read it about a year ago while I was in England. I was very intrigued by her ideas that she put forth about what makes a successful city, and after reading this book I had a longing to live in New York City, something that I am going to be doing in the very near future. She argued that neighborhoods make successful cities, not skyscrapers, and used her neighborhood in
Greenwich Village as a prime example. She was a woman who never completed college, yet could still speak so articulately and eloquently about very important issues. Her ideas will be missed.