Overview

In this book, Jane Jacobs, building on the work of her debut, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, investigates the delicate way cities balance the interplay between the domestic production of goods and the ever-changing tide of imports. Using case studies of developing cities in the ancient, pre-agricultural world, and contemporary cities on the decline, like the financially irresponsible New York City of the mid-sixties, Jacobs identifies the main drivers of urban prosperity and growth, often via counterintuitive and revelatory lessons.

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An astonishing book. It blows cobwebs from the mind, and challenges assumptions one hadn't even realized one had made. -- New York Times The book is...timely, and if it will irritate some of the experts it will also help bring some neglected issues and theories into public focus. This...has always been Mrs. Jacobs' most notable talent and her most constructive contribution. -- New York Times Book Review This book is radiant with ideas about what makes cities rich or poor, how cities grow, and how city growth affects national economies. -- The New Yorker

Author Information

Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) was a writer and activist who championed new approaches to urban planning for more than forty years. Her 1961 treatise The Death and Life of Great American Cities became perhaps the most influential American text about the inner workings and failings of cities, inspiring generations of urban planners and activists. Her efforts to stop the building of downtown expressways and protect local neighborhoods invigorated community-based urban activism and helped end Parks Commissioner Robert Moses' reign of power in New York City. Rachel Fulginiti is an audiobook narrator and a voice-over artist who has worked with companies such as Chrysler, Target, McDonalds, and eHarmony. She is a graduate of the Meisner Program at the School for Film and Television in New York City.

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