CITIES HAVE the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody,” wrote Jane Jacobs in her iconic book Death and Life of Great American Cities. Some 60 years later, the book and her ideas are still cherished, especially by architecture students and urban planners across the globe, though Jacobs had no formal training as a planner. Here in New Delhi the resistance offered by urban planners and architects to the Central government’s Central Vista Redevelopment seem to have roots in Jane Jacobs’ activism against mega-development projects that were changing the urbanscape of New York City in the 1960s.
As seen in the flurry of works on influential thinkers of the 20th century, writers today seem to be taking a keener interest in the person than their ideas. This can be called a modern way of legend-making. Author Glenna Lang’s latest book, Jane Jacobs’s First City: Learning from Scranton, Pennsylvania, is a similar offering.
It tries to explore, dissect and present Jacobs’ early life (initial 18 years, to be precise) in the small industrial town of Scranton, which is also the hometown of the current US President Joe Biden. It actively tries to ascribe Jacobs’ views on urban planning and economy— first articulated by her in The Death and Life of Great American Cities 25 years after she had moved out of Scranton, and which continued to evolve till her death in 2004—to her childhood.
Denne historien er fra July 16, 2021-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra July 16, 2021-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
