Jane Jacobs would be horrified to see her name and ideas used as a justification for New York’s City of Yes proposal. She was often amused that both liberals and conservatives, even libertarians, claimed her. She was none of those. But she was furious when her ideas were misinterpreted to support or encourage cataclysmic development.
“A green light for cataclysmic development” is how Jane would characterize City of Yes, not the city of gradual change that she observed to be what strengthens cities. If approved, buildings will be constructed on tight lots, out of scale, and high in income. Design contortions will be invented to take advantage of the as-yet-unidentified empty spaces. Buildings will be razed and truly affordable units lost.
Sound familiar? The proposals for NYC will sound eerily familiar to Torontonians. Read on…
Jane Jacobs Would Reject NYC’s Proposed “City of Yes” – Common Edge, July 22, 2024