In this classic text, Jane Jacobs set out to produce an attack on current
city planning and rebuilding and to introduce new principles by which these
should be governed. The result is one of the most stimulating books on
cities ever written. Throughout the post-war period, planners
temperamentally unsympathetic to cities have been let loose on our urban
environment. Inspired by the ideals of the Garden City or Le Corbusier's
Radiant City, they have dreamt up ambitious projects based on self-
contained neighbourhoods, super-blocks, rigid 'scientific' plans and
endless acres of grass. Yet they seldom stop to look at what actually works
on the ground. The real vitality of cities, argues Jacobs, lies in their
diversity, architectural variety, teeming street life and human scale. It
is only when we appreciate such fundamental realities that we can hope to
create cities that are safe, interesting and economically viable, as well
as places that people want to live in. 'Perhaps the most influential single
work in the history of town planning... Jacobs has a powerful sense of
narrative, a lively wit, a talent for surprise and the ability to touch the
emotions as well as the mind' New York Times Book Review