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.
Jason Epstein is the recipient of many awards, including the
National Book Award for Distinguished Service to American Letters,
the Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Book Critics Circle,
and the Curtis Benjamin Award given by the American Association of
Publishers for enriching the world of books. For many years he was
editorial director of Random House. He is the author of Book
Business: Publishing Past, Present, and Future and Eating.
“Refreshing, provocative, stimulating and exciting . . . It fairly
crackles with bright honesty and common sense.”—The New York
Times
“One of the most remarkable books ever written about the city . . .
a primary work. The research apparatus is not pretentious—it is the
eye and the heart—but it has given us a magnificent study of what
gives life and spirit to the city.”—William H. Whyte, author of
City: Rediscovering the Center
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