How Jane Jacobs Challenged 'Olympian' Planners

28 April 2006 - 11:00am

Jane Jacobs had no college degree in architecture or urban planning. How did she defiantly challenge influential figures such as urban-renewal "czar" Robert Moses?

woman who wore comfortable shoes while dishing out uncomfortable truths, who kept her ear to the ground while trying to topple giants...Jacobs' clear, unpretentious style and her effort to begin with stories and evidence and then move toward unifying theories inspired writers of all specialties hoping to tackle complex ideas for a broad audience...In the 1960s, though, that accessibility was often mistaken for a lack of sophistication.

Source: The Los Angeles Times, April 28, 2006
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Officials in South Africa understand the potential risks they've brought upon themselves. They've seen abandoned Olympic venues blight Athens. They know that even Beijing has had trouble luring events to its infamous Bird's Nest stadium. But South Africa remains hopeful.