Happy 100th Birthday, Jane Jacobs

Today would have been Jane Jacobs's 100th birthday. Here are a few recommended reads to help commemorate the occasion.

2 minute read

May 4, 2016, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Jane Jacobs

Phil Stanziola / Wikimedia Commons

As the author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities and a tireless advocate for the urban experience, Jane Jacobs is one of the most commonly cited luminaries of planning and urbanism.

Websites around the country have been commemorating what would have been Jacobs's 100th birthday today, May 4, 2016. Here's a brief roundup of recommended reads.

Charles Marohn kicks off Jane Jacobs week at Strong Towns by offering his take on the points made by Jacobs in The Death and Life of Great American Cities and elsewhere, which he believes might have been lost by a long history of revisionism and misunderstanding:

I read her as an intellectual radical, someone akin to Charles Darwin or even a Leonardo da Vinci, a person who was far more worried about the thought process used to approach complex problems than any specific outcome. I found in her writing a true scientific mind, always observing, testing and learning from the world around her. The slogans subsequently adopted by the planning profession on mixed use, density and walkability are mere byproducts of this radical core, an oversimplification, if you will.

Nate Storring writes an op-ed for Next City calling for compatriots to celebrate the occasion by participating in a Jane's Walk. According to Storring, Jane's Walk embodies what Jacobs called "self-organization":

Jane’s Walk embodies Jacobs’ organic, democratic ideals by providing an open-ended platform. Anyone can lead a walk about nearly anything. For this year’s festival in Toronto, walk leaders have already submitted tours about skateboarding, secret staircases, ghost stories, community organizing, queer history, preservation, urban birding and labyrinths.

Edward Gunts writes a similarly-motivated article for The Architect's Newspaper, offering a list of ideas for commemorating the big birthday. Gunts provides a list of events, another list of exhibitions, and finally a list of new literary works as potential sources of inspiration and commemoration on the centennial.

Brad Wheeler, of The Globe and Mail, interviewed Jim Jacobs, son of Jane Jacobs, on the occasion of Jane at Home, an exhibition of photographs and personal items. Jim Jacobs relates the very cool anecdote of a song written by Jane Jacobs and Bob Dylan, called "Listen, Robert Moses."  

UPDATE: Josh Stephens also wrote a long editorial about the ongoing significance of Jacobs's life and career for The Architect's Newspaper.

Monday, May 2, 2016 in Strong Towns

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

15 minutes ago - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

1 hour ago - Streetsblog USA

Aerial view of flooding during Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

‘Quality Work, Fast’: NC Gears up for Homebuilding After Helene, Trying to Avoid Past Pitfalls

The state will field bids to demolish, repair and rebuild homes in the mountains. After struggles in eastern NC, officials aim to chart a different course.

2 hours ago - NC Newsline

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.