Read, in Jacobs, Death and Life of American Cities
Chapter 11: The Need for Concentration, pp. 261 - 289
Chapter 12: Some Myths about Diversity, pp. 290 - 312
Chapter 13: The Self-Destruction of Diversity, pp. 315 - 335
Concerning The need Concentration
Many Americans don't like to live to close to each other. Back at the beginning of the semester I asked persons in the class how many people on their block (or street could they name? Most could name very few in this age of cars and school busses. Jacobs sees concentration as a need rather than just an option. Here, she uses a comparative approach, as she has before. As far as concerned, she compares Roxbury with the North End this time. Claiming that Roxbury, which was in decline and is still one of Boston's Poorest Neighborhoods, has only 1/9th the density of the North End. Tourists may visit it to see the Old North Church, of Paul Revere fame. Take a walk around and if you find anything particularly interesting, copy the URL and put it in your resource folder. Nothing stays the same. Do you think it is as dense as it was when Jacobs first wrote this book?
Concerning Some Myths about Diversity
Note the various Myths Jacobs tries to demolish, such as "The belief that diversity looks ugly" She suggest the lack of diverse buildings is what creates ugliness--it is dull and uninteresting. What other myths does she attack. Do you find yourself in agreement or disagreement with her? Find examples of some of these "myths" and add them to your resource folder. Note she makes a distinction between "fake" and "real" diversity, calling the former "googie architecture". She is not particularly fond of Fifth Avenue in New York City. The Billboards she mentions are still there (the ads are different, most likely). Stroll up to fifty-ninth St. and see if you agree with her complaints. Come prepared to discuss them. Compare it with a short street clock about which she writes a page or two later. It is Eleventh Street, quite a bit south. In which neighborhood would you like to live? Look for both kinds of neighborhoods in your city and link to what you find which illustrates Jacobs' "myths".
In seeking visual Order,
cities are about to choose among three broad alternatives,
two of which are hopeless and one of which is hopeful.
They can aim for areas which look homogeneous and get results
which are depressing and disorienting.
They can aim for areas of homogeneity which try hot to look homogenous,
and get results of vulgarity and dishonesty.
Or they can aim for areas of great diversity and,
because real differences are freely expressed,
can get results which, at worst,
are merely interesting,
and at best can be delightful
Concerning The Self Destruction of Diversity
Jacobs writes "Whichever form the self-destruction takes, this, in broad stroke this is what happens:" after which she goes on to mention a number of different causes. Sometimes it is success which causes the failure. What are some of the other causes of "Self Destruction?" Below is Eighth Street in Greenwich Village as it looks today. Has the diversity "Self-Destructed?" Find some diverse areas in your city and post links to them. Do you think they will succeed or might they self destruct as Jacobs suggests?
Read, in Jacobs, Death and Life of American Cities
Chapter 14: The Curse of Border Vacuums, pp. 336 - 352
Chapter 15: Slumming and Unslumming, pp. 353 - 379
Chapter 16: Gradual Money and Cataclysmic Money, pp. 380 - 414
Chapter 18: Erosion of Cities or Attrition of Automobiles, pp. 440 - 484
Concerning The Curse of Border Vacuums
How do we know where one neighborhood begins and another neighborhood ends? There aren't fences or gates, except in instance where the wealthy want to keep everyone else out of their paradise. (You can see a couple of these on route 114 between Bristol and Warren. These, however, a complexes built at one time by one development company--frequently on land formerly owned by one person. Around here, these were frequently farms. (Roger Williams was built on purchased farmland). Typically border vacuums are caused by human behavior, perhaps railroad tracks as Jacobs mentions--or highway enlargement or construction--routes 91 and 195 in Rhode Island would be two examples.
In my home town, Minneapolis Minnesota, there examples of both kinds. Hiawatha Avenue has railroad tracks running parallel to it. take a stroll down it to see what you can see on both sides. Watch out for cars! The image to the right Links to the City-Data page for Minneapolis. See if you can see some border vacuums in your city. If you can, put a link to image in your resource folder.
Concerning Slumming and Unslumming
Our best sources for images of this phenomenon will probably be Shorpy and Google. As we've discussed many times, cities are very dynamic places. Old becomes new, becomes old, becomes new. If your city is among those in Shorpy, see what you can find there. You might also look for your city on the data charts in the index on the left. What does Jacobs think causes the slumming/unslumming phenomenon? Can you find evidence in your city? The images below were found via Google. See if you can find something relevant to this chapter and add it to your resource folder. Both were taken from the same source. Click to read the interesting article. Alas, the author/architect died in 2012.
Concerning Gradual Money and Cataclysmic Money
Think about the titles of chapters which we've already read. I bet you can determine which Jacobs prefers before reading one word of this chapter. Do read it though and see if you can find examples of both in your city of choice. Has the change in Bristol been the result of "gradual" or "cataclysmic" money, or a bit of both? What do you think?
Concerning Erosion of Cities or Attrition of Automobiles.
I'm quite sure you know which alternative is Jacobs' favorite. She sees the erosion of cities as a consequence of the rise of the number of automobiles, and people moving to suburbs. Even in a city as small as Bristol, it is difficult to find a parking place downtown if one goes at the wrong time of day. Using Google Earth, see if you can find a place or places in your city where automobiles have done harm, remembering that there are different ways this can happen. I have many big city friends who don't own a car: garage rental is just too expensive. When they go out of town they rent a car. One friend says he can afford a yearly trip to Europe simply by not owning a car. You might find out how much renting a garage costs in your city on City-Data. Give it a try.
Concerning Erosion of Cities or Attrition of Automobiles.
Can you see at least two ways in which the "automobile age" has done some harm to this city in the image above? Click on the image to see it in Google Earth. Then prowl around in StreetView. Use the same technique in your city.
While the ecconomy "grows" so does the number living in poverty. The image above is from an Atlantic Monthly Story. Click here to read it. Click the image to look at a poor neighborhood in Baltimore.
