Chapter 11&12 Summary

In these two chapters Jane Jacobs talks about for concentrations in cities and some common myths about diversity in largely populated areas. According to Jacobs dense concentrations are absolutely necessary for modern cities to flourish. However, just because an area lacks density does not mean that is not a successful city or neighborhood. She says that some of the most vital neighborhoods have very high concentrations of people, while some of the less desirable places to live were full of one and two-family homes that had a very low number of people per residential acre. This seems to be the opposite of what people would assume the affects of concentrations to be. Jacobs also talks about common myths in city planning, one of them being the fact that city planners don’t want places and buildings in a neighborhood to have mixed uses. She believes that when you have a neighborhood of only one type of use you promote monotony, which then causes a lack of diversity.

Interview Questions

1. What is your name?
2. How have you lived in the area?
3. What was the neighborhood like when you moved in?
4. How has it changed?
5. What are some new businesses in the area?
6. Have you seen a change in the economic status of the people in the neighborhood?
7. Are there a lot of children in this neighborhood?
8. Do you think this is a suitable neighborhood for raising a family?
9. What nationalities live in the area?
10. What type of people does this neighborhood attract?

Chapter 9 Summary

In this chapter Jane Jacobs discusses the importance of having small blocks in cities. She says that when you have smaller blocks there are a variety of routes that you can take to your destination, therefore giving you more opportunities to interact with people in your neighborhood. Jacobs gives the example of a person living on one street in Manhattan and they always walk down their street to the main avenue never using the adjacent streets. Jacobs argues that if they put a street midway between the avenues then people would be more inclined to vary their route and intermingle with people from the other streets. A somewhat good example of this, according to Jacobs, is Rockefeller Center. The Plaza bisects 48th to 51st street between 5th and 6th avenue all the people that would use these streets to interact. Jacobs believes that when planning a city there should be frequent streets and short blocks to promote cross use among the people that frequent the neighborhood.

PreWar Building

This is a picture of a World War II Memorial at the beginning of Jamaica Estates. It is a gatehouse built from river stones that marks the entrance to the Midland Malls. The memorial was restored last year by rebuilding the roof and cleaning of the stones and the plaque. The plaque was dedicated, by the Jamaica Estates Association, to ten men from Jamaica Estates who lost their lives in World War Two. The restoration of the revered edifice was funded by a Restoration Project to beautify the Midland Malls. The Restoration began on June 7 of last year and included the seven midland malls from Hillside Avenue to Surrey Place. The main goal of the restoration according to Commissioner Adrian Benepe is to “provide refuge from urban life and increase property value.” Where the structure is located looks very out of place because it is right where Hillside meets Midland Parkway. Hillside is one of the least appealing areas part of Jamaica Estates and it is usually not considered part of the neighborhood because it is one of the outermost borders. This area is where the subway is and it is most likely one of the least expensive places to live in the neighborhood. The memorial is surrounded by grassy areas with shrubs and bushes. This is to reflect the appearance of the neighborhood that it signifies you are entering. Jamaica Estates is known for being a neighborhood that preserves as much greenery as possible.

Chapter 7&8 Summary

In these two chapters Jane Jacobs argues the value of diversity in big cities. She argues that the larger a city is the more diversity that is present. According to Jacobs whenever there is a city or area that has an abundance of variety in its commerce, you will find that that area also has diversity in other areas, such as cultural and religious diversity. Jacobs believes that everything in cities has uses and the people that inhabit and visit the area are called its users. There are places that have primary and secondary uses and both play vital roles in the City and the way it runs. Places that have primary uses are those that draw people to the place on their own such as offices and people’s homes. Places that have secondary are those that serve the people that are drawn by the primary use places such as delis and drug stores.

SIdewalks of Jamaica Estates

There are many different types of people who use the sidewalks of Jamaica Estates; students going to school, mothers and fathers going to work, women going to work in homes as nannies or maids. Around the sidewalks surrounding my house is a school, a temple and many houses. My neighborhood is not like many New York City neighborhoods that have lots of drugstores, restaurants, stores and delis. Mine is very residential and therefore the for the most part the only people that frequent these sidewalks are the inhabitants of the houses that line them. Usually on the weekdays you see people walking to and from the bus stops on the of the sidewalks. There is a man in between the bus stop and the school with a food truck that sells breakfast foods and coffee to students and commuters. In the mornings the school buses block most of the sidewalks on the way to the bus stops so you have to squeeze through in between the buses and peoples fences or walls. On Saturdays, because there are so many Jewish temples in the area, you see lots of people walking there in the mornings with their kids. Sunday is the day to relax and that is exactly what people around these sidewalks do. People are out walking their dogs, running to get exercise, and some kids might be in the basketball courts at the schools. The people who use this sidewalk are all different ages and from different cultures and just like in Jane Jacob’s book they crave privacy in their lives therefore they tend to keep to themselves when they are walking around.

Chapter 3 Summary

In this chapter Jane Jacobs talks about the different ways sidewalks affect peoples’ lives. She argues that in the city people are in theory brought together but there is really no togetherness because people don’t socialize with the anonymous people on their sidewalk. People probably do this because in the cities privacy is such a precious commodity and people in large cities feel that if they talk to somebody on the street in the morning, then whatever they say will be around the whole neighborhood in the evening. People choose to socialize with the people they trust such as the guy at the candy store or the deli across the street. Another argument Jacobs has about the lack of “togetherness” on the sidewalks and the neighborhoods is because the cities and suburbs that are being planned only suit one demographic of people and the other people that don’t fit the mold this plan for people socializing with their neighbors in pre-planned places just doesn’t work.