Being human is itself difficult, and therefore all kinds of settlements (except dream cities) have problems. Big cities have difficulties in abundance, because they have people in abundance.
Jane JacobsRead
[Cities] are not like suburbs, only denser. They differ from towns and suburbs in basic ways, and one of these is that cities are, by definition, full of strangers.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Cities are uniquely vibrant spaces filled with a diverse group of people, differing fundamentally from smaller towns and suburbs.
In this quote, Jane Jacobs emphasizes that cities possess a unique character that is shaped by their density and the presence of many unfamiliar faces. Unlike suburbs or towns, where social connections may be more personal and familiar, cities thrive on the interactions between strangers, fostering a dynamic environment where different ideas and cultures can intersect, leading to innovation and growth.
Themes
CitiesStrangersUrbanDiversityCommunity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about urban planning, one could invoke this quote to highlight the importance of fostering community interactions in cities.
More from Jane Jacobs
All quotes βIt may be that we have become so feckless as a people that we no longer care how things do work, but only what kind of quick, easy outer impression they give. If so, there is little hope for our cities or probably for much else in our society. But I do not think this is so.
Jane JacobsRead
Streets and their sidewalks-the main public places of a city-are its most vital organs.
Jane JacobsRead
(The psuedoscience of planning seems almost neurotic in its determination to imitate empiric failure and ignore empiric success.)
Jane JacobsRead
Whenever and wherever societies have flourished and prospered rather than stagnated and decayed, creative and workable cities have been at the core of the phenomenon. Decaying cities, declining economies, and mounting social troubles travel together. The combination is not coincidental.
Jane JacobsRead
This is what a city is, bits and pieces that supplement each other and support each other.
Jane JacobsRead
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