Jacobs, Jane

orig. Jane Butzner

(born May 4, 1916, Scranton, Pa., U.S.—died April 25, 2006, Toronto, Ont., Can.) U.S.-born Canadian urbanologist. She became active in urban community work while living in New York City with her architect husband. For 10 years she was an editor at Architectural Forum. Her highly influential The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) is a brash, passionate, and highly original reinterpretation of the multiple needs of modern urban places. The Economy of Cities (1969) discusses the importance of diversity to a city's prospects. Later works include Cities and the Wealth of Nations (1984), Edge of Empire (1996), and Dark Age Ahead (2004). See also urban planning.

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