RIP Jane Jacobs, Pioneering Urban Thinker

Jane Jacobs, 91, author of groundbreaking urban planning text The Death and Life of Great American Cities (among other books), passed away today. Thirty-five years after its original publication, her seminal work is still relevant to urban affairs today. At the very least, hopefully this sad event will stir up some critical reflections on the current state of American cities. I strongly recommend The Death and Life of Great American Cities to anyone interested in urban planning issues. It can be a tough read (there are whole chapters devoted to the many roles of sidewalks), but it's well worth it.