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THE_GREAT_CITY

                                           June  26, 2006


In Jane Jacobs great work:
"The Death and Life of Great American Cities"

The central thesis (as I've said):
                                               JANE_JACOBS
    Cities are healthiest where
    a shared region is used by
    a diverse range of people       Her own summary of her conclusions, 
    at different times for          as supplied in a footnote in a      
    different purposes.             later work, "The Economy of Cities"
                                    (chapter 3, page 100, Vintage paperback):

  She makes the point that                     ... enterprises serving    
  there was something crazy                    city consumers flourish    
  about the obsession with                     most prolifically where the
  razing functional if funky                   following four conditions  
  neighborhoods to replace them                are met:                   
  with massive government                                                 
  housing projects that just                   1) different primary uses, 
  don't work.                                  such as residences and     
                                               working places, must be    
                                               mingled together, insuring 
  In retrospect, there's                       the presence of people     
  an oddity about her                          using the streets on       
  presentation:                                different schedules but    
                                               drawing on consumer goods  
  Where's the                                  and services in common;    
  conspiracy                                                              
  theories?                                    2) small and short blocks; 
                                                                          
  Isn't it possible that                       3) buildings of differing  
  the great push for                           ages, types, sizes and     
  government "housing                          conditions of upkeep,      
  projects" was not just                       intimiately mingeled;      
  crazy or stupid, but                                                    
  actively evil?                               and                        
                                                                          
  Someone made a lot of money                  4) high concentrarions     
  building lousy concrete                      of people.                 
  bunkhouses... not to mention 
  the killing in the           
  demolition business.         

  Isn't it possible that Le
  Corbusier was not just the
  inspiration of a wave of           POWER_BROKE
  mass insanity, but a cloak
  for the same old
  profiteering?

      There are people out
      there who will exploit
      the dominant ideology
      whatever is...

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