Q: Your book implies that authenticity is what cities should strive for, yet it also seems a somewhat elusive concept. For instance, is a Starbucks in a renovated building authentic? Aren’t cities always evolving in authentic ways ”” it’s just that some find certain forms of authenticity more marketable or desirable than others?
A: ‘Absolutely, and this is the tragic part of authenticity. It’s a very uncertain idea, and authenticity can mean different things to different people. ”¦ What I’m arguing for is that we think about authenticity in terms of social diversity, ethnic diversity, and cultural diversity. It may be in a neighborhood that has been in a sorry state, Starbucks is a sign of renewal but in another neighborhood, Starbucks might be a sign of cursed homogenization.’
Q: What would you hope mayors and City Council members take away from the book? What encourages you about what you’ve seen from municipal government?
A: ‘What’s positive is any kind of law that encourages residents to hold onto their homes, that encourages new people to set up small businesses in places where they already have been trying to put down roots. I want local officials to take away the idea that we have to protect the cities that we have with the people that we have and the buildings that we have for the most part rather than to run after the goal of constant growth and constant tearing down and rebuilding.’
Read it all.
Lessons to learn from Jane Jacobs' 1961 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities.' for Today
Q: Your book implies that authenticity is what cities should strive for, yet it also seems a somewhat elusive concept. For instance, is a Starbucks in a renovated building authentic? Aren’t cities always evolving in authentic ways ”” it’s just that some find certain forms of authenticity more marketable or desirable than others?
A: ‘Absolutely, and this is the tragic part of authenticity. It’s a very uncertain idea, and authenticity can mean different things to different people. ”¦ What I’m arguing for is that we think about authenticity in terms of social diversity, ethnic diversity, and cultural diversity. It may be in a neighborhood that has been in a sorry state, Starbucks is a sign of renewal but in another neighborhood, Starbucks might be a sign of cursed homogenization.’
Q: What would you hope mayors and City Council members take away from the book? What encourages you about what you’ve seen from municipal government?
A: ‘What’s positive is any kind of law that encourages residents to hold onto their homes, that encourages new people to set up small businesses in places where they already have been trying to put down roots. I want local officials to take away the idea that we have to protect the cities that we have with the people that we have and the buildings that we have for the most part rather than to run after the goal of constant growth and constant tearing down and rebuilding.’
Read it all.