Eyes on the Street: The Life of Jane Jacobs

Few biographies have captured my attention, my involvement or my admiration the way that Eyes on the Street did. Jane Jacobs, the subject of this biography, is introduced and made clear in this almost intimate work. Jane Jacobs was a phenomenal activist who toppled the sometimes misguided philosophies of urban renewal that dominated prior to 1960. The reader gets more than just a life story when reading this book as it contains lessons about not only urban renewal and the US social cultures of the late 20th century, but also about how one person can be impactful in a global way. I loved this book!

The depth of the research by Mr. Kanigel is astonishing. I learned things about cousin Jane Jacobs that I never knew. I had spoken with her about her time in Higgins, NC where her Aunt Martha (my great Aunt) served in a Presbyterian mission to a rural community but I learned that Eleanor Roosevelt visited and that there exists a film made by the Presbyterian Board of Missions. These gems are worth the price of the book for me. I haven't finished reading the book and look forward to reading Mr. Kanigel's version of Jane's preparation for putting Aunt Hannah's memoirs into the form of a very readable book, A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska. .Jane describes her process herself in her introduction to the book I look forward to seeing how Mr. Kanigel treats it and what new I might learn..

Good book on an important figure. Jane Jacobs' keen perception and sharp writing highlighted the folly of the conventional wisdoms of 20th century city planning -- segregated land use, zoning, showy architecture etc. Much of that destructive 'planning' remains to be dismantled in favor of a more diverse, evolutionary way of developing our cities. Jacobs pioneered a more enlightened approach that respects personal autonomy.

Great read! Hard to put down once I started. We studied Jane Jacobs in architecture school, but I really had no idea until many years later what an influence she really was at the time.

Reading this bio prompted me to purchase her first book - Death & Life of Cities (not sure of the correct title).

It seems like a lot of the material is repeated just to say it a different way and make the book longer.

My daughter our resident bibliophile loved it!

well written. emphasizes that merely Death and Life does not give a full picture of Jane's work.

El libro llegó por Prime en pésimo estado. El. Sobre estaba bien pero al abrirlo venía MUY maltratado y sucio. Solicité la devolución.

Fun read - Jane Jacobs didn't just write books and speak up - she had a rich social and family life.

Clear, well written and a balanced assessment of a remarkable thinker. The objectivity and detail were greatly appreciated, the style flowed.

Jane Jacobs's writing is a joy - one of the outstanding writers about Cities of our generation.