Hi Sophia,

The last piece of your response to Miriam’s blog really got me thinking. You wrote:

“In the end, how can any of these people claim to be building “with Jacobs in mind” when she advocated community above all else?

I totally agree with your statement that building “with Jacobs in mind” is completely in conflict the planning of Amanda Burden. The four principles of a successful city – mixed primary uses, short blocks, mixed age buildings, and population density – don’t seem to be a part of Burden’s planning much at all. Perhaps her micro-managing of projects and keen attention to detail is her interpretation of Jacbos’ principle of having diversity with buildings.

I believe you are correct in your statements that Jacob valued communities above all else. In her ideal city, I believe that the major influence to the neighborhood would be the people and businesses shaping it.

This is another section of your post that I really agreed with:

“These building methods where bureaucrats influence what kinds of development can happen through zoning and funding completely disregards any existing culture and familiarity built by the community itself.”

As we saw in the rezoning documentary, the rezoning of Harlem under Burden is a perfect example of how existing culture is erased for corporate gain. The community really did shape the area and most of the businesses reflected the people that lived in the area – something very rare in this day and age. Given her support for this redevelopment, I don’t think that she can honestly say that she is building with Jacobs in mind. If anything, she has Jacobs in her mind and is consciously choosing to ignore her. She certainly does have Moses in mind though, as she take on very grande scheme projects such as the high line designed for the “greater good” (in this case – bringing profit to the surrounding area and NYC in general).

Overall, I really agree with you that the planning within the city has become about mostly about businesses and how to make the most profit, even over maintaining cultural communities. While the city certainly gains something from this (more income and a more favorable environment to private corporations), the city and residents lose a lot as well. If planners continually pimp out the city to bring in wealth, then it will ultimately lose a lot of the charm and cultural diversity it’s known for.