Category Archives: Uncategorized

We always think of America as the great melting pot. The place where cultures from all over the world become one. But is this actually true? Have we really all melted into one inseparable amalgamation of a nation? It definitely … Continue reading →

The writing by Walzer truly got me thinking… What makes us American? Is it the football we watch, the guns we (don’t) own, the apple pie most of us enjoy? Walzer quotes Philip Gleason who claims, “A person did not … Continue reading →

  I think Natasha is right in saying that we cannot judge a city as “good” or “bad” based on mere economic value. Each city is distinct in its own subculture, its own unique flavors, so to compare New York … Continue reading →

I have to disagree with Jackie’s last point about how people might have been simply following public opinion when it came to the Five Points without ever giving it a chance. While there may be some redeeming qualities to the … Continue reading →

After reading The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs, Five Points by Tyler Adbinder, and The City in History by Lewis Mumford, I’ve come to understand that the creation, growth, and potential destruction of a city is attributed to … Continue reading →

I agree with Jackie when she states that our city has changed drastically within the past twenty years. Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities was published about two decades ago, which may be why I disagree with … Continue reading →

I posit the repulsive, debased zoo of Five Points, along with the deplorable, barely inhabitable tenement housing situations (which characterized many urban dwellings in the United States) were healthy and a requirement for urban development.  Galvanized by a mass influx of poorer … Continue reading →

Jane Jacobs starts up her essay very strongly, stating that it is an attack, which I thought was an interesting way to attract readers.  She does bring up a valid point later saying, we wish for more money to fix … Continue reading →

Like many people who have commented, I definitely found Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities thought-provoking. Although most, if not all, of her points were debatable (as Jackie and others have already demonstrated in their posts), I … Continue reading →

The three readings shed much light on urban planning. I never knew the addition of highways and department stores had such an effect on the way we live today to the type of demographics in different areas. It even explained … Continue reading →