Jane Jacobs: Urbanist Hero or Patron Saint of Gentrification?

Summary

This video explores the complicated legacy of Jane Jacobs, the influential urbanist and activist who fought against destructive urban renewal projects and championed mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods. While she successfully fought against projects like the Spadina Expressway in Toronto, some of her activism veered into NIMBYism, opposing certain types of development in her own neighborhood. Jacobs' ideas on local control and community engagement shaped Toronto’s planning culture, but her legacy is also marked by rising housing prices and opposition to densification. The video discusses how her views influenced city development, both positively and negatively.

Takeaways

• 😀 Jane Jacobs was a highly influential urbanist who lived in Toronto from 1971 until her death in 2006.
• 😀 Jacobs fought against destructive urban renewal projects, advocating for mixed-use and walkable neighborhoods.
• 😀 Her concept of 'eyes on the street' remains a vital urban planning principle today.
• 😀 While her activism was influential, some of it could be considered NIMBYism, as seen in her opposition to a boys' school expansion near her home.
• 😀 Jacobs' advocacy for local control and resistance to urban change played a role in shaping Toronto’s planning culture in the 1970s.
• 😀 The defeat of the Spadina Expressway in Toronto, partly due to Jacobs' activism, helped save neighborhoods from urban decay seen in many American cities.
• 😀 Jacobs promoted density and urban living at a time when suburbs were seen as the future, opposing large-scale urban renewal projects like StuyTown in Manhattan.
• 😀 The rise of NIMBYism in Toronto and other cities in the 1970s, inspired by Jacobs, led to higher house prices and a slowdown in apartment construction.
• 😀 While Jacobs' ideas helped protect neighborhoods, they also contributed to gentrification, with the Annex neighborhood in Toronto shrinking and becoming more exclusive.
• 😀 Jacobs' legacy is mixed; her support for local control and community engagement has led to a resistance against new development, further pushing up housing costs and promoting sprawl.

Q & A

What was Jane Jacobs' contribution to urban planning in Toronto?

Jane Jacobs played a crucial role in opposing destructive urban renewal projects, like the Spadina Expressway, and advocated for mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods. Her ideas promoted community involvement in city planning and emphasized the importance of preserving urban vitality through organic, dense development.

What was the Spadina Expressway, and why did Jane Jacobs oppose it?

The Spadina Expressway was a proposed highway intended to connect suburban areas to downtown Toronto, potentially leading to urban sprawl and a decline in the city’s livability. Jacobs opposed it because she believed it would harm downtown by increasing pollution, congestion, and making the area less accessible and enjoyable for residents.

How did Jane Jacobs' activism impact Toronto's urban development policies?

Jacobs' activism led to a paradigm shift in Toronto’s planning policies during the 1970s. Her opposition to large-scale urban renewal projects and highways helped foster a more community-focused approach to urban planning, emphasizing local control, engagement, and heritage preservation.

What are some of the criticisms of Jane Jacobs' legacy?

One major criticism is that Jacobs' advocacy for local control and community vetoes of new development contributed to rising housing costs and gentrification in urban neighborhoods. Her stance against high-rise developments and densification led to a shortage of affordable housing in some areas.

How did Jane Jacobs' views contribute to gentrification in neighborhoods like the Annex?

Jacobs' focus on protecting established neighborhoods from new developments led to a lack of new housing options in places like the Annex, resulting in stagnant population growth, higher property values, and the transformation of affordable rooming houses into expensive family homes.

What role did the Spadina Expressway debate play in shaping Toronto’s political culture?

The Spadina Expressway debate was a pivotal moment that shaped Toronto’s political culture, fostering a shift towards local control, community involvement, and more emphasis on preserving existing neighborhoods rather than allowing unchecked development and urban sprawl.

How did Jane Jacobs' stance on density and urban living contrast with the prevailing views of her time?

At a time when suburban living was seen as the future, Jacobs championed urban density and mixed-use neighborhoods. While most planners and the public were focused on creating suburban-style spaces, Jacobs advocated for vibrant, dense city centers where people could live, work, and socialize in close proximity.

What did Jane Jacobs mean by 'eyes on the street,' and how does this concept influence urban planning today?

'Eyes on the street' refers to the idea that active, diverse street life enhances safety and community interaction. Jacobs argued that having people on the streets, whether through businesses, residences, or other activities, naturally creates a sense of security and engagement. This concept continues to inform urban planning, particularly in promoting walkable and lively streets.

How did the community resistance to high-rise developments in Toronto relate to Jacobs' principles?

The resistance to high-rise developments in neighborhoods like the Annex was rooted in Jacobs' principle of protecting the local character of communities. Residents pushed back against projects they felt would alter the neighborhood's identity, often citing concerns about maintaining the human-scale, vibrant streets that Jacobs advocated for.

What did Jane Jacobs think about the relationship between supply and demand in housing?

Jacobs believed that high housing costs in desirable neighborhoods, like the Annex, were the result of limited supply. She argued that creating more housing in such areas would alleviate the pressure and make neighborhoods more accessible. However, her resistance to new development in these areas inadvertently contributed to rising prices and gentrification.