The Modernity of Work and Place: Jane Jacobs and the Design of the 21st Century City

In November 2016, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond was honored to host a symposium on the work of Jane Jacobs, in partnership with the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, the city of Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Schools of Law and Architecture as well as the Department of Architectural History and the Community Design Research Center at the University of Virginia.

This volume contains a collection of prepared remarks, previously published work and papers presented at the symposium. The works have been organized into three sections representing central themes. Section I, entitled “City Complexity,” explores the areas of regenerating urban economic life as well as urban ecology and the resilience of the modern city. The authors show the continued relevance of Jacobs’s “eyes on the street” mantra. Concepts of equity and exclusion are also highlighted.

“City Structure” is the title of Section II. Featuring works by urban planners, architects and lawyers, this section highlights urban policy and urban resurgence from the 17th century in New Haven, Connecticut, to 2041 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Knowledge, scope and scale are key elements of consideration.

The third section, “City and New Work,” brings the reader back to Jacobs’s perspectives on work and place with a reframing for the 21st century global city. Authors discuss local economies and their limits as well as the role of networks and the rise of credentialization. The volume also contains brief synopses of events related to the symposium, including the “Jane Jacobs on the Street” exhibit and the “Citizen Jane: Battle for the City” screening.