Image: Jane Jacobs influential and alternate planning theorist whose work contributes to New Urbanism.
Image obtained from:http://escoladeredes.ning.com/profiles/blogs/jane-jacobs
New Urbanism isn't so new anymore but still has a number of interesting, idealistic and tangible ideas that are highly relevant to today society and urban planning field. New Urbanism promotes concepts of city neighbourhood street walk ability and diverse mixed use development for both business and housing. There are number of benefits to new Walkable neighbourhoods will have amenities such as school and shopping facilities close by and in doing so reduces car dependence. Mixed use zoning and development results in multi-purpose places that help form social diverse spaces as a a result of the varying persons utilising them. This can result in close nit neighbourhoods where streets are for people not simply car passageways, people can walk to work, schools, shops and other daily amenities and city centres provide a sense of centre and civic space.
Jane Jacobs was a greatly vocal critique of the then prevalent planning modus operandi through her book 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities' (1961). She sold her own brand of urban planning that favoured chaotic ans organic cities that was at odd was at odds with ordered nature of conventional planning. Jane wrote in simple and engaging form on issues that affected the masses, which perhaps contributed to her books success.
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