Quality 4. High density of residents
| GOOD | BAD |
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Chaotic and dirty? Maybe. But Chinatown's high density of residents contributes to its constant life and activity.
Photo: Deniz Ozuyugur | This Stuy Town courtyard would look pleasant to most, but Jacobs said high rises that nestle within open spaces use land poorly and breed crime.
Photo: Deniz Ozuyugur |
The last of Jacobs's principles is also the one that probably retains the greatest amount of its shock value today. She thought successful neighborhoods should be packed with people. If a district didn't have enough buildings to house these masses, Jacobs said it should build more, or build higher. She said ground coverage should increase. She was very cynical about the value of open spaces.
Even today, these ideas seem a little weird. After all, if you ask people what they don't like about their current 'hood, "It's too crowded" is likely to be a common reply. Why would Jacobs want to promote such high concentrations? Her answer—in oversimplified form—is that large numbers of people are what make cities cities. Without these hordes, urban areas could not have the variety of attractions they do or serve as many diverse niches. To achieve this diversity within a neighborhood, it must also hold large numbers of people. This includes visitors, whom Jacobs welcomed as an essential element in the neighborhood mix. The more the merrier in Jane's world.
