The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1961, Jane Jacobs, a writer with no planning credentials, took on the urban planners who were tearing down neighborhoods for highways and housing projects. She argued that cities work because of their messy, mixed street life: short blocks, old buildings, shops below apartments and eyes on the street. Her descriptions of the sidewalk "ballet" of her Greenwich Village street became famous.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best nonfiction books and has been called the most influential book ever written about city planning. It changed how cities are built.
You'll love it if you liked
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water or The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
Good to know
It's long, but its chapters work on their own. Pair it with The Power Broker for the other side of the fight.
Quick answers
Is The Death and Life of Great American Cities worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the 100 best nonfiction books and has been called the most influential book ever written about city planning. It ranks #483 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Death and Life of Great American Cities about?
In 1961, Jane Jacobs, a writer with no planning credentials, took on the urban planners who were tearing down neighborhoods for highways and housing projects. She argued that cities work because of their messy, mixed street life: short blocks, old buildings, shops below apartments and eyes on the street. Her descriptions of the sidewalk "ballet" of her Greenwich Village street became famous.
How long does it take to read The Death and Life of Great American Cities?
About 11 hours (458 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Death and Life of Great American Cities?
If you liked it, try The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro, Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner or The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson.
By the numbers
- Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller22 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On the TIME All-TIME 100 Nonfiction list.
Where it ranks
- #85 of the 198 history books we rank
- #157 of the 763 classics we rank
- #483 of the 2,819 books we rank
On the lists
- TIME All-TIME 100 Nonfiction
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
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