2THE DEATH AND LIFE OF GREAT AMRICAN CITIES.docx

2THE DEATH AND LIFE OF GREAT AMRICAN CITIES.docx

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2THEDEATHANDLIFEOFGREATAMRICANCITIES

（THEDEATHANDLIFEOFGREATAMRICANCITIES）

1Introduction

（1）Thisbookisandattackoncityplanningandrebuilding.Itisalso,andmostly,anattempttointroducenewprinciplesofcityplanningandrebuilding,differentandevenoppositefromthosenowtaughtineverythingfromschoolsofarchitectureandplanningtotheSundaysupplementsandwomen’smagazines.Myattackisnotbasedonquibblesaboutrebuildingmethodsorhairsplittingaboutfashionsindesign.Itisanattack,rather,ontheprinciplesandaimsthathaveshapedmodern,orthodoxcityplanningandrebuilding.（2002.2.8）

（2）Insettingforthdifferentprinciples,Ishallmainlybewritingaboutcommon,ordinarythings:

forinstance,whatkindsofcitystreetsaresafeandwhatkindsarenot;whysomecityparksaremarvelousandothersarevicetrapsanddeathtraps;whysomeslumsstayslumsandotherslumsregeneratethemselvesevenagainstfinancialandofficialopposition;whatmakesdowntownsshifttheircenters;what,ifanything,isacityneighborhood,andwhatjobs,ifany,neighborhoodsingreatcitiesdo.Inshort,Ishallbewritingabouthowcitiesworkinreallife,becausethisistheonlywaytolearnwhatprinciplesofplanningandwhatpracticesinrebuildingcanpromotesocialandeconomicvitalityincities,andwhatpracticesandprinciplewilldeadentheseattributes.（2002.2.8）

（3）Thereisawistfulmyththatifonlywehadenoughmoneytospend—thefigureisusuallyputatahundredbilliondollars—wecouldwipeoutallourslumsintenyears,reversedecayinthegreat,dull,graybeltsthatwereyesterday’sandday-before-yesterday’ssuburbs,anchorthewanderingmiddleclassanditswanderingtaxmoney,andperhapsevensolvethetrafficeproblem.（2002.2.9）

（4）Butlookwhatwehavebuiltwiththefirstseveralbillions:

Low-incomeprojectsthatbecomeworsecentersofdelinquency,vandalismandgeneralsocialhopelessnessthantheslumstheyweresupposedtoreplace.Middle-incomehousingprojectswhicharetrulymarvelsofdullnessandregimentationsealedagainstanybuoyancyorvitalityofcitylife.Luxuryhousingprojectsthatmitigatetheirinanity,ortryto,withavapidvulgarity.Culturalcentersthatareunabletosupportagoodbookstore.Civiccentersthatareavoidedbyeveryonebutbums,whohavefewerchoicesofloiteringplacethanothers.Commercialcentersthatarelacklusterimitationsofstandardizedsuburbanchain-storeshopping.Promenadesthatgofromnoplacetonowhereandhavenopromenaders..Expresswaysthateviscerategreatcities.Thisisnottherebuildingofcities.Thisisthesackingofcities.（2000.2.9）

（5）Underthesurface,theseaccomplishmentsproveevenpoorerthantheirpoorpretenses.Theyseldomaidthecityareasaroundthem,asintheorytheyaresupposedto.Theseamputatedareastypicallydevelopgallopinggangrene.Tohousepeopleinthisplannedfashion,pricetagsarefastenedonthepopulation,andeachsorted-outchunkofprice-taggedpopulacelivesingrowingsuspicionandtensionagainstthesurroundingcity.Whentwoormoresuchhostileislandsarejuxtaposedtheresultiscalled“abalancedneighborhood.”Monopolisticshoppingcentersandmonumentalculturalcenterscloak,underthepublicrelationshoohaw,thesubtractionofcommerce,andofculturetoo,fromtheintimateandcasuallifeofcities.（2002.2.10）

（6）Thatsuchwondersmaybeaccomplished,peoplewhogetmarkedwiththeplanners’hexsignsarepushedabout,expropriated,anduprootedmuchasiftheywerethesubjectsofaconqueringpower.Thousandsofsmallbusinessesaredestroyed,andtheirproprietorsruined,withhardlyagestureatcompensation.Wholecommunitiesaretornapartandsowntothewinds,withareapingofcynicism,resentmentanddespairthatmustbeheardandseentobebelieved.AgroupofclergymeninChicago,appalledatthefruitsofplannedcityrebuildingthere,ask,

（7）CouldjobhavebeenthinkingofChicagowhenhewrote:

（8）Herearementhataltertheirneighbor’slandmark…shoulderthepooraside,conspiretooppressthefriendless.

（9）Reaptheythefieldthatisnoneoftheirs,striptheythevineyardwrongfullyseizedfromitsowner…

（10）Acrygoesupfromthecitystreets,wherewoundedmenliegroaning…

（11）Ifso,hewasalsothinkingofNewYork,Philadelphia,Boston,Washington,St.Louis,SanFranciscoandanumberofotherplaces.Theeconomicrationaleofcurrentcityrebuildingisahoax.Theeconomicsofcityrebuildingdonotrestsoundlyonreasonedinvestmentofpublictaxsubsides,asurbanrenewaltheoryproclaims,butalsoonvast,involuntarysubsideswrungoutofhelplesssitevictims.Andtheincreasedtaxreturnsfromsuchsites,accruingtothecitiesasaresultofthis“investment,”areamirage,apitifulgestureagainsttheeverincreasingsumsofpublicmoneyneededtocombatdisintegrationandinstabilitythatflowfromthecruellyshaken-upcity.Themeanstoplannedcityrebuildingareasdeplorableastheend.（2002.2.12）

（12）Meantime,alltheartandscienceofcityplanningarehelplesstostemdecay—andthespiritlessnessthatprecedesdecay—inevermoremassiveswatchesofcities.Norcanthisdecaybelaid,reassuringly,tolackofopportunitytoapplytheartsofplanning.Itseemstomatterlittlewhethertheyareappliedornot.ConsidertheMorningsideHeightsareainNewYorkCity.Accordingtoplanningtheoryitshouldnotbeintroubleatall,foritenjoysagreataboudanceofparkland,campus,playgroundandpleasantgroundwithmagnificentriverviews.Itisafamouseducationalcenterwithsplendidinstitutions—ColumbiaUniversity,UnionTheologicalSeminary,theJuilliardSchoolofMusic,andhalfadozenothersofeminentrespectability.Itisthebeneficiaryofgoodhospitalsandchurches.Ithasnoindustries.Itsstreetsarezonedinthemainagainst“incompatibleuses“intrudingintothepreservesforsolidlyconstructed,roomy,middle-andupper-classapartments.Yetbytheearly1950’sMorningsideHeightswasbecomingaslumsoswiftly,thesurlykindofsluminwhichpeoplefeartowalkthestreets,thatthesituationposedacrisisfortheinstitutions.Theyandtheplanningarmsofthecitygovernmentgottogether,appliedmoreplanningtheory,wipedoutthemostrun-downpartoftheareaandbuiltinitssteadamiddle-incomehousingprojectcompletewithshoppingcenter,andapublichousingproject,allinterspersedwithair,light,sunshineandlandscaping.Thiswashailedasagreatdemonstrationincitysaving.

（13）Afterthat,MorningsideHeightswentdownhillevenfaster.

（14）Noristhisanunfairorirrelevantexample.Incityaftercity,preciselythewrongareas,inthelightofplanningtheory,aredecaying.Lessnoticed,butequallysignificant,incityaftercitythewrongareas,inthelightofplanningtheory,arerefusingtodecay.

（15）Citiesareanimmenselaboratoryoftrialanderror,failureandsuccess,incitybuildingandcitydesign.Thisisthelaboratoryinwhichcityplanningshouldhavebeenlearningandforminganddiscipline（ifsuchitcanbecalled）haveignoredthestudyofsuccessandfailureinreallife,havebeenincuriousaboutthereasonsforunexpectedsuccess,andareguidedinsteadbyprinciplesderivedfromthebehaviorandappearanceoftowns,suburbs,tuberculosissanatoria,fairs,andimaginarydreamcities—fromanythingbutcitiesthemselves.（2002.2.13）

（16）Ifitappearsthattherebuiltportionsofcitiesandtheendlessnewdevelopmentsspreadingbeyondthecitiesarethereducingcityandcountrysidealiketoamonotonous,unnourishinggruel,thisisnotstrange,Itallcomes,first-,second-third-orfourth-hand,outofthesameintellectualdishormush,amushinwhichthequalities,necessities,advantagesandbehaviorofgreatcitieshavebeenbehaviorofotherandmoreinerttypesofsettlements.

（17）Thereisnothingeconomicallyorsociallyinevitableabouteitherthedecayofoldcitiesorthefresh-minteddecadenceofthenewunurbanurbanization.Onthecontrarynootheraspectofoureconomyandsocietyhasbeenmorepurposefullymanipulatedforafullquarterofacenturytoachievepreciselywhatwearegetting.Extraordinarygovernmentalfinancialincentiveshavebeenrequiretoachievethisdegreeofmonotony,sterilityandvulgarity.Decadesofpreaching,writingandexhortingbyexpertshavegoneintoconvincingusandourlegislatorsthatmushlikethismustbegoodforus,aslongasitcomesbeddedwithgrass.

（18）Automobilesareoftenconvenientlytaggedasthevillainsresponsiblefortheillsofcitiesandthedisappointmentsandfutilitiesofcityplanning.Butthedestructiveeffectsofautomobilesaremuchlessacausethanasymptomofourincompetenceatcitybuilding.Ofcauseplanners,includingthehighwaymenwithfabuloussumsofmoneyandenormouspowerattheirdisposal,areatalosstomakeautomobilesandcitiescompatiblewithoneanother.Theydonotknowwhattodowithautomobilesincitiesbecausetheydonotknowhowtoplanforworkableandvitalcitiesanyhow—withorwithoutautomobiles.

（19）Thesimpleneedsofautomobilesaremoreeasilyunderstoodandsatisfiedthanthecomplexneedsofcities,andagrowingnumberofplannersanddesignershavecometobelievethatiftheycanonlysolvetheproblemsoftraffic,theywilltherebyhavesolvedthemajorproblemofcities.Citieshavemuchmoreintricateeconomicandsocialconcernsthanautomobiletraffic.Howcanyouknowwhattotrywithtrafficuntilyouknowhowthecityitselfworks,andwhatelseitneedstodowithitsstreets?

Youcan’t.（2002.2.15）

（20）Itmaybethatwehavebecamesofecklessaspeoplethatwenolongercarehowthingsdowork,butonly