The consequences of rapid urbanization and its impact on the nation’s citizens have been a significant topic of discussion for numerous activists. As the cities grow and their structure develops, with the emergence of various establishments and public places, the necessity to thoroughly plan and integrate the desired urban components becomes more apparent. As such, some authors discuss how the influence of improper building integration and the economic system might lead to distinct changes in city planning, prompting the creation of unsuitably built communities.
From the perspective of Jane Jacobs and Henri Lefebvre, neglecting the demand for strategic evaluation and analysis of the proposed changes to the city structure can cause detrimental ramifications for the residents. Both of the activists insisted that the approach to city planning adopted by the 1960s community developers was highly unsafe and inappropriate, causing overcrowding and excessive consumerism. The present paper examines Jane Jacobs and Henri Lefebvre’s works on organization, explaining that both authors would agree that humans are essential to consider when determining the meaning of space.
The issues of neighborhood safety and community development were of special concern for Jane Jacobs, a well-recognized activist in the sphere of city planning and urbanization. Jacobs devoted a significant amount of time and effort to city research, developing a unique understanding of the city creation patterns predominant in the 1960s. According to the author, establishing a community environment that offers security for women and children was not connected to the inclusion of parks and green spaces but to the accessibility of public places (Jacobs, 1992). Introducing the concept of “eyes on the street” to public safety, Jacobs demonstrated that protection is largely based on surveillance (Jacobs, 1992).
From this perspective, the contemporary planning that relied on skyscrapers and the wide streets considerably decreased the possibility of creating an involved neighborhood, ultimately resulting in the lack of personal belonging and increased likelihood of neglection.
Another influential author in the sphere of city planning was Henri Lefebvre, who investigated the impact of capitalism on community structure. In contrast with Jacobs, Lefebvre adopted an economist perspective and outlined how capitalism interferes with the building of proper neighborhood establishments (Brosio, 1994). Although capitalistic influence leads to higher diversity of goods, it is also closely connected to consumerism, and it hinges on the expectation that customers consistently purchase the offered goods (Brosio, 1994).
Following this idea, Lefebvre suggested the notion of “colonized everyday life”, which explains how the economic system affects the daily practices of city residents. As capitalism colonizes the field of city planning, developers begin to build more establishments that promote consumerism (Lefebvre, 1996). Therefore, large shopping malls appear in the places of children’s playgrounds and recreation areas, neglecting the people’s desires regarding their neighborhood structure.
Considering the approaches to urbanization demonstrated by Jacobs and Lefebvre, both authors would agree that humans are crucially important for determining the meaning of space. For instance, Jacobs devotes a significant amount of attention to public safety and the community’s needs, evaluating how city planning could serve as an instrument for improving the residents well being (Corrigan, 2016). Furthermore, her research on underdeveloped and overcrowded neighborhoods reveals start Jacobs passionately insisted on the necessity to consider human needs when creating city structures (Corrigan, 2016). Regarding Lefebvre, it is evident that the author protests against the economic and political powers’ influence on city planning, specifying that the public places should be constructed according to the residents’ recreation and entertainment needs.
References
Brosio, R. A. (1994). Chapter six: The consequences of the capitalist imperative on everyday life. Counterpoints, 3, 209–261.
Corrigan, M. (2016). “Eyes on the street” details Jane Jacobs’ efforts to put cities first. NPR. Web.
Jacobs, J. (1992). The Death and life of great American cities (Reissue edition). Vintage.
Lefebvre, H. (1996). Writings on cities (E. Kofman & E. Lebas, Eds.). Wiley-Blackwell.