Edward Abbey, writing from the bar at Nelson’s Marine in Hoboken, New Jersey, opened Desert Solitaire with the following warning, “you can’t see anything from a car; you’ve got to get out of the contraption and walk, better yet crawl, on hands and knees…when traces of blood begin to mark your trail you’ll see something, maybe.”
As I reflected upon my afternoon interviewing Jane Jacobs in her home in September 2002, I was reminded of the Abbey quote. And while there are many possible comparisons between these two anti-establishment authors, one point in particular struck me: the importance of observation.
“Any city at all that’s worth learning from and considering has parts that work and are good and admirable, and parts that don’t. So what should we study? We should study the parts that work and the parts that people use,” said Ms. Jacobs, whose prescient observations and tireless advocacy for people-oriented cities rattled the conventions of twentieth century urban renewal. And it is this quote, more than any other, which stuck with me almost four years after that afternoon with her in Toronto.
In a fast-paced world, it's easy to forget to take the time to look around. And with so many challenges facing us, it’s easy to forget that many answers are right in front of our noses, in the communities where we live—if only we spend the time observing them.
It seems the power of observation is catching on. With the rise of video and photo blogging, flaneur seems to be on the rise, as people post images of cities around the world.
So as debate about the meaning of Ms. Jacobs’ legacy swirls around media outlets (see The New York Times, Economist and Chicago Tribune for a sampling) I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight one simple message that stuck with me: Look around, find where the people are, and learn what makes these places work.
I think this is a message the active living community can apply for years to come in communities around the country.
Brad Kahn
Active Living Network
"Any city at all that's worth learning from and considering has parts that work and are good and admirable, and parts that don't," said Ms. Jacobs. "We should study the parts that work and the parts that people use"
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