[Tony Sebo]

Jane Jacobs, the first person to check the utopian drift of city redevelopment has died in Toronto. Most us on this site who espouse good urbanism, incremental growth, intensive and mixed use preference, ground floor retail etc, have her to thank.

Her seminal book Death and Life of the Great American Cities was an inspiration when I first read it as it brouhgt together a lot of notions I had floating round my noggin. I was only 12 adn the basic love of the city as she described it utterly inspired me.

Take a look at the piece we have put on the downtown website
http://www.downtownliverpool.org
If you haven't read any of her stuff then be sure to get hold of a book or two over the weekend?

 

[b4mmy]

I'm gonna read up about that tony, cheers

 

[Gareth]

Got a copy of that book for me to borrow?

 

[Tony Sebo]

Yeah... I'll fetch a copy to next weeks meeting.. that we haven't agreed yet.

 

[Zim Flyer]

She was a legend. RIP.

 

[Martin S]

Whether you agree with her or not, I would suggest that anyone interested in how cities work should read the Death and Life. I even suggested that 'regeneration expert', Steve Munby should read it. Still, being a politician, he would probably interpret her message as 'build more bungalows'.

Jane Jacobs, by the way, was not a town planner and she learned everything simply by observation, obviously helped by a keen intellect. She cut her teeth in New York's Greenwich Village by taking on Robert Moses, the highway and bridge builder who developed a lot of the city's road infrastructure but neglected the impact these developments were having on local communities. I daresay we could think of examples here in Liverpool.

 

[Awayo]

I've just started reading Death and Life. I bought it in Toronto last week and the girl who sold it to me told me (I knew but...) that Jacobs lived in Toronto and loved the place. I can see why - an example of a city much smaller than Liverpool in living memory but now, centrally at least, a dense, intensely functioning city and a powerhouse of the world economy. Not perfect obviously. I heard the gunshots in the Eaton Centre as my hotel was adjacent. Kapow! Didn't stop me though - I bought some pants there two days later.

 

[Stanley Park]

I've just started reading Death and Life. I bought it in Toronto last week and the girl who sold it to me told me (I knew but...) that Jacobs lived in Toronto and loved the place. I can see why - an example of a city much smaller than Liverpool in living memory but now, centrally at least, a dense, intensely functioning city and a powerhouse of the world economy. Not perfect obviously. I heard the gunshots in the Eaton Centre as my hotel was adjacent. Kapow! Didn't stop me though - I bought some pants there two days later.

I take it you needed the new pants after you'd heard the gun shots?

 

[EuxTex]

I take it you needed the new pants after you'd heard the gun shots?

If he did hear the shots from a 22 caliber pistol from the food court at the Eaton Center and if he was in the Toronto Downtown Marriott Hotel, he would have to have the most acute hearing on the planet. With hearing that acute he could probably hear a fart in a hurricane 100 miles away.

Nice hotel though, very central to everything.

 

[Martin S]

If he did hear the shots from a 22 caliber pistol from the food court at the Eaton Center and if he was in the Toronto Downtown Marriott Hotel, he would have to have to most acute hearing on the planet. With hearing that acute he could probably hear a fart in a hurricane 100 miles away.

Nice hotel though, very central to everything.

Is there only one hotel in Toronto then? Awayo just said that he was in a hotel adjacent to the Eaton Center.

 

[design_man]

Is there only one hotel in Toronto then? Awayo just said that he was in a hotel adjacent to the Eaton Center.

Didn't he say he was near a grassy knoll and there was a woman with a polka dot dress?

 

[EuxTex]

Is there only one hotel in Toronto then? Awayo just said that he was in a hotel adjacent to the Eaton Center.

A couple in close proximity to the Eaton Center but the Marriott is the only one "adjacent"" to the shopping mall.

 

[Joe the red]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

If any other person had posted what Awayo put, there wouldn't have been a peep from you....... But your ballistic, geographical and acoustic knowledge as well as clairvoyance are to be admired.

 

[Awayo]

In answer to Stanley, I always wear nappies while I travel and so that wasn't a problem.

 

[Awayo]

Thought about dropping in on my old homie, Pat when I was passing Brampton on the way to the airport. Was gonna take my man Chrissie H, eastside soldja, but he got caught up on the way. hno:

Seriously though, liked the police uniforms there with the red bands on the peaked cap and strides. Very smart. What's the bunch with blue stripes - Ontario provincial plod? I won't ask EuxTex, he's from Texas. :yes:

 

[EuxTex]

when I was passing Brampton on the way to the airport.

Not from downtown Toronto you don't, no matter what route you take. Go back on Google or get a map of Ontario.

Why are you lying? What purpose does it serve?

 

[EuxTex]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

If any other person had posted what Awayo put, there wouldn't have been a peep from you....... But your ballistic, geographical and acoustic knowledge as well as clairvoyance are to be admired.

So I guess a crude attempt at intimidation (below) won't cut it with you either.

Thought about dropping in on my old homie, Pat when I was passing Brampton on the way to the airport.

Takes all sorts, I guess.hno:

 

[EuxTex]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

If any other person had posted what Awayo put, there wouldn't have been a peep from you....... But your ballistic, geographical and acoustic knowledge as well as clairvoyance are to be admired.

Here's what we are being asked to believe; Someone shopping in Lewis's store on Ranleigh Street can detect the discharge of a small caliber weapon in the food court of the St. Johns Precinct. That is the approximate distance between the Marriott Hotel, which is located adjacent to the Eaton Center at it's north west corner and outside the mall at Bay & Dundas, and the food court on the lower level of the Eaton Center and is located at the south east end of the mall at Yonge & Queen.

Also, I have just read in the archives of The Toronto Star newspaper, reporting on the day after the incident, and interviewing shoppers who where in the mall at the time, reported; "some where not aware of the incident until ushered out of the mall by the police." "The ****** family visiting the city from Rochester, NY noted that they had just left the food court area a few minutes prior to the shooting but heard nothing until informed by other shoppers after being told to leave the mall."

Also, it is an impossibility to "drive past Brampton" when traveling, by any means or, any route, from his location at Yonge & Dundas in downtown Toronto and not reach the airport before reaching Brampton, an approximate 35 to 40 minutes drive further, each way, depending on traffic conditions, from Pearson Airport. Again, the equivalent would be leaving the Hilton Hotel on Strand Street for John Lennon Airport and passing Widnes before reaching the airport. All routes west from downtown Toronto will reach the airport before reaching Brampton.

 

[Sweet Zombie Jesus]

Ah! Life and Death was a fantastic book for me, really helped my understanding of how cities work and why so much modern development actually harms them... had no idea Jacobs had died though.

 

[Awayo]

It is an impossibility to "drive past Brampton" when traveling, by any means or, any route, from his location at Yonge & Dundas in downtown Toronto and not reach the airport before reaching Brampton, an approximate 35 to 40 minutes drive further, each way, depending on traffic conditions, from Pearson Airport. Again, the equivalent would be leaving the Hilton Hotel on Strand Street for John Lennon Airport and passing Widnes before reaching the airport. All routes west from Toronto will reach the airport before reaching Brampton.

Quite so. It was also true that I wasn't really on the way to visit you with my friend Christopher Husbands before the splitter handed himself into Toronto police. :yes: