The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Critical Essay: The Death and Life of Great American Cities
PUP 363 History of Planning
Assignment Overview
In this assignment you are tasked with two objectives. First, you are to read and summarize the key points and main arguments presented in the book The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs. Then you are to critically analyze the arguments and discuss the validity of Jacobs’ criticism of urban planning at the time it was written (1961) and how relevant her arguments are today, given any changes that may have taken place in the urban planning profession since the book’s publication.
Completing the Essay
After you have completed reading the book, craft an essay that addresses the following points:
--Summarize the key points and main arguments made by Jacobs in the book.
--Critique Jacobs’ arguments. Discuss how valid her criticisms of urban planning were in 1961 and how relevant her arguments are today. Clearly justify your critique.
Your written essay should be roughly 4-6 single-spaced pages in length. Essays are due by 4:30PM (the start of class) on Thursday 11/7 (note that this is a change from the original due date in the course schedule) and should be submitted via the link on Blackboard found under the “Critical Essay” tab. NO late essays will be accepted.
All essays should reflect your own individual work. Any direct quotes from the Jacobs book or other outside sources (if utilized) must be cited properly with page numbers using a consistent citation style throughout. Optional outside sources should also be listed in a reference section at the end of the essay. Essays should showcase your comprehension of the book and its historic and contemporary relevance to urban planning. Your essay should be thoroughly proofread for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors. Essays containing excessive proofreading errors will not be accepted for credit.

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