The Death and life of ...

For the past two weeks or so I have been reading "The death and life of great American cities" by Jane Jacobs. For those not familiar with the book, it is a jargon free approachable read on what makes cities beautiful places full of life and activity and what makes them sterile and void of life. It is an excellent read and will definitely change the way you look at the built world around you.

In the past chapter, she spoke on properties necessary for diversity within a neighborhood. I especially enjoyed this quote by Paul J. Tillich (some Harvard professor cat), "By its nature, the metropolis provides what otherwise could be given only by travelling; namely, the strange. Since the strange leads to questions and undermines familiar tradition, it serves to elevate reason to ultimate significance ..."