It is fruitless, however, to search for some dramatic key element or kingpin which, if made clear, will clarify all. No single element in a city is, in truth, the kingpin or the key. The mixture itself is kingpin, and its mutual support is the order. -The Death and Life of Great American Cities, 1961.

Often times, volumes or compendiums meant to celebrate the life’s work of a single individual fall short of capturing the true spirit of the subject. The problem of capturing the impact that one person has had on a single profession is difficult enough; a task whose difficulty is only compounded when the subject of the compendium has influenced a wide array of professions, movements and causes.

In the wide world of planning – encompassing urban, city and regional planning specialties – Jane Jacobs’ name is consistently atop the lists of most influential and inspiring planners. Ironically, Jane wasn’t a planner (in the traditional sense of the term). Jane Jacobs was – and still is – much more than simply a planner who helped us to see and, almost more importantly, recognize the wonderful intricacies of the urban organism.

Never one to adhere to conventional labels, she embodied a long list of titles which have been associated with her life and her life’s work. Author; Journalist; Activist; Urbanist; Economic Theorist; Community Organizer; and least of all, Planner.

Jane proved again and again through her insightful observations that more often than not, the most successful and vibrant neighborhoods were the exception to the rule; the rule, of course, being the restrictive and often confining dogmatic-based planning rules and regulations which stifle the organic development of neighborhoods and cities.

Just as she showed us nearly fifty years ago that “the mixture itself is kingpin, and its mutual support is the order”, What We See holds true to this notion with an impressive and diverse mix of authors whose backgrounds could double for a description of the residents of a thriving, vibrant city neighborhood or as a description of an individual whose life and work seemed to defy conventional labels and descriptions.

What We See is a collection of essays which succeeds in capturing the true spirit of Jane’s life and work. The authors do not simply espouse all of the ideas, notions and views which Jane pioneered simply to hear themselves speak; quite the contrary, these essays provide a firsthand demonstration which allows us to see how people from a myriad of professions and backgrounds are taking action to make our cities better places.

The essays, consisting of works ranging from Jacobsian-inspired speeches to stories of self-realization and actualization to imagined conversations with Jane, are masterfully grouped into six distinct, yet connected sections.

From the first moment when the authors begin to discuss The Vitality of the Neighborhood (Section One) to the final thoughts on Economic Instincts (Section Six); the words and – more importantly – the actions of the authors inspire the reader to truly examine and see the urban organism through not only new lenses, but to return to the lenses which allow us to see what we take for granted through “fresh eyes”.

As we try and see the city, we are reminded to examine our Virtues of Seeing (Section Two) so that we may observe the urban organism through a variety of lenses; allowing us to truly see how our Cities, Villages and Streets (Section Three) evolve and thrive. It is through these lenses that we are inspired to make our streets, our neighborhoods, our cities and ultimately our society better places.

These lenses also provide us with insight into the tumultuous relationship between restrictive, dogmatic planning policies and the practices, or for lack of a better term, the notions of Serendipitous Planning (Section Four) that allows for the natural and organic development of neighborhoods and cities Designed For Nature and Designed For People (Section Five).

Because in reality, as many of the officials of struggling American metropolises will certainly tell you, a city is useless without people who are active participants in the evolution and development of the living urban organism.

The stories contained within the pages of What We See allow us to not only examine how our cities and neighborhoods are developing and changing, but the actions of the authors provide the reader with the inspiration to begin to make a difference in their own neighborhood, city, region and life. I would challenge anyone to read this book and not feel the burning desire to initiate positive change within their own neighborhood, community or city.

What We See is an excellent companion to any of Jane Jacob’s works. The essays within What We See capture Jane’s incredible ability to observe and understand the city, neighborhood and region as a functioning and thriving organism in which design, character and people contribute to the overall vibrancy and life of the urban fabric.

The ideals which Jane lived by and conveyed throughout her life’s work are fantastically captured in the actions of the authors of What We See. When we observe What We See as a whole, it is clear that it will quickly become a required addition to the library of any designer, planner, artist, activist, community organizer, urbanist or city dweller.

New Village Press. May 2010. $26.95

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Tags: book review, Jane Jacobs, New Village Press, Urbanism, What We See