Campaign Flashback: Obama an Admirer of Jane Jacobs
This vid has been making the rounds via Streetsblog Network member Beyond DC. In it we see candidate Obama tell a crowd in Toledo that the Death and Life of Great American Cities is "a great book" and delve into some talking points about the importance of cities to regional economies. Read into it what you will. To me it says advocates for cities and urbanism should hold our next President to a very high standard, because he knows his stuff.
By
Ben Fried
4:23 PM EST on January 6, 2009
This vid has been making the rounds via Streetsblog Network member Beyond DC. In it we see candidate Obama tell a crowd in Toledo that the Death and Life of Great American Cities is “a great book” and delve into some talking points about the importance of cities to regional economies. Read into it what you will. To me it says advocates for cities and urbanism should hold our next President to a very high standard, because he knows his stuff.
Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
‘Highway Therapy’: Lawsuit Reveals Alarming Details Of NYPD’s Rampant Car Culture
An NYPD officer is suing the city and three current and former members of the police department, alleging unlawful retaliation for failing to recognize a superior and writing parking tickets to teachers.
April 2, 2026
Trash Containerization Program Remains Unfunded in Mamdani’s City Budget
Whither the "Trash Revolution?"
April 2, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines: Joking Around Edition
Find out who fell for our April Fools' Day stories. Plus other news.
April 2, 2026
DOT’s Greenpoint Greenway Project Doesn’t Dream Big Enough
Greenpoint residents don't want the bike lanes from 2010.
April 1, 2026
Crash Victims, Lawmakers To Hochul: ‘We Have A Better Idea To Reform Car Insurance’
Lawmakers think that there are savings to be found in how insurers set car insurance rates, rather than litigation costs.
April 1, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.