Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Jane Jacobs

Thank God for Jane Jacobs the Highway Slayer

lomex
An artist’s conception of the unbuilt Lower Manhattan Expressway, a mostly-elevated highway linking the Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Holland Tunnel that New York came perilously close to building. Image via NYC Roads

Jane Jacobs' legacy is so broad and complex I'm not going to attempt a big thinkpiece to mark her 100th birthday. In lieu of something long and wordy, I've got two short paragraphs and some images of the Robert Moses road monsters she slew in the 1960s.

Car-centric planning was inimical to the things Jacobs valued most about cities -- complexity, human energy, social contact. Her conception of the "erosion of cities" and "attrition of cars" clearly permeates Streetsblog's coverage today. What a blessing that she was born, moved to New York, and led the uprising against these city-devouring road projects.

Library of Congress
No big deal, just lines on a map. Photo: Library of Congress via Untapped Cities
Library of Congress
washington_sq_park
The sunken roadway through Washington Square Park that Jane Jacobs and what Robert Moses described as "a bunch of mothers" staved off. NYT archive image via Gothamist

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Beach Reading: Zohran Mamdani’s Answers to Streetsblog’s Mayoral Candidate Survey

Spend the holiday weekend with Zohran Mamdani's answers to Streetsblog's mayoral candidate questionnaire.

July 4, 2025

Friday Video: Why NYC Needs ‘Low-Traffic Neighborhoods’

London's Church Street, like so many of our business corridors, was choking on cars — until the advent of the low-traffic neighborhood.

July 4, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: E-Bikes in Parks … Permanently Edition

The Parks Department will permanently allow e-bikes in city parks following a two-year pilot. Plus more news.

July 4, 2025

Anti-Miracle On 34th Street: Adams Administration Pauses Work On 34th Street Busway

The highly-anticipated 34th Street busway may not happen under Mayor Adams after all, sources said.

July 3, 2025

Manhattan DA Says Alleged Central Park Hit-and-Run Cyclist Didn’t Flee, Drops Charges

Prosecutors said the 30-year-old cyclist "remained on the scene for about 45 minutes after the crash and waited for paramedics to arrive to treat the injured person."

Sean Duffy’s ‘Great America Road Trip’ Wants You to Drive to Central Park

Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" encourages Americans to drive to sites in the most transit-rich and car-choked parts of the country.

July 3, 2025
See all posts