Ballet of the sidewalks

New York Journal: Jane Jacobs opened her eyes and the eyes of others to the complex order of cities | Marvin Olasky

You can observe a lot just by watching," said Yogi Berra. But lots of New York city planners haven't been as smart as the former Yankees catcher. They've designed pristine blocks with shining buildings that take no account of how people live and feel safe in urban areas. In contrast to those who prefer eyes wide shut, the introductory panel of a Municipal Art Center exhibition titled "Jane Jacobs and the Future of New York" asks visitors, "Please look closely."

One display at the exhibition—it runs through Jan. 5 at 457 Madison Avenue—shows a 24-hour time-lapse video of street life outside that building: lots of people day and night. We see how that contrasts with lonely streets alongside big, institutional, single-use buildings like those of New York University in Greenwich Village. Many downtowns by night and suburbs by day are also bare of humanity.

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