Jane Jacobs vs. Robert Moses

Apropos this discussion, I have long noticed that, in Europe, in general, the conservative opinions of Jane Jacobs won against the urban planners like Moses.

In spite of Le Corbusier raving about tearing down central Paris to builld “more rational” buildings, he never did. The only European capital touched by the spirit of urban planning to the same degree was East Berlin, which tore down all the ancient buildings and churches (partially just to show off—some of the German planners were aware of the historical value of the buildings, but there were political orders to demolish churches).