Chapter 9

In chapter 9 Jacobs talks about the importance of short street blocks. She mentions how people who live in neighborhoods with long street blocks most of the time do not know any other street beside their own and the ones that lead them to the bus stop or train station. If the blocks were shorter according to Jacobs there would be more blocks allowing more commerce to develop. People would have more choices to how to get to their destinations and that would stimulate the economy and sidewalk life. It will also help neighbors to know each other better and form a feeling of trust between them. Diversity is also one aspect that grows with shorter sidewalks. She also talks about how long block in projects are meaningless because they have nothing to call the attention of people and they don’t use them because they do not have the necessity to so they become monotonous.