Jane Jacobs on Exhibit

As we are sure you are all aware, the Municipal Art Society and the Rockefeller Foundation are presenting Jane Jacobs and the Future of New York, an exhibit which "aims to encourage New Yorkers to observe the city closely and to empower them, with a combination of tools and resources, to take an active role in advocating for a more livable city."

Although most of us haven't had the opportunity to see it yet, there is much to like about an active, living exhibit on Jacobs' work which could help to educate and inspire future activists. The members of the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation (CECPP) have all been inspired by Jacobs' courage and desire to fight for what was right. Strangely enough, even our long organization name was inspired by Jacobs. During our early formation, we received a piece of advice from Norman Redlich, a villager involved in the effort to remove traffic from Washington Square. He recounted: "Among Jane Jacob's many brilliant organizing techniques, one of them was always put what you're trying to achieve in the name of the committee, because most people will read no further than that. So it was called the Joint Emergency Committee to Close Washington Square Park to Traffic." That episode from the 1960's was in our minds as we named the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation.

Of course, we have chosen to name our website savelpc.org, to avoid a lengthy, confusing URL. Can you imagine Jacobs setting up a website called "www.jointemergencycommitteetoclosewashingtonsquareparktotraffic.org"?

Wow!

Details on the exhibit are available here .