Jane Jacobs was a journalist who lived in New York City in the 1950s. She was an ordinary person but with a deep love for cities. She lived at a time when city life was quickly changing. Until then, people both lived and worked in the same cities, and they could walk back and forth between the two points. However, cars became popular in the 1950s, so many people started to live in the suburbs and drove to work. This change in lifestyle had a major impact on cities.

For example, many old neighborhoods in New York City were destroyed to make space for new highways for commuters. Building new infrastructure may be a good thing, but in reality, many unique communities were being destroyed.

Jane lived in Greenwich Village, which was popular among young artists. She described seeing the place as “filled with people of different backgrounds, jobs, and nationalities.” For her, it felt like watching a “sidewalk ballet.” However, the city was facing a threat. A city official named Robert Moses was planning to destroy Washington Square Park to build a highway across it. Washington Square Park is a popular gathering area for mothers, children, and artists, and Jane would not allow the lively public place to be lost.