Designing Healthy Cities

Work on this topic draws primarily from Jane Jacobs's book The Life and Death of Great American Cities (1961), and focuses on urban design concepts that Jane Jacobs suggests are key components of healthy, livable cities. Students focused on the following and discussed their importance in creating healthy cities.

  • Bryan Conner (4th year Philosophy & Government Major) focuses on the uses of neighborhood parks with examples of McGuffey Park and Riverview Park in Charlottesville;

  • Eric Garbin (3rd year Planning) discusses urban design principles in creating great streets;

  • Lauren Heidbrink (2nd year Planning and Latin American Studies Major) discusses the importance of intricacy, centering, enclosure, and sunlight in designing parks;

  • Ben Mannell (3rd year Planning) focuses on the design of sidewalks for creating areas of diversity, street front vitality, promoting safety, and areas of transition.

  • Jill Nolt (2nd year Architecture) focuses on mixed-use development;

  • Amy Probsdorfer (3th year Sociology) compares the built environment in Greenwich Village and Manhattan;

  • Seth Riseman (2nd year Architecture Major) discusses principle components of healthy cities as realized by contemporary designers;

  • Laura Spurgeon (3rd year Planning) discusses the importance of diversity, visual scenes, concentration, and small blocks;

  • Adam Stephens (3rd year Planning) focuses on the need for aged buildings;

  • Jon Trucano (3rd year Planning) discusses some design concepts in connecting the block and the street;

  • Casey Wiliams (2nd year Environmental Science) discusses seeing order in the apparent chaos of cities;