AthoroughinvestigationofhowJaneJacobs’sideasaboutthelifeandeconomyofgreatcitiesgrewfromherhomecity,ScrantonJaneJacobs’sFirstCityvividlyrevealshowthisinfluentialthinkerandwriter’sclassicworksgerminatedintheoncevibrant,mid-sizecityofScranton,Pennsylvania,whereJanespentherinitialeighteenyears.Inthe1920sand1930s,Scrantonwasaplaceofenormousdi-versityandopportunity.Smallbusinessesofallkindsaboundedandflourished,qualitypubliceducationwasavailabletoandsupportedbyall,andevenrecentimmi-grantscouldsaveenoughtobuyahouse.Opposingpoliticalpartiesjoinedforcestotackleproblems,andcitizensworkedtogetherforthepublicgood.ThroughinterviewswithcontemporaryScrantoniansandresearchofhistoricnewspapers,citydirectories,andvitalrecords,authorGlennaLanghasuncoveredScrantonasyoungJaneexperienceditandshowsusthelastingimpactofhergrowingupinthisthrivingandaccessibleenvironment.ReaderscanfollowthedevelopmentofJane’sacuteobservationalabilitiesfromchildhoodthroughherpassioninearlyadulthoodtounderstandandwriteaboutwhatshesaw.ReflectingJane’sbeliefintrustingone’sowndirectobservationaboveall,thisvolumehasbeenrichlyillustratedwithhistoricandmoderncolorimagesthathelpbringalivealostScranton.Thebookdemonstrateswhy,attheendofJacobs’slife,herthoughtsandconversationsincreasinglyreturnedtoScrantonandthepotentialforcohesionandinclusivenessinallcities.
CITY FIRST PENNSYLVANIA Pennsylvania
