What I learned from Jane Jacobs

When I went to London, I was a bit lost—not just geographically, but personally.

- ANNA MAE YU LAMENTILLO

I didn’t really know what I was looking for. I’d wander around aimlessly, sit on park benches, explore tiny alleys, and just people-watch. But in all that quiet observing, something clicked. I started to realize that there’s no better education than being able to travel the world and see how different communities live, build, and thrive.

When I started studying formally, the first book I read was Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities. And honestly, that book has never left me. It shaped the way I see cities, neighborhoods, and the power of community. Jacobs, to me, was someone who looked around and paid attention to what made a place feel alive.