pretty much everyone who knows me knows nature & i are not buddies. especially here in AU where camping and hiking conversations are as normal as conversations about finding that cheap yet fab apt are in nyc. dislike of camping or hiking is pretty much UNHEARD OF so i constantly am told how much i should try it and how much i would like it.

um no.

but this post isn’t really about that… it’s prompted by the death of jane jacobs last week. for years i’ve heard about her book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, published in 1961. it’s been on my amazon wishlist for years and i finally bought it about a month or so ago (but haven’t gotten around to reading it).

i read one of richard florida’s books ( The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life ) a few months back where he talks about the creative worker movement and covers what makes a good place to live, or rather, what these creative innovative types look for in a place to live which then creates a particular type of community & economic growth. having lived in a few cities now, not liking nature plus my interest in online communities, i am getting more interested in what makes the physical city ‘liveable’ (oh… and melbourne is touted as being the most liveable city in the worlddue to a global survey. it is shoved down your throat by media & politicians and even the normal person on the street – and i disagree with that statement). so expect further posts about this subject when i get around to reading jane’s book. in the meantime, read more about her and her work.

and if anyone has suggestions for book or blog reading on the topic, i’d love to hear them.