Book cover of The Economy of Cities by Jane Jacobs

The Economy of Cities

Jane Jacobs

Jane Jacobs argues that cities, not agriculture, are the engine of economic life. She shows how new work grows out of old work in cities, how cities replace imports with their own production, and why urban economies stagnate when that process stops.

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Alison Wolf

Economist and Professor of Public Sector Management, King's College London

Like Michael Young, Jane Jacobs is one of my idols. And her work links into my overriding interest in the interaction between human behaviour and institutions. Although in my academic work I have focused on the labour market and education, I like Jane Jacobs because she also talks about how institutions emerge from people’s daily life.

Interview · February 2010

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