The Uses of Sidewalks: Safety and Contact

Cities are generators of economic life and source of changes in the world. Thereby, Jane Jacobs in her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities puts into relief the role of cities on the social and economic levels, while denouncing the disastrous consequences of urban renewal programs. To that extent, in chapters 2 and 3, she discusses "The Uses of Sidewalks”, arguing that over all people need safety and trust in their city. Therefore, first she claims the necessity of keeping streets and sidewalks safe because they are the “vital organs” of cities (29). Secondly, she argues that the functioning of cities should be organized in order to foster human interaction in which “casual public trust” would evolve from (56-57). Hence, we come to understand that safety and contact in the streets are essential points to establish the social and economic development of a city.

Jacobs starts the first part of his book with the notion of safety in the city, by assuming that the lack of safety in a city is in fact the lack of safety in the sidewalks: "When people say that a city, or a part of it, is dangerous or is a jungle what they mean primarily is that they do not feel safe on the sidewalks" (30). Although crime can occur in private spaces, Jacobs’ assumption is true to the extent that criminals would probably not show up on secure and frequented and streets. Then, Jacobs provides three qualities to make a city’s sidewalks safe: First, a distinction between “the public and the private spaces”; second, streets must be constantly watched, and third sidewalk must be occupied by users: "Once a street is well equipped to handle strangers, once it has both a good, effective demarcation between private and public spaces and has a basic supply of activity and eyes, the more strangers the merrier" (40). By this quote, Jacobs means that people will have no apprehension by using a street or a sidewalk that meet the requirements enumerated above. In addition, she extends the idea of eyes upon the street showing that using and watching the street not only guarantees the safety, but it makes the street more attractive. She argues: “the sight of people attracts still other people” (37). Here, she points out the fact that people like watching other people and activities around them. Nobody likes places where there is nothing to see or to do. Interesting streets are attractive because we see different people, and different activities or businesses. In short, the more a street is frequented, the more it is secure and interesting and vice-versa. Safe streets and sidewalks contribute to the economic expansion of the city and the social fulfillment of people. Then we can conclude that safety is a one of primordial factor to the social and economic development of the city.
Approaching in the same direction of the importance of safety, Jacobs also discusses the theme of confidence in the streets, which is trust. She mentions the concept of “sidewalks casual public trust.” First, trust may evolve from human contact and interaction in public. Jacobs explains human interaction in these words:
Cities are full of people with whom, from your viewpoint, or mine, or any other individual’s, a certain degree of contact is useful or enjoyable; but you do not want them in your hair. And they do not want you in theirs either. (56) From interaction with fellows in public spaces people are inclined to trust everyone because they are assured to receive an immediate help if they get in trouble. However, in public spaces people also preserve their private space where there is no trust to anybody. By private space Jacobs does not mean a physical private space such as an office or a small business that she has mentioned previously in the “demarcation of public and private space”. In this case, she talks about what she calls “windows privacy” which is essentially personal business such as medical records or financial matters, and in which people select relations with who a high degree of contact and trust is established to share that kind of information. Then, “Casual public trust” emerges in sidewalks from the balance between private and public spaces. Sidewalks should function as space where people can still trust the streets while maintaining their privacy. Contact reinforces the feeling of “casual trust” on the streets and in turn the felling of safety.

In his book, Jacobs develops a passionate interpretation of multiple needs that characterize modern cities, including primarily safety and trust. She argues that the appearance of a city in general is reflected by its streets and its sidewalks. Therefore she promotes safety and contact on cities’ sidewalks in order to develop confidence in public spaces in which people in all his activities must feel free. Safety and trust would bring more density, more investment and more socialization in cities

Work cited:
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Vintage, 1992.