GREAT STREETS

A ttracted by my own love of streets, I found Great Streets to be an inviting book. The introduction, in only a few pages, is highly effective in establishing the importance of streets, not simply in functional terms of movement and access, but as vessels of political, social, ceremonial, and commerical activity within the public realm. However, it is also a book of conflicting messages. On the one hand it is self-effacing; on the other it is selfassured. This seems to reflect Allan Jacobs’ own sense that physical design is important, but that design does not account for everything which makes a space great. The book is divided into four parts. Part One is a survey of what the author believes are representatives of great streets--"the finest of their types" (p. 11). Part Two is a compendium of streets while Part Three is a comparative analysis of street and block patterns. Part Four examines the specific elements that contribute to the making of great streets. Before reviewing each section, I would like to comment on the graphic format. Great Streets is wonderfully illustrated. Clearly much forethought was given to the types, quality, and consistency of the illustrations. The line drawings are controlled and restrained. The plans in each section are drawn to the same scale to allow for easy comparison. There was an obvious decision not to use photographs, a decision which should be applauded and one which adds to the overall richness of the text. Drawings are a much more effective tool in conveying a sense of place. They suggest a sense of"being there," that in fact the author has experienced this place first hand (even if the drawings have been executed from photographs). Psychologically, the drawing pen engages, while the camera distances the observer from the scene. It is the lack of photographs that makes this an attractive book. In Part One AllanJacobs provides examples of what he feels are some of the best streets in the world. A detailed physical description, including plans and sections, is provided for each example, as is a key plan to locate the street within its urban context. The text is written anecdotally and experientially, such that this section reads more like The Experience of Place (Hiss 1990) than the typical genre of street design literature [Public Streets for Public Use (1987), Livable Streets (1981), On Streets (1978), etc.]. As noted, plans and sections, drawn at the same scale, allow for easy comparison of physical attributes. The streets in this section are presented as icons. As such it would be helpful to have more examples from other cultures (African, South American, etc.) or to explore more North American examples, particularly if the intent is to be instructive and applicable to the making of good streets in the United States, rather than to dominate with Western European examples. Most likely this is not intentional, since Jacobs limits himself to only those places he has visited. Although there is an attempt to identify these streets by such titles as "The Great Street We Once Lived On" and "Great Street Ensembles," the development of a typology is resisted. "Part Two: A Compendium of Streets: Streets That Teach" lacks the discipline of Part One. It is not clear why these streets were selected or in fact what they teach. The analysis could be structured in a more organized manner providing criteria for selection and a more pointed discussion of the lessons to be gained. Although it is appropriate not to develop a typology in Part One, a clearly defined typology and the rationale for its derivation would be appropriate here. There is an implied typology, such as "Central Walkway Streets," "Tree Streets," and "One Sided Streets. " A comparative discussion of different street types would add considerable value to the work. Particularly lacking in this section is an