Jane Jacobs
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Culture/jane-jacobs/Janebanner/981302114_cgPKd-O.jpg)
The urbanist movement and many of the ideas we presently recognize as important owe a huge debt to an appealingly school marm hipster who started as a journalist and ended up transforming the philosophy of Urban Design. If you are interested in ideas like walkable cities, vibrant streetscapes, or sustainability---even a little bit, you have probably heard of Jane Jacobs. Even if you haven't, Join us after a jump for a discussion about the patron saint of the Urbanist Movement.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-jun-jane-jacobs
Here's a bit of trivia for you: I was once interviewed for a job by Jane Jacobs granddaughter. I think it impressed her that I knew who her grandmother was, because I was offered the job. I ended up turning it down because the salary was too low.