In this book, Jane Jacobs, building on the work of her debut, The Death
and Life of Great American Cities, investigates the delicate way cities
balance the interplay between the domestic production of goods and the
ever-changing tide of imports. Using case studies of developing cities
in the ancient, pre-agricultural world, and contemporary cities on the
decline, like the financially irresponsible New York City of the
mid-sixties, Jacobs identifies the main drivers of urban prosperity and
growth, often via counterintuitive and revelatory lessons.