Seamon, David2017-04-072017-04-07http://hdl.handle.net/2097/35312Citation: Seamon, D. (2012). ‘A jumping, joyous urban jumble’: Jane Jacobs’s Death and Life of Great American Cities as a phenomenology of urban place. The Journal of Space Syntax,3(1), 139-149. http://joss.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/journal/index.php/joss/article/view/121In this forum report, I contend that Jane Jacobs’s Death and Life of Great American Cities can be interpreted as a phenomenology of the city and urban place (Jacobs, 1961/1993). I consider four aspects of the book as they relate to a phenomenological approach: (1) Jacobs’s mode of seeing and understanding as phenomenological method; (2) her claim that ‘citiness’ is a phenomenon in its own right and has the power to draw and hold people to particular urban places; (3) her portrait of urban experience and place as they are founded in environmental embodiment; and (4) her pointing toward a constellation of place relationships and processes that potentially strengthen or weaken urban robustness. I argue that much of Jacobs’s argument has parallels with the findings of space syntax research, including themes highlighted by Julienne Hanson in her 2000 article, ‘Urban Transformations’ (Hanson, 2000).© 2012 Seamon. Third parties have the rights to distribute the articles in a non-systemic manner, and make use of the articles in teaching, education, and any other context providing that proper acknowledgement is given to JOSS as a source. Uploading to websites, databases, or repositories (and similar platforms) are here considered as systemic distribution, and it remains the right of the author(s) and JOSS. However, course websites with access limited to course participants are not. Therefore sharing material for educational purposes through online course platforms is allowed providing access is limited to course participants. Any other form of distribution or reproduction requires the consent of the authors and JOSS.Jane JacobsJulienne HansonPhenomenology of cityPlaceUrban placePlace balletArticle