ABSTRACT
Public agencies took the lead in planning and initiating the new projects, and in many cases they served as developers or co-developers with private sponsors. More than 50 state and local government agencies have become directly involved in city development, with hundreds of staff members and consultants working as project planners. These agencies and their planners turned away from the kinds of projects Jane Jacobs and others had found good reasons to criticize. Most new downtown developments were responsive to public interests as well as private ones. Many included such public spaces as parks, transit stations, and places for entertainment. Some met social objectives by including special hiring agreements and creating business opportunities for city residents and minority groups. If city planners suffer from the image they acquired when Jane Jacobs's critique first appeared, then public perceptions are lagging far behind the realities.
