orig. Jane Butzner
born May 4, 1916, Scranton, Pa., U.S.
U.S.-born Canadian urbanologist.
She became active in urban community work while living in New York City with her architect husband. For 10 years she was an editor at Architectural Forum . Her highly influential The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) is a brash, passionate, and highly original reinterpretation of the multiple needs of modern urban places. The Economy of Cities (1969) discussed the importance of diversity to a city's prospects. Later works include Cities and the Wealth of Nations (1984) and Edge of Empire (1996). See also urban planning .