Over the summer, I read The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs. It was a fantastic read about cities and the policy that surrounds them (but it is light on the technical jargon). I highly recommend it.

I decided that in addition to reading it, I would see if I could apply some of the principles within to a hypothetical Durham project. I thought it would be fun to share that fantasy project on the blog. This post is a bit of daydreaming and a bit of fun. Some might argue that the Lakewood area isn't urban enough for these principles to be meaningful.

Regardless, I think it is fun and useful to dream about the possibilities in Durham. We live in an exciting city and sometimes we need to critique projects and policies, but sometimes it's beneficial to imagine a better Durham (would the Lakewood Center that I outline below lead to a better Durham for all? I'm not 100% sure, but I am open to feedback!)

Enjoy (be warned - it's long. I won't hold it ag…