February 20, 2007 APA Executive Director Selected for Prestigious Jury to Honor Jane Jacobs Rockefeller Foundation to Honor Activist and Author CHICAGO — The American Planning Association's Executive Director and CEO, Paul Farmer, FAICP, has been selected to serve as a juror for the Rockefeller Foundation's first Jane Jacobs Medal. The Rockefeller Foundation will present the Jane Jacobs Medals annually to two living individuals for their lifetime contributions to New York City and for their ideas and activism that reflect the ideals of Jane Jacobs. Jane Jacobs is renowned for her 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. In the book, Jacobs advocates for public participation in planning decisions and argues that people are integral to making a city livable. She received a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation's Urban Design Studies program that enabled her to research and write her book. Throughout her life, Jacobs was both a writer and an activist as she questioned prevailing urban policies, including modernist residential towers separated from city street life, new highways, and political decision making without citizen participation. An activist for preserving neighborhood vibrancy and uniqueness, Jacobs died in April 2006. "I'm honored to help select individuals that continue Jane Jacobs's work today," said Paul Farmer. "Her book is still a call to action for planners and citizens alike. The Rockefeller Foundation's honoring of Jane Jacobs will ensure that her call for advocacy and urban vitality continues today, nearly 50 years after she first became its champion." Farmer is one of 12 individuals selected to serve on the Medal Selection Jury. The deadline for nominations for the Jane Jacobs Medal is March 2. For more information about the Rockefeller Foundation and the Jane Jacobs Medals, visit www.rockfound.org. Contact |
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