Jane Jacobs is well known for her work in grass roots community activism and for taking her message to the streets.  Mike Joyce of Stereotype Design has extended Jacob’s legacy of citizen activism through a unique brand of guerilla activism targeted toward some of the more infamous chain stores creeping up in Greenwich Village.

Mike’s work makes a statement about the proliferation of corporate chains into areas previously claimed by independent business owners.  With the slogan “More Jane Jacobs, Less Marc Jacobs” Joyce helps communicate a message about the way that communities are developing as opposed to the way that residents desire them to develop.  In an environment often dominated by the political, technical, and economic factors related to community development, it’s refreshing to see a campaign that pushes a social message in a manner that drives conversation.

In an interview with the Vanishing New York blog, Mike Joyce points out that the campaign isn’t intended as a direct attack toward Marc Jacobs, but is a statement in a broader context about the proliferation of chain stores.

You can check out more of Mike Joyce’s work at Stereotpe.  You can order a shirt by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. directly.

Community:  The Structure of Belonging
Peter Block

“The future is created one room at a time, one gathering at a time.”

In an effort to expand my own knowledge and to become better connected to the concepts that power the field of planning, I read a respectable amount of planning related literature.  Most of the literature takes a concept, explains it, provides some examples of how that concept is being used in other places, and then provides a stepping off point for others interested in integrating that concept into the planning efforts within their own jurisdiction.  Community is not that book.  (More after the jump)