"This is the church of Jane Jacobs tonight, amen and hallelujah!"
Images
Rev. Billy Talen speaks at Judson Memorial Church
These were the words of the Rev. Billy Talen, a 2008 Green Party mayoral candidate, who hosted an event at the Judson Memorial Church last night. The event honored the legacy of Jane Jacobs, an activist who criticized American urban renewal policies in the 1950s.
Jacobs, who died in 2006, passionately fought against large-scale city development projects and expressways and believed cities were built for people instead of cars.
"I love Jane Jacobs," said Briar Winters, a former NYU student and 25-year-old baker who attended the event. "She presents this vision of the city. It just makes so much sense because [she wanted] everything on a human scale. It keeps people connected with one another."
Other attendees, many of whom live in and around Greenwich Village, also spoke highly of Jacobs. Most of the speakers quoted Jacobs directly, and Michael Premo, a 28-year-old theater and radio producer, read a passage from Jacobs' book, "The Death and Life of Great American Cities." Premo called it "the most eloquent and beautiful explanation for why I love my neighborhood."
But the event was not just a Jane Jacobs lovefest; it partly served as a campaign rally for Talen, also known as the leader of the anti-consumerist Church of Life After Shopping. Near the entrance was a table with an array of Reverend Billy paraphernalia, including buttons and a comic strip.
Michael O'Neil, 30, the media coordinator for Talen's campaign, said the campaign hoped people would be inspired by Jacobs' legacy in defending neighborhoods — and connect that to neighborhoods in New York City.
"What this city needs is an activist," O'Neil said.
Danny Valdes, 23, a campaign manager for Talen, said despite the role of Talen's campaign at the event, the night was ultimately about Jacobs' achievements as an activist.
"This event is focused on taking back the heroes that have fought for this city and have been co-opted in so many ways," Valdes said.
