Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

She may be experiencing an intellectual reconsideration in some corners, but Jane Jacobs is still a beloved figure for the urban planners and designers of Planetizen.

0433_12innova.jpgJane Jacobs (Photo: BusinessWeek)

After a month-long online poll that saw more than 14,000 votes cast, the site released its list of the "Top 100 Urban Thinkers" today -- and Jane was at the top. Her longtime antagonist Robert Moses came in at No. 23, nine spots ahead of current New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.

Other notables singled out by Planetizen readers include Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of New York's Central Park (No. 4), Enrique Penalosa, Bogota's former mayor and a dedicated proponent of bus rapid transit (No. 14), and Kaid Benfield, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's smart growth program (No. 42).

Check out the complete top 100 right here. Is anyone missing, or should anyone be ranked higher than they are?

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: The Secret History of Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service

...and what it means for new passenger rail service across America.

December 19, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Walk the Line

If you're a capitalist, the market says there's a premium for living in a walkable neighborhood. So why not supply more to meet demand?

December 19, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Fighting to Win

Carter Lavin talks with Jeff Wood about the necessity of messy politics in obtaining street safety.

December 18, 2025

Streetsblog’s ‘Car-Free Carolers’ Bring the Joy, Mirth and Ho-Ho-Hope to this Holiday Season

Streetsblog's singers are back, belting out their parody classics to make a serious point: New York's roadways don't have to be dangerous places for kids and lungs, but can be joyous spaces for people to walk around, shop, eat or just ... hang out.

December 18, 2025

Study: More Protected Bike Lanes = More Micromobility Users

This ought to silence doubters who claim that no one's using that shiny new cycle track.

December 18, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Are Hot-Blooded, Check It and See

Hopefully the Earth won't have a fever of 103 when judges get done with the Trump administration's proposal to dismantle greenhouse gas regulations.

December 18, 2025
See all posts