Write a photo essay based off of your interactions with Jane Jacobs' Death and Life of Great American Cities. The assignment will consist of original (digital) photos taken by students that exemplify issues in Jacobs' book. A brief (2-3 sentence) description and how it relates to Jacobs should accompany each photo.
There are several ways this assignment could be constructed. Photos could be assembled as the missing illustrations to Jacobs work, following her argument structurally (i.e. chapter by chapter). However, the material could be arranged thematically based off of certain issues Jacobs raises. It is possible even to use the photos evidentially to argue against Jacobs' understanding of the city. Regardless, the photo essay should have a discernible structure and argument. It needs some sort of thesis.
The focus of this assignment will of course be the pictures themselves. The number of photos can vary, though a good rule of thumb would be no fewer than fifteen. All photos are to be the work of the student. Grades will be assessed based off of how well the photos and descriptions fit the context of Jacobs work, not on artistic merit. Black and white images are fine, though color is also possible.Finally, students will include their initial thoughts on the city from the Jacobs Prereading assignment and interact with these initial thoughts after having done the above groundwork, bookending the project with initial thoughts and final reflection.