Jane Jacobs, an iconic urbanist, and influential figure in the realm of city planning and development, passed away on April 25, 2006, in Toronto. She was 89 years old. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1916, Jacobs moved to Manhattan with her family in 1934. While working as a freelance journalist, she wrote her groundbreaking book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, in 1961 — a work that distinctly changed the way we think about cities. She passionately opposed the traditional top-down approach to urban planning, which saw planners tear apart neighborhoods and build large-scale projects, and instead championed a more organic, people-focused approach, emphasizing the importance of local initiatives. Jacobs was a widely-lauded urbanist, with her books and works garnering much praise. She was awarded numerous honors, including the Centennial Medal by the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Trudeau Medal by the Canadian Institute of Planners, among many others. Even after her death, Jacobs' influence continues to be felt, with her work having inspired a generation of urbanists across the world.