Editing Jane Jacobs (section)

=== ''Dark Age Ahead'' ===
{{Main|Dark Age Ahead}}

Published in 2004 by Random House, ''Dark Age Ahead'' posits Jacobs's argument that North American civilization shows signs of a spiral decline comparable to the Roman empire's collapse. Her discussion focuses on "five pillars of our culture that we depend on to stand firm", summarized as the nuclear family and community; quality in education; free thought in science; representational government and responsible taxes; and corporate and professional accountability. As the title of this book suggests, Jacobs's outlook is far more pessimistic than that of her previous works. However, in the conclusion she admits: "At a given time it is hard to tell whether forces of cultural life or death are in the ascendancy. Is sub[[urban sprawl]], with its murders of communities and wastes of land, time, and energy, a sign of decay? Or is rising interest in overcoming sprawl a sign of vigor and adaptability in North American culture? Arguably, either could turn out to be true."<ref>{{cite journal|first=Peter L.|last=Laurence|title=Dark Age Ahead? Jane Jacobs' Latest Book in Context|journal=Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians|volume=64|date=March 2005|doi=10.2307/25068137|jstor=25068137}}</ref> While Jacobs idealized US democracy, ''Dark Age Ahead'' echoes the skepticism and disappointment that led to her emigration to Canada in 1968.<ref>{{cite book|first=Peter L.|last=Laurence|title=Becoming Jane Jacobs|place=Philadelphia|publisher=University of Pennsylvania|year=2016|pages=53–54, 304–305}}</ref> Later, she would indicate that North American cultures, among others, were grounded in a "plantation mentality" that was culturally and ecologically unsustainable.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Peter L.|last=Laurence|title=Jane Jacobs's Urban Ethics|journal=Cities|volume=91|date=August 2019|pages=29–38|doi=10.1016/j.cities.2018.02.028|s2cid=85454787}}</ref>