To those who work in historic preservation, Roberta Brandes Gratz is well known as the author of several books examining how neighborhoods and cities have revived over time. Her most recent book, We're Still Here Ya Bastards: How the People of New Orleans Rebuilt Their City, takes a deep dive into New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, outlining how local people, more than government officials or policy experts, led the rebirth of that city. She is also the author of The Battle for Gotham: New York in the Shadow of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs, which made her the perfect person to ask about her work and the legacy of Jane Jacobs as part of our series on women in historic preservation.
Throughout our conversation, Gratz emphasized the importance of Jane Jacobs’ philosophy in thinking about the places in which we live, a philosophy Gratz continues to advocate as a co-founder and governing board member of the Center for the Living City.
