Would Jane Jacobs Admire Port Coquitlam as Her Favourite North American City?

Who is Jane Jacobs?

If you’ve ever dipped a toe into urban planning, you’ve bumped into her name. Jane Jacobs wrote The Death and Life of Great American Cities, a fiery critique of the men who were supposed to better America’s cities but were really tearing them apart.

Her words hit a nerve.

With wit and guts, Jacobs called out the bigwigs pushing high-rise projects and highway schemes that bulldozed entire neighbourhoods. She wasn’t just an activist—she was the voice of neighbourhoods that refused to be erased.

She became a hero for the people. Politicians feared her. Communities loved her. Vogue even dubbed her “Queen Jane.” Picture her": a white-haired woman in a dark skirt, with oversized bead necklaces, and radiating the confidence of someone who knew she was right.

Now fast forward a few decades, and two thousand miles from Manhattan.
I’m sitting Waves Coffee in downtown Port Coquitlam , and I can’t help but wonder—what would Jane think of this little city I now call home?

PoCo isn’t as glamorous as New York, but it has that small-town heartbeat Jane adored. In many ways, it’s a humble version of Greenwich Village or Little Italy— big-hearted and approachable. You’ll see the neighbourhood sage chatting with the barista, soccer moms rushing to practice, nannies baking cookies for book club, and artists sketching in parks.

Art feels stitched into daily life here.

There’s the Giggle Dam, a dinner theatre where local comedians moonlight on stage. There’s the European Bakery and Deli—run for 21 years by an East European immigrant family—that still feels like the neighbourhood’s kitchen table.

This is a city small enough to feels like a community, and large enough to hold everybody.

PoCo lifestyle is deeply local, deeply natural.
We call it “the city of rivers and mountains,” and it earns the name. Bears wander through now and then, and locals hardly blink. Birdwatching is more than a pastime—it’s part of the culture. Seniors hang feeders outside their homes, and hand-crafted birdhouses pop up everywhere, like tiny welcome signs for nature.

On the practical side, PoCo keeps it simple.
To serve its 50,000 residents, City Hall runs lean (there’s just one planner on staff). We share services across the Tri-Cities—hospitals, police, ambulances. Property taxes stay among the lowest in Metro Vancouver. And then there’s the the Rec Centres — a gem with three hockey rinks, a two-level gym, a pool, yoga, and spin classes. For busy bees like me, it’s a lifesaver.

Would Jane approve?
I think so. Here are people, place, and a place for people.

Jacobs once thundered against a highway project in New York: “What kind of administration could even consider bulldozing the homes of more than two thousand families?” She knew cities were made strong not by projects, but by people—their shops, sidewalks, and stories.

That’s exactly what I see here in PoCo.

Modest, but real. Neighbourly. Alive. And maybe, just maybe, the kind of place Jane would have quietly adored.

What would Jane push us On?

Jane never handed out easy praise— she loved cities too much to skip the hard questions. If she walfed PoCo’s streets today, she’d nudge us on a few things.

Downtown energy

Our core is warm and friendly, but it goes quiet too early. Patina Brewing and the Samz Bar & Grill, my go-to spots a few blocks away, often close around 9 p.m. in summer and 6 p.m. in winter. jane would probably wish for more cafes, live music, and places to linger late into the night—more life flowing through the streets.

Getting around

The City Hall square, Shaughnessy Avenue, and the Creekside are pedestrain-friendly, but PoCo is still pretty car-dependent. My homecare worker open spends half an hour on the bus just to get here from Coquitlam Centre Skytrain station. Without a car, it's tough to stay connected with friends around the Tri-Cities. Of course, transit isn’t just PoCo’s responsibility—it’s a regional challenge.

Even so, I’ve seen the city respond quickly. Last year, my husband’s wheelchair once got caught crossing a rain-slick curb. Within four weeks I wrote to City Hall, the spot was repaved with a smoother curve. Bingo! PoCo heros. That kind of prompt response makes me proud.

Home for everyone

PoCo is still relatively affordable compared to its neighbours, but Jane would remind us not to take that for granted. I was glad when my immigrant housekeeper told me his family is moving into a new apartment building at Westminster Junction. That’s the kind of housing that keeps PoCo welcoming-homes for beautiful souls who work hard, pray for others, and remind us life is richer because of people like them.

Bei, a proud PoCo resident