--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Backward cities, or younger cities, or…" description: "\"Backward cities, or younger cities, or newly forming cities in supply regions, have to develop to a great extent on one another's shoulders. This is on..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/jane-jacobs-1991_cities_backward-cities-or-younger-cities-or-new_2568036.png" --- # Backward cities, or younger cities, or newly forming… ![“Backward cities, or younger cities, or newly forming cities in supply regions, have to develop to a great extent on one another's shoulders. This is one of the terrible things about empires.” quote by Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/jane-jacobs-1991_cities_backward-cities-or-younger-cities-or-new_2568036.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/jane-jacobs-1991_cities_backward-cities-or-younger-cities-or-new_2568036.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/jane-jacobs-1991_cities_backward-cities-or-younger-cities-or-new_2568036.png) > “Backward cities, or younger cities, or newly forming cities in supply regions, have to develop to a great extent on one another's shoulders. This is one of the terrible things about empires.” [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cities that lag behind rely heavily on each other, creating fragile interdependence that fuels imperial strain. **In simple terms:** Dependent cities strain empires. Key Takeaway Recognize and reduce over‑reliance. Themes urbanism interdependence imperialism development fragility Mood analytical concerned Type critical observational When to use this quote - regional policy - infrastructure planning - economic diversification Key Concepts systems theory regional economics urban planning Questions to Reflect On - How can cities foster self‑sufficiency? - What policies break harmful dependencies? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance can stifle local innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Backward Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backward-cities-1665664/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Cities Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities-younger-1665666/) [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [Forming Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forming-cities-1665667/) [Regions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regions/) [Regions Develop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regions-develop-1665665/) [Shoulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoulders/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Terrible things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-things/) [Younger Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/younger-cities-1665668/) ## Related quotes > [In trading with each other cities can't be in too different stages of development, and they can't copy one another. 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"Surely we can manage a conversation on a topic other than our respective terrible evenings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/what-a-sad-pair-we-are-she-said-surely-we-can-manage-a-conversation/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [It's a terrible thing that your life turns into a good story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/it-s-a-terrible-thing-that-your-life-turns-into-a-good-story/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [In my former life I was in insider, as much as anybody else. And I knew what it's like, and I still know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/in-my-former-life-i-was-in-insider-as-much-as-anybody-else-and-i-knew/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) ## More by Jane Jacobs > [People who try to predict the future by extrapolating in a line of more of what exists - they are always wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/people-who-try-to-predict-the-future-by-extrapolating-in-a-line-of/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [My mother used to say when we were children, 'When a boy gets a stick in his hand, his brains run out the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/my-mother-used-to-say-when-we-were-children-when-a-boy-gets-a-stick/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [Design is people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/design-is-people/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [To approach a city, or even a city neighborhood, as if it were a larger architectural problem, capable of being given order by converting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/to-approach-a-city-or-even-a-city-neighborhood-as-if-it-were-a-larger/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them… for really new ideas of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/cities-need-old-buildings-so-badly-it-is-probably-impossible-for/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [The notion that you could discard the old world and now make a new one. 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One regional German government after another was toppled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cross-giblin/all-germany-was-in-turmoil-revolutionaries-seized-power-in-the-cities/) [James Cross Giblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cross-giblin/) > [Nice is a city of ghosts and specters, but I hope not to become one of them right away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-modiano/nice-is-a-city-of-ghosts-and-specters-but-i-hope-not-to-become-one-of/) [Patrick Modiano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-modiano/) > [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/) [Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... 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I knew -- the moon's picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-too-tired-to-think-i-merely-felt-the-town-as-a-unique-unreality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 7,153 Cities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Backward cities, or younger cities, or newly forming cities in supply regions, have to develop to a great extent on one another's shoulders. 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