When author and activist Jane Jacobs died in 2006, many of her peers, colleagues, friends and admirers discussed how best to honour her ideas and legacy. They settled on the idea of “Jane’s Walk”, a series of free neighbourhood strolls that reinforce her idea of walkable, dense and diverse neighbourhoods as the hallmarks of a healthy city. These characteristics help knit people together into a strong and resourceful community. Moreover, Janes Walk gets citizens out connecting with and making their own observations about the city where they live.
For the inaugural Jane’s Walk, held in Toronto on May 5 2007, Jane Jacobs day was proclaimed by Mayor David Miller. Twenty-seven tours were offered by passionate locals and residents through the diverse streets, parks and spaces of the city.
Jane’s Walk 2007 exceeded all expectations in attendance and media interest – clearly there was an appetite for exploring the city from the perspective of those who know their neighbourhood best.
Jane’s Walk was a hit – and so New York City grabbed the idea and ran with it. Last September, the Center for the Living City put on their own Jane’s Walk, to coincide with the Jane Jacobs exhibit at the Municipal Arts Society.
Jane’s Walk is coming to a number of Canadian cities May 3 & 4 2008. Start thinking about the neighbourhood walk you want to lead! It is an exceptional opportunity for people to discover their city; both places they think they know well, and places they want to explore. Leading a tour simply involves planning a route, thinking through the stories and places you want to talk about, then walking the participants through it – you decide what’s important.
For further information contact: Jane Farrow (director) at (janeswalk) dot (net)
Sponsoring Organization: The Centre for City Ecology, Toronto 416-642-5779
Bookmark this site:
