Jane's Walk

ABOUT THE JANE’S WALK TEAM
The Jane’s Walk team is comprised of a small staff, a formal advisory council, and a team of volunteer city organizers, walk leaders and community partners who work together to engage their communities to ‘get out and walk’, observe, learn and converse.

Walk Leaders
“The feedback on our walk has been really encouraging – people had a good time, met some people, learned some new facts, had some new thoughts and felt more connected to our city, our neighbourhoods and the insights Jane Jacobs offered.”
- Calgary, AB

“People were clapping in the end of each walk… it was just fun to be a part of it, knowing it is just the start of something wonderful and so important.”
- Tel Aviv, Israel

“The students were bursting to talk about their neighbourhood.  You know, this is where we go to school, this is the strip mall where we get food, this is how we walk to school.  Inside information.  And Jane’s Walk gives them this opportunity they wouldn’t otherwise get, to say, Hey!  I live in a great neighbourhood, and this is why and this is what we do, and this is why I’m proud of my neighbourhood. 
- UTS High School, Toronto

Community Partners
“It was such an excellent opportunity to promote all the great things going on in Regent Park and everyone at Focus enjoyed participating.” 
- Director of Regent Park Focus, Toronto.

“In both communities, a negative reputation based on media coverage of violent events often overshadows positive growth but all the people I met who live in those neighbourhoods love living there, and work hard to make their communities better places,”
- Community facilitator in Malvern and Jane & Finch, Toronto

“The community really values and takes care of the neighbourhood, and their pride shows!”
- Scarborough-Midland Park

City Organizers
“The beauty of Jane’s Walk and why people want to be part of it is because it is a larger idea and conversation that takes place here and around the world. It builds great sense of citizen engagement that is bigger than your community or place.”
- Regina, SK

“Many people, also the ones who didn’t attend, perceived the walks and their aim very positively, we got various proposals for holding the walks in other parts of Ljubljana and other cities and towns in Slovenia next year. We are thus seriously considering to upsize the event next year. As we see it, the walks may serve also as a trigger for local mobilisation.”
- Ljubljana, Slovenia

“Jane’s Walk is a beautiful and important social institution, which builds community, grounds citizens, creates conversation, relationships and a healthy environment. People really appreciate the Jane’s Walk infrastructure and local Jane’s Walk organizer to help create the space for sharing their interests with a broader public.”
- Vancouver, BC

Staff
Peter Foley, Director has started a few technology firms, was educated in Urban Studies, and has explored the streets of many cities.  Fanny Martin, Event Manager studied Public Art, was an organizer for the Manchester Jazz Festival, among other cultural events, and speaks four languages. Rani Sanderson, Community Manager loves engaging community partners, is a Digital Storyteller, and has a past life VJ’ing across Europe.

Advisory Committee
Anne Peters, Chair Ann Peters, Chair, has worked as Senior Manager, Leadership Programs for the Maytree Foundation,  in alternative education and nonprofit housing, as an urban planner and is passionate about urban literacy. Chi Nguyen works for the United Way, as the Manager of Neighbourhoods and Community Investment, and is a strong advocate for women and girls. Eli Malinsky is the Director of Programs & Partnerships at the Centre for Social Innovation, taking the lead on the upcoming Regent Park initiative.  Linda Weichel is the Vice President, Partnerships with the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance, and oversees its environmental initiative, Greening Greater Toronto. Margie Zeidler likes to renovate old buildings and create interesting and diverse communities in them.  She owns 401 Richmond and the Robertson Building (where she co-founded the Centre for Social Innovation).  She is also the co-founder of Jane’s Walk and the Centre for City Ecology.  She won the Jane Jacobs Prize in 2003. Michael Adam Murray works for the Ontario Arts Council as their Popular and World Music Officer.  He has initiated several emerging cultural alternatives for youth.  He is also a musician.   A landscape architect and certified arborist who plans and designs parks for the City of Toronto, Netami Stuart is committed to producing accessible, beautiful and functional public spaces.