A street-level celebration of Jane Jacobs ideas and legacy

May 2 & 3, 2009

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Jane's Walk is coming to 24 Canadian cities and towns this year, with about the same number in the United States, and one walk in Mumbai, India. We've officially gone global! We're on track to explore over 260 neighbourhoods across the country May 2 & 3 - there's never been a better time to get out and meet your neighbours and discover your city. Toronto has 117 tours scheduled. In 2008, six thousand people took part in Jane's Walk, walking through 141 neighbourhoods in eleven Canadian cities. Inspired by urban activist Jane Jacobs and her grassroots approach to city-building, the walks put people in touch with their environment and with each other, bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves. Jane's Walk is a simple idea that can be adapted to all kinds of different communities and settings. Some tours look at urbanism and the built environment; some wind their way through parks and ravines; some introduce walkers to vibrant street life; and some focus on a neighbourhood's social history and hidden stories. Here's a simple tip sheet on leading a Jane's Walk The life and work of Jane Jacobs, a Toronto resident from 1968 until her death in 2006, continue to inspire citizens and planners to look closely at how people live, work and play in their urban environment. First published in 1961, Jane Jacobs' classic book The Death and Life of the Great American Cities was based on the day-to-day observation of street life in diverse city neighbourhoods. Jane Jacobs' eye was always at ground level, and she felt strongly that no grand planning scheme could substitute for an understanding of people's everyday experience of the city. For her, the best way to get to know parks, sidewalks and streets was on foot. As she put it, "You've got to get out and walk!"

2009 Jane's Walk Schedule

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