I really don’t know whether to thank Mita Williams or throw pebbles at her.  You see, I had completely forgot about Jane’s Walk until Mita emailed me yesterday asking if I thought we could pull this off with two days of planning.  In all my ignorance, I said YES, knowing I could suck my Scaledown Radio cohost and International Metropolis creator Andrew Foot into the frenzy.

So much for my reno work.  Thanks Mita!

So Saturday, May 2nd we will be joining communities across North America in celebrating the notion of community by hosting a “Jane’s Walk“, a series of free neighbourhood walking tours that helps put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves. Since it’s inception in 2007, Jane’s Walk has happened in twelve North American cities: Toronto, New York, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Halifax, Guelph, Charlottetown, Thornbury, and Salt Lake City. More partner cities and towns are being added in 2009 including Montreal, Regina, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans and now Windsor!

Jane’s Walk honours the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs who championed the interests of local residents and pedestrians over a car-centered approach to planning. Jane’s Walk helps knit people together into a strong and resourceful community, instilling belonging and encouraging civic leadership.

All Jane’s Walk tours are given and taken for free. These walks are led by anyone who has an interest in the neighbourhoods where they live, work or hang out. They are not always about architecture and heritage, and offer a more personal take on the local culture, the social history and the planning issues faced by the residents. Jane Jacobs believed strongly that local residents understood best how their neighbourhood works, and what is needed to strengthen and improve them. Jane’s Walks are meant to be fun, engaged and participatory - everyone’s got a story and they’re usually keen to share it

Over six thousand people took part in the 2008 Jane’s Walk . In Toronto, for instance, there were seventy four walking tours, including six student-led tours, that explored a wide range of urban landscapes, from social housing slated for redevelopment, to areas with a rich architectural and cultural heritage, to teen hangouts and secret gardens. Walks are led by both individual and small groups. Some are focussed around historical themes more than geographical areas, for instance, some strolls have been built around ideas like the history of the bicycle, gay and lesbian history, places of relevance to the homeless, the history of ‘skid row’, and urgent planning matters facing certain neighbourhoods.

We would love to have you participate in the first walk in Windsor. Rain or shine, we are meeting at Taloola Cafe at 396 Devonshire Road in Old Walkerville, this Saturday May 2 at 11:00 am. The walk is for an hour, give or take, as we look at the way Walkerville’s historical buildings have been creatively re-used to meet the needs of today’s residents. We will also imagine improvements to the neighbourhood and discuss ways to take the best of Walkerville into the future.  Click here for a map of the tentative route.

On Facebook?  An event pages has been created for the event.  Mita, Andrew and I promise that next years Jane’s Walk will be planned well in advance to give you more notice, but consider this a dry run in anticipation for bigger and better neighbourhood walks in the future!

I hope you have time in your busy schedule to join us for a nice stroll through Walkerville.

Tags: community power, Jane Jacobs, pedestrian, walkerville