“No one can find what will work for our cities by looking at … suburban garden cities, manipulating scale models, or inventing dream cities. You’ve got to get out and walk.”
— Jane Jacobs, ‘Downtown is for People’ (Fortune Classic, 1958)
Jane Jacobs was a writer and activist who believed in a community-based approach to city building and encouraged people to familiarize themselves with the places where they live, work, and play. In 2006 a group of her friends and colleagues created The Jane’s Walk Project as a way to honor her, and the walks are organized and led by volunteers around the world.
Sam Goodman, an urban planner in the Office of the Bronx Borough President, leads tours in the Bronx that includes a brief history of the Grand Concourse and an explanation of the development of its neighborhoods and communities. Two years ago, I went along on one of his walks that took us inside some iconic buildings.
Jane’s Walks are held each year in May. Find one in your community, or venture out to learn about a different neighborhood.
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