The Urban Ecology Centre is organizing a number of Montreal neighborhood walks on May 2 and 3 as part of the grassroots Jane's Walk initiative, named in honor of urbanist and activist Jane Jacobs.
Jacobs, the author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, was a passionate advocate for human scale in urban planning. She believed that the bustle of urban life was best observed at sidewalk level and preached that the only way to understand a city was by walking it. She also believed that cities were for people, not cars. That made her something of a crazy prophet when she landed in Toronto from New York in 1968.
Jane's Walk originated in Toronto in 2007, a year after Jacobs died at age 89. The walks have spread to 40 cities and counting. This is the first year Montreal is participating. So far, rambles through Outremont, Villeray, Shaughnessy Village and the Plateau are scheduled. Keep an eye on the web site, other walks might be added. Of course, if you'd like to organize and lead a walk yourself, the Urban Ecology Centre would be glad to hear from you.
UPDATE - They've added a whole bunch more walks since yesterday. Keep checking in!
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