This isn’t an actual event, although it will be down the road. But recently I received an email from the organizers of last spring’s Jane Jacobs Walking Tour inviting interested Reginans to consider volunteering to host a tour or help out in some other way at the 2010 event which will be held May 1-2.
Named after the late urban planning expert Jane Jacobs, the walking tours began in Toronto in 2007, and have since spread to dozens of cities, including New York, Vancouver, New Orleans and Calgary. In such books as The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) Jacobs championed the idea of making cities pedestrian-friendly and not whole-heartedly embracing car culture and the endless expansion of suburban sprawl.
At last year’s event, say organizers, over 400 people participated in 12 tours of different Regina neighbourhoods. Walks can relate to all manner of themes, from architecture and culture to history and business. For more information on the Jane’s Walk concept, visit www.janeswalk.net. To contact local organizers about participating in the 2010 event, send an email to janeswalkregina@gmail.com.