Saturday May 5, 2018 10 AM: Jane’s Walk Plattsburgh NY

Jane Jacobs was an author, activist, and inspiration to many of today’s urban planners and advocates. She fought (and usually won!) battles against traditional urban “redevelopment” which, she pointed out, basically consisted of bulldozing successful neighborhoods in order to build bland buildings with little if any connection to or respect for the communities that were being “improved.” Her book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities has a critical place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in cities anywhere in the world. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, she lived and worked in New York City’s Greenwich Village for many years and later moved to Toronto where she died in 2006.

After her death, Toronto proclaimed a Jane Jacobs Day which is now celebrated with walks throughout the world in her honor at the beginning of May (her birthday was May 4). They are typically led by volunteers from the community who enjoy sharing the place where they live with friends, neighbors, and tourists from near and far. Exploring on foot, with eyes wide open and joined by friends and neighbors is one of the best ways to enjoy a living city. There is more information at https://janeswalk.org or at http://www.janejacobswalk.org/2018-walks/new-york-plattsburgh-downtown-walk

Join us for our first Jane’s walk on May 5, 2018, and mark the first Saturday in May on your calendar for next year. We hope to make this an annual event because as many people (not least of all Jane Jacobs) have pointed out, cities are living and changing organisms. Something is always happening and there's always something new. Some changes are big and inescapable, but others are more subtle.

We’ll meet at City Hall for a one-hour walk through downtown. It’s an easy walk with no stairs. Rain date this year (and in the future) will be the Sunday following our walk. There is no charge.