In honor of the pioneering urbanist, who would have been 101 years old this week, citizens are organizing "Jane's Walks" in cities across the globe.
This week, it's been 101 years since Jane Jacobs was born. As they have for a decade, Jacobs aficionados are celebrating the urbanist icon by organizing and participating in "Jane's Walks."
Renée Loth writes, "In the 10 years since they began, in Toronto, these free, citizen-run walks have been organized from Calgary to Calcutta — a global festival of architecture, open space, civic engagement, and local history."
"In this centennial year, Jacobs is getting a lot of attention: new biographies and reconsiderations of her influence abound. 'Citizen Jane,' a documentary coproduced by Robert Hammond, a creator of New York’s wildly popular High Line, opens this week."
Loth does mention that "the Jacobs legacy of 'citizen planners' is not without its faults. It can lead to NIMBYism, blind faith in populist amateurs, and blanket disdain for institutions. But if it weren't for Jacobs and the neighborhood preservation movements she inspired, the walkers of Roslindale [in Boston] would probably be navigating the Southwest Expressway, not looking for ways to connect to the Southwest Corridor Park."
FULL STORY: One legacy of Jane Jacobs: community walks around the globe
Study: Americans Spending Less Time Interacting in Public Space
American pedestrians are moving faster and spending less time connecting with other people when walking down city streets.
Denver to Shift Sidewalk Repair Work to City, Funded by Property Owners
The city is shifting from a piecemeal approach to sidewalk repairs that charged property owners with doing the work to a more streamlined, city-led process.
When ‘Prioritizing All Modes’ Is a Lie
In many cases, it’s impossible to prioritize the safety of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users without sacrificing some speed.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
U.S. Miles Driven Rose by 1 Percent in 2024
Americans drove a total of 3.279 trillion miles in 2024, but per capita VMT stayed the same.
Seattle Recorded Zero Bike Deaths in 2024, per Early Data
The city halved the number of pedestrian deaths compared to 2021.
Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research