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Centre for City Ecology

Q & A with Jane Farrow, Director

Jane Jacobs would have been proud. Since 2007, 7000 people have gone on walks, named in her tribute, to explore 150 neighbourhoods in 10 North American cities. Led by local artists, activists, poets mayors, and historians, Jane’s Walk provides insights into urban history, planning, design and the need for civic engagement.

The Centre for City Ecology (CCE), which runs Jane’s Walk, is a think tank influenced by the writings of Jane Jacobs. They seek to increase the awareness and influence of residents in shaping the cities and neighbourhoods where they live.

What is the Centre for City Ecology?

The Centre was the brainwave of Margie Zeidler and Mary Rowe, two close friends and colleagues of Jane Jacobs. The Centre organizes Jane’s walks across the country, and partners with others around the world, but that’s not the only thing we do. For instance, we are launching Walkability Studies in the Inner Suburbs this fall in Toronto, and intend on creating a Walkability Tool Kit on the web that can be used by anyone interested in doing an environmental audit in their neighbourhood.

Why do you personally care about how cities evolve?

For a long time, I was involved with a neighbourhood organization advocating for sustainable development in a heated area of Toronto. We’ve lost a lot of battles. This made me want to dig in and help the community have more say in how their neighbourhoods develop and change.”

What do you want people to see on Jane’s walks?

I want people to get out there and explore their city and places they live. I want people to get out and embrace the joy of walking, whether that’s hurrying home from work, strolling to the store for a quart of milk, meandering through alleyways and green spaces, or just heading out for a neighbourhood they’ve never visited and taking the time to get lost.

Why is urban literacy an issue for you?

Because people should have greater influence on how their cities and neighbourhoods are shaped and used. Urban Literacy is about understanding how cities work, how we can engage with local government, planners, institutions and each other to make our cities more livable and sustainable.

How does Tides help you achieve these goals?

Tides and their Sage Centre have been a godsend. They connected us to funders, walk leaders, community groups, and government who have helped us move forward. In less than a year they helped us turn Jane’s Walks from a local grassroots initiative to an international phenomenon .

View photos from past walks HTTP://www.flickr.com/photos/janeswalk

Learn more about Jane’s Walk and the Centre for City Ecology