Get ready for a packed weekend of exploring the places that define our city with the annual Jane’s Walk NYC.
Hosted by the Municipal Art Society (MAS) since 2011, Jane’s Walk NYC is named after Jane Jacobs, opponent of powerful city planner Robert Moses and author of “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” the 1961 critique of 1950s urban planning policy . In the spirit of Jacobs, the free walks are usually led by local residents and are meant to spark conversations about planning, history, preservation, development, and urban life.
The New York City event is part of a global Jane’s Walk with hundreds of similar programs in cities around the world. The annual celebration runs from May 5 to 7 this year with more than 160 in-person, self-guided, guided, and virtual offerings.
Jane Jacobs in 1961. Photo by Phil Stanziola via Library of Congress
In Brooklyn, there’s an impressive roster of events across the borough.
Get an in-depth look at the controversial Pacific Park (formerly Atlantic Yards) with “A Megaproject Unresolved: What Happened With Atlantic Yards?,” a walk led by watchdog Norman Oder on Friday, May 5 at 6 pm
Gain some green thumb and community building inspiration with a walk through several community gardens with “Cultivating Joy and Uplifting Culture: Bushwick’s Community Garden Network” on Saturday, May 6 at 11 am
Explore the history and diversity of Midwood and Flatbush with a walk that includes stops at Flatbush Dutch Reformed Church and Amersfort Park on Sunday, May 7 at 1 pm with “Dead, Dutch, and Still Around 2023.”
All the events are free but you’ll need to register to find out the meeting locations or get the virtual link info. For more information on all the tours, visit the Jane’s Walk NYC website.
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