Here's a test....I'm putting a call out on Twitter, Facebook and here on my blog. We need a Jane's Walk in Kingston. Imagine a tour of the uber-cool courtyards, back alley residences and hidden out-of-the-way architecture downtown. Have you ever walked along Bagot Street, peeked down the arched driveway of a row-house and glimpsed a coach house in the alley behind the home? What a treat it would be to share these secret spots.
If you don't know Jane Jacobs, please do yourself a favour and read at least one of her smart, common sense-filled books which contain a vision of liveable cities. She and Richard Florida provided all the motivation we needed for our move downtown. http://www.creativeclass.com/
I've contacted the Canadian director. Now....who wants to be involved???
"No one can find what will work for our cities by looking at ...suburban garden cities, manipulating scale models, or inventing dream cities. You've got to get out and walk." - Jacobs, Downtown is for People, 1957.
A Jane's walk would be great. I've always been a snoop, and downtowns can be pretty interesting. I'd like to see it like the one described in the Globe today, with "marginalized" people leading the way sometimes.
ReplyDeleteFYI - I met Jane a few times, way back...and I loved the fact that her housekeeping style was to have everyone is the family wearing aviator coveralls and sleeping in sleeping bags, at that time!