May 5-7, 2023

Jane's Walk 2023

Various Locations

Schedule:

Friday, May 5 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 6 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 7 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

A series of walks throughout Calgary over the 3 days. Walks are free and between 1-2.5 hours long.

Jane’s Walk is a global festival of free neighbourhood walking tours held in Calgary and around the world each May. Inspired by writer and activist Jane Jacobs, Jane’s Walk encourages a wide range of people to design and lead a walking tour of an area they know well. Elementary school students, seniors’ clubs, architects, refugee support agencies, artists, urban planners, Indigenous educators, ecologists, and people who make their living through bottle picking have all led Jane’s Walks in Calgary. And many more people too, drawing from a huge diversity of local interests and knowledge.

Jane's Walks help put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves. Since its inception in 2007, Jane's Walk has happened in over 40 North American cities with more partner cities and towns being added in 2023. Jane's Walk honours the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs who championed the interests of local residents and pedestrians over a car-centered approach to planning. Jane's Walk helps knit people together into a strong and resourceful community, instilling belonging and encouraging civic leadership.

All Jane's Walk tours are given and taken for free. These walks are led by anyone who has an interest in the neighbourhoods where they live, work or hang out. They are not always about architecture and heritage, and offer a more personal take on the local culture, the social history and the planning issues faced by the residents. Jane Jacobs believed strongly that local residents understood best how their neighbourhood works, and what is needed to strengthen and improve them. Jane's Walks are meant to be fun, engaging and participatory - everyone's got a story and they're usually keen to share it.

Some Jane’s Walks are designed to explore a theme (wildlife in the city, climate change resiliency, street safety, feminist history, public art, and so on). Others simply aim to shine a little light on a favourite neighbourhood. In either case, Jane’s Walks are fun, free, and informative and depend entirely on volunteers.