Jane’s Walk

Familiar stranger encounters in everyday urban life: Understanding their importance for belonging - Urban Studies Zahnow and Corcoran discuss their Urban Studies paper: Familiar stranger encounters in everyday urban life: Understanding their importance for belonging

When we invest in small, human-scale interactions, we invest in healthier cities.

Read the research here: www.urbanstudiesjournal.com/familiar-str...

🌍 Jane’s Walk is a global festival of volunteer-led walks held every year on the first weekend of May, run entirely by volunteers. 💛 Thanks to community support and donations, it remains free and accessible to all.

It’s a chance to connect more deeply with your community and the people in it.

Jane's Walk – Jane's Walk is a festival of free, community-led walking conversations. The 2025 Jane’s Walk Festival Weekend is May 2, 3, and 4 — online and around the world! The Jane’s Walk Steering Committee encourages city organizers to make decisions about their local festivals that...

By joining and leading walks, you strengthen local knowledge, civic connection, and that vital sense of belonging. To see if there are walks in your city, visit janeswalk.org and join us this May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd!

Jane’s Walk Festival builds on these ideas by inviting people to walk together, observe their surroundings, and share stories about the places they move through every day.

Decades after Jane Jacobs wrote about the importance of everyday street life, urban research continues to support her insights. Studies on familiar strangers show that simply recognizing the same people in public spaces helps build comfort, trust, and a sense of belonging.

Wishing our Jane’s Walk community happy holidays and a wonderful New Year 2026. 🧡

Thank you for being part of this journey and for your support throughout the 2025 Festival and the year. Here’s to more walks, stories, and caring conversations that strengthen our cities. 🎊

Exciting News! We're thrilled to announce that starting in 2026, the Edmonton Heritage Council will be the new organizing partner for Jane's Walk YEG.

Watch for updates in January about next year's walks, including info sessions to help you get involved.

Thank you so much @uoftcities.bsky.social and Canadian Urban Institute

What an honour to be highlighted alongside so many amazing organizations. 🙏

Jane's Walk was featured in the Learning From What Works initiative led by @uoftcities.bsky.social and the Canadian Urban Institute

This Giving Tuesday, we’re raising $6,000 for the 2026 Toronto Jane’s Walk Festival.
👉 Donate: www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/100392
And wherever you are, consider supporting your local Jane’s Walk organizers.

Today, it’s a 100% volunteer-led movement. With 5,000+ walks in Toronto and walks in nearly 500 cities worldwide.
Donations support the basics that make walks possible.

A simple idea powers Jane’s Walk:
People coming together to share stories about the places they call home.

Jane Jacobs reminded us that presence matters. ✨

The simple act of walking, participating, and connecting with neighbours is what shapes thriving communities.

Trust and Community take time. 🌿
#CommunityTrust #PublicSpaces #JaneJacobs #JanesWalkFestival #SafeNeighborhoods

Thank you, Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, for featuring a Jane’s Walk story! Words by Wesley Reibeling 🙌
🔗https://www.oala.ca/ground-published-issues

To me, Jane's Walk is ___________? Help us fill in the blank!
There are no wrong answers.

Jane's Walk Toronto, plazaPOPS, De.Siertos Andantes, Kerjajalan

From Jane's Walk.

These quotes from our walk leaders, gathered by our 2025 Festival Organizers, capture the heart of what Jane’s Walk is all about: stories, connection, and community.

💬 Got a memory that’s stayed with you? Share it with us! Submissions open until Nov 30.Using this link: form.typeform.com/to/C52ZILep

Share Your Jane’s Walk Story with us! We’re writing a book about Jane’s Walk, and we’d love for you to be part of it. 💛
👉 Submit your story by November 30, 2025: form.typeform.com/to/C52ZILep
Or email/voice record to: contact@janeswalk.net

Each year in the first week of May, we honour her legacy not with statues — but with walking conversations, shared stories, and street-level connection. 👣💬

Walking With Us.
#JaneJacobs #PublicSpace #Urbanism

Jane’s Walk began in Toronto in 2007 as a grassroots tribute to Jane Jacobs — the legendary urbanist who championed people-first, community-led cities. 🌆🚶‍♀️

Today, it's a global movement in 500+ cities — but Toronto remains its heart. ❤️

#JanesWalk #WalkWithUs

Donate | Jane's Walk Toronto Festival Support Jane’s Walk Toronto Festival! Your donation helps keep our community-led public walks free and open to everyone. Help us bring more stories, voices, and neighborhoods to life—contribute today!

💛 Support the Festival:

Jane’s Walk is 100% volunteer-powered. Help keep it free and community-led:
👉 Donate here: www.janeswalkfestivalto.com/donate

📌 Tips for walkers:

Be respectful, dress for the weather, wear comfy shoes, and don’t walk on private property. No RSVP needed — just show up and walk.

Walks List Explore the Walks List for Jane’s Walk Toronto Festival! Discover a variety of free, community-led walking tours that showcase unique stories, neighborhoods, and perspectives across the city. Find a w...

🗓 Highlights this weekend:

• May 3 @ 3PM: Ookwemin Minising (Villiers Island) walk with City staff

• May 4 @ 1PM: Little Jamaica walk with Anyika Mark & Romain Baker

www.janeswalkfestivalto.com/walks

🚲 Bike Share Toronto is offering $3 off a Day Pass with code JANESWALK (May 2–5), thanks to a partnership with Tangerine. Ride to a walk — or just explore like Jane would’ve.

Walks List Explore the Walks List for Jane’s Walk Toronto Festival! Discover a variety of free, community-led walking tours that showcase unique stories, neighborhoods, and perspectives across the city. Find a w...

🌆 Find your walk:
janeswalkfestivalto.com/walks

📊 Prefer a spreadsheet?
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Walks kick-off today! 🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏿🚶🏼‍♂️

With 150+ walks across the city, this is the biggest Jane’s Walk in Toronto’s history — and you're part of it.
From stories of hidden histories to bold ideas for the future, these community-led walking conversations bring people together!

Café Wim was one of my favourite places when I first moved to Ottawa, so I was delighted to find references in works by Colin McAdam and Andre Alexis. Join me next weekend @janeswalk.bsky.social #Ottawa to find out more #WriteOttwa

transportation-equity-north-etobicoke | Jane's Walk Toronto Festival

I'll be co-leading a #BikeTO @janeswalk.bsky.social in Etobicoke this Saturday morning.
Come to the suburbs and learn about cycling & pedestrian infrastructure design, traffic signals, accessibility, equity & more
Bring questions.
We will have stickers.

www.janeswalkfestivalto.com/saturday-may...

Full walk list for this weekend is here! www.janeswalkfestivalto.com/walks

There’s one in beautiful Trillium Park on Saturday morning 🍃