Join WSP Eco-Projects and Washington Square Park Blog on a special Jane’s Walk, fittingly in honor of Jane Jacobs (pictured above), who had a rich history of community organizing in the fight to preserve Washington Square Park. This unique walk, taking place Friday, May 5th, 1 p.m. (RAIN OR SHINE), will cover an intriguing range of topics, related to the park history and its very nature.
As far as the overall Jane’s Walk mission, the organizers, based in Toronto, write: “Jacobs believed in walkable neighbourhoods, urban literacy, and cities planned for and by people. That is, for a city to work, the people who live there must be involved in decisions about how the city grows and is run.”
Notably, some of the NYC park walks are being conducted by private organizations which is not the same as community-led walks more in the original spirit of the Jane’s Walks, now held worldwide.
Come honor Jane Jacobs in the place that was so special to her: Washington Square Park.
Join Washington Square Park Blog & WSP Eco-Projects May 5th as we explore:
Flora, Fauna & Folk Riots: The Nature and Social History of Washington Square Park:
A guided nature awareness tour of Washington Square Park to discover nature big and small, stationary and in flight, visible and hidden. Do you know the species of the oldest living tree in the park? How much stormwater does a 40-inch London planetree capture? Where is the quietest path in the park? Are there any clues to the location of the hidden stream in the park? We will consider these questions and more during the walk.
Plus, from the famous 1961 folk riots over the clamping down of music to the community involvement in the installation of the Arch to the 20,000 dead bodies buried beneath it to its more recent, contentious redesign during the Bloomberg years (which moved the fountain from its original location 22 feet east to “align” with the Arch, among other things), Washington Square Park has a storied and fascinating history which we’ll explore within this Jane’s Walk.
Meet Friday, May 5th 1 p.m. Washington Square Park Southeast Corner (intersects West 4th and University Place) * free.
Photo: Cathryn