Beaverton residents are invited to tour local landmarks and celebrate the village’s history on Saturday (May 4) during the Jane’s Walk event.

Named in honour of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs, it’s a community-based approach to city building that uses citizen-led walking tours to make space for people to observe, reflect, share, question and re-imagine the places in which they live, work and play.

“Jacobs saw cities as dynamic, complex ecosystems with their own logic and order. With a keen eye for detail, she wrote eloquently about sidewalks, parks, design, and self-organization. She advocated for higher density in cities, short blocks, local economies, and mixed use zoning. Jacobs helped derail the car-centered approach to urban planning in both New York and Toronto and invigorated neighbourhood activism by helping to stop the expansion of expressways and roads. She lived in Greenwich Village until 1968, when she moved to Toronto and continued her work and writing on urbanism, economics, and social issues until her death in April 2006,” reads the event website.

“A firm believer in the importance of local residents having input on how their neighbourhoods develop, Jacobs encouraged people to familiarize themselves with the places where they live, work, and play.”

Locally, volunteers will be leading a tour of the village landmarks starting at 10:30 a.m. in front of Barney’s Restaurant at the harbour. It’s slated to wrap up around noon at Beaverton Public School, which is hosting an alumni celebration throughout much of the day along with Thorah Central.

“Most people, including myself, don’t know the significance of where they live in terms of the history or simply the stories of the community,” said organizer Negin Khorasoni.

“As social animals, we need to be connected to each other, our community and our environment. Jane’s Walk encourages it all.”

For more information on the Jane’s Walk Beaverton, click HERE.