Here’s another great event to add to your calendar: the 2015 Louisville Jane Jacobs Walk. Organized by the University of Louisville Planning Student Organization (PSO), the walk takes place on Saturday, April 4 from 10:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. This year’s walk will be led by Metro Councilperson and local historian Tom Owen and will explore the Butchertown neighborhood, beginning at the Butchertown Market, 1201 Story Avenue. According to the PSO, “We will be looking at the historical elements of the neighborhood, as well as the economic redevelopment potential.”
As many of you will know, Jane Jacobs is among the most revered urbanists, as much for her book, Death and Life of Great American Cities, as for her community-first approach to activism that helped save New York City’s Washington Square Park and Greenwich Village from destruction by a major elevated highway proposal. Jacobs was notably not trained as a city planner, and it’s this outsider viewpoint that helped make her common sense observations resonate with generations of architects, planners, and everyday citizens who were concerned about the built environment.
This year’s Jane Jacobs Walk in Butchertown includes a lunch reception at Copper & Kings distillery. The walk is free, but organizers have asked those interested in lunch for a $5 donation. Space is limited and organizers encourage reserving a spot early. Louisville’s walk is part of an international Jane Jacobs Walk program by the nonprofit Center for the Living City. Stay up to date with the event on its website or its Facebook page.
