Walks to identify civic issues

This is the first time that the Jane Jacobs walks are being organised in the city to mark the birth anniversary of the American-Canadian journalist activist whose grassroots efforts helped protect neighbourhoods

Walk, observe, connect and share. This is the latest way to identifying local civic issues. Scores of people are expected to go round their neighbourhood this weekend, reviving the spirit of the famous Jane Jacobs Walk. The walks will be conducted at Moghalpura and Marredpally on Saturday and Sunday.

At Moghalpura, the walk will start from Daira Mir Momin (Hari Bowli) at 7.30 am on May 9 and will be led by conservation architect Surya Narayana Murthy and the next day walk will start from St. Ann’s School at 7.30 am and will be led by Prof. Naheema Shahnawaz.

The walks have been organised and co-ordinated by Architects Abdul Bari and Sneha Parthasarathy. Various NGOs, walkers association and cycle track development organisations are being roped in to encourage people leave their homes and experience their own areas.

The walks are an attempt to understand the subtleties that make different neighbourhoods sustain in a certain way due to their own histories, cultures, demographics and spatial development. Jane Jacobs Walks are being organised by a group of architects and planners. These walks are held worldwide every year in the month of May to commemorate the birthday of Jane Jabobs. She is an American-Canadian urban activist, who believed in making cities more humane and inclusive.