Jane's Walk: The Olmsted Vision

This Sunday we led a stairway walk for Feet First, in honor of Jane Jacobs. She was a journalist and urban critic who in 1961 published the influential book The Death and Life of Great American Cities. "Jane's Walks" have been taking place all over the country, with Feet First sponsoring more than a dozen of them here in Seattle. Jacobs believed that restrictive zoning laws and homogenous urban renewal projects were sapping the vitality of cities and contributing to urban blight. Instead she argued that high-density, mixed-use neighborhoods, with lots of "eyes on the street," were the best model for a vibrant urban community. The purpose of Jane's Walks is to explore and reflect on our own urban environment, and consider what makes our own neighborhoods successful and human-scaled. 

About 25 folks joined us and our special co-leader Jennifer Ott for a stroll along the Olmsted-influenced neighborhoods of Montlake, Stevens and Capitol Hill (Chapter 14 in the book). Jennifer, a historian and President of Friends of Seattle's Olmsted Parks, told us the story of how John C. Olmsted left a huge imprint on the quality of life in Seattle, planning much of the open space that gives both variety and continuity to our neighborhoods.  

Climbing up the 22nd Avenue StairsFor more pictures of our Jane's Walk adventure, check out the slides below. To learn about Feet First walks, check out their website. Their next walk, the "Stadium District Walk and Talk," is coming up soon.