Yonge-Dundas Square Leads A Jane’s Walk On The Importance Of Public Plazas

The Yonge-Dundas Square is proud and excited to lead a Jane’s Walk to discuss the importance of public plazas and how design and programming can encourage social interactions and contribute to the economic vitality of surrounding areas. 

On Saturday, May 6th at 11:00 AM, join us on a walk to discover our public arts starting from David Pecaut Square, to Nathan Phillips Square and coming back to Yonge-Dundas Square. Led by our colleagues Julian Sleath and Jenneen Beattie, this walk is part of Jane’s Walk, an annual festival of free, community-led walking conversations. We encourage all participants to come forward and share their ideas for these public spaces. 

“Great public spaces also provide opportunities for play and recreation. Making our spaces a series of places to go to, rather than just spaces to go through, can also increase the amount of walking and bicycling. Inspired by the late great Jane Jacob’s conversations about public space and streets, we want to have a conversation about how we can provide “public peace” in the urban areas of the 21st century. This walk covers three very different plazas in Toronto, each created decades apart”, says Julian Sleath, General Manager of Yonge-Dundas Square.

From May 5 to 7, 2023, Jane’s Walk will offer guided walks of Toronto neighbourhoods, panel discussions and film screenings. 

Follow us on social media to be informed about all upcoming events. 

About Jane’s Walk

Jane’s Walk is an annual festival of free, community-led walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs – a journalist, author, theorist, activist, and proud Torontonian. On the first weekend of May every year, Jane’s Walk festivals take place in hundreds of cities around the world. Jane’s Walks encourage people to share stories about their neighbourhoods, discover unseen aspects of their communities, and use walking as a way to connect with their neighbours. The Jane's Walk festival is largely volunteer-run and donor-funded. Since the festival's launch in 2007, Jane's Walks have been held in nearly 500 cities across 6 continents.

Yonge-Dundas Square