RTPI Young Planners: Jane’s Walks – Free Liverpool Walking Tours

For 10 years, people all over the world who are passionate about places, have been organising walking tours in the name of one very special lady, urbanist Jane Jacobs.

Now in its fourth year operating in Liverpool, the Royal Town Planning Institute Young Planners have organised a series of free walking tours around Liverpool on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 May 2016.

Led by some very passionate tour guides, come along and find out what makes these areas come alive. Meet the people, places and projects that give these areas their unique character!

Tours on Saturday 7 May:

11am – 12.30pm
Baltic Triangle, led by Gerry Proctor of Engage Liverpool

2.30pm – 4pm
Granby and Welsh Streets, led by Marianne Heaslip and Gemma Jerome of Terrace21

Tours on Sunday 8 May:

11am – 12.30pm
Liverpool Waterfront, led by Professor Ian Wray of University of Liverpool

2.30pm – 4pm
Liverpool ONE, led by Graham Marshall of Pro Social Liverpool

These tours are part of Jane’s Walks, an international celebration of the life and works of Jane Jacobs. Jacobs was an American-Canadian writer who revolutionised the way people think about cities and their development. Every year, 500 cities across the world host ‘Jane’s Walks’ – urban tours to discuss her legacy.  Jane Jacobs was a fierce critic of the damaging urban renewal policies of the 1950s, which were universally supported at the time. These included high-rise housing projects which she felt created environments that isolated tenants and became centres of crime, poverty and despair.

Kim Cooper, vice chair of RTPI North West Young Planners and Jane’s Walk coordinator for the city, who has been instrumental in organising these tours said:

“Liverpool has always been a city of radical thinking and embraces pioneers like Jane Jacobs who challenge convention and are prepared to say; ‘there is a better way’. An initiative like Jane’s Walks on the one hand is about heritage and discovery and on the other about generating new ideas for the future and is something in which I’m sure she would have encouraged.”

Pick a tour to come on, or come to them all. For more details about each tour and to book your free place visit: http://liverpoolwalks.eventbrite.co.uk

Contact Liverpool Coordinators kim.cooper@arup.com or ian.ford@arup.com for further details.