April 29, 2016

Rediscover Downtown Fargo Through Jane Jacobs’ Eyes

The best way to plan for downtown is to see how people use it today; to look for its strengths and to exploit and reinforce them. Designing a dream city is easy; rebuilding a living one takes imagination.
Jane Jacobs, Downtown is for People, Fortune, 1958

It was more than 50 years ago that Jane Jacobs penned her essay outlining her enduring approach to urban planning. Many of her observations ring true today and are central to Kilbourne Group’s belief that vibrant downtowns create smart, healthy cities.

Jacobs believed that the only way to effectively develop a city was with input from residents. Her call to action to all citizens: You’ve got to get out and walk.

Jacobs knew that to truly get to know a city and its needs, you must walk around it. To celebrate her work, communities all over the world host walks, encouraging walkers to rediscover the beauty and vitality of their neighborhood.

Kilbourne Group and Folkways are teaming to host a walk through downtown Fargo (WalkScore 86) on what would have been Jane Jacobs’ 100^th birthday. We’ll meet at noon in the US Bank Plaza and spend an hour discovering what Jacobs would have seen as the strengths of the downtown Fargo neighborhood.

Event information

Date & Time: Wednesday, May 4, 2016; 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Event Start/End: The event will start and end at US Bank Plaza – 201 Broadway

About Jane Jacobs