2025 Jane's Walks are Coming Up on May 2-4 Weekend
Mark your calendars for May 2 through 4! Feet First is happy to be hosting and promoting Jane’s Walk again this year. Several volunteers are putting together walks and we’ll post them as soon as they are finalized.
If you’d like to lead a walk, please contact us!.
Jane’s Walk is a movement of free, locally led walking tours that celebrate the legacy of Jane Jacobs. It began in Toronto in 2007 and is now an international event held during the first weekend of May.These walks are hosted in the spirit of Jane Jacobs, to inspire people to tell stories about their communities, explore their cities and connect with neighbors. Jacobs was a writer and activist whose book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, continues to motivate urban planners and community advocates. Promoting and hosting Jane’s Walk aligns with Feet First’s mission. Jacobs championed walkable communities, mixed-use development, and people-centered places. She wrote passionately about the ballet of the sidewalk and conditions that allowed community life to flourish. Support of Jane’s Walks enables discussions about walkable communities, helping people explore their environment, connect with neighborhoods, and learn new information about their communities.
Find out more about the woman who continues to spark creative and collaborative approaches to build vibrant, walkable neighborhoods through community-based activism.Feet First has been organizing Jane’s Walks in the Seattle area for over a decade. This year several walks were organized independently by Maisha Barnett, who is a big Jane Jacobs fan and passionate about Jane’s Walks! We’re thrilled to have more folks involved with this great event, and want to honor Maisha’s commitment and passion. We’ve made sure these two walks are listed here as well as the other walks Feet First has helped organize.
If you’d like to lead a walk, please contact us!.
Click on individual walks below
for more information and to register
Seattle Waterfront Walk - Friday May 2, 10am
Jake and Cathy Jaramillo are joint authors of Seattle Stairway Walks (The Mountaineers Press). They will explore the amazing architectural spaces between downtown Freeway Park and the waterfront, with consideration of how these spaces overlap with Jane Jacobs’ urbanist principles. A highlight will be the Overlook Walk, which replaces the old waterfront viaduct with a spectacular new pedestrian connection between Pike Place Market and the 20-acre Waterfront Park and Promenade. The walk begins promptly at 10am Friday, April 2, beneath the portico at the SE corner of 6th Ave and University St, next to Vox Coffee. Our group size is limited to the first 20 registrants. The walk covers 2.9 miles and takes about 3 hours, with 602 stairs down and 639 stairs up. Friday May 2, 10AM
Port Orchard Housing Walk - Saturday May 3, 9:00am
Join a 2-mile loop walk set for 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, May 3, in Port
Orchard. Explore local points of interest with an emphasis on housing and
walkability with Kitsap County officials and neighbors. Meet at Discovery
Alternative School, 2150 Fircrest Dr. S.E. Sponsored by Kitsap County
Community Development.Saturday May 3 at 9:00AM
Seattle's Central Area Jewish History - Saturday May 3, 10:30am
Take a walk through Jewish history in Seattle’s Central Area on Saturday,
May 3rd. Leaving at 10:30AM from Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center on Yesler (itself a former synagogue), Feet First board president and Central
Area resident John Stewart will lead a walk through once-redlined
neighborhoods that were the home of much of Seattle’s early Jewish
communities. The route is just under 1.5 miles and has some elevation
gain.Saturday May 3 at 10:30AM
First Hill Park to Park Loop - Sunday May 4, 10am
Join folks from the First Hill Improvement Association (FHIA) and
community members for a walk along the Park to Park Walking Loop — a
unique route connecting Freeway Park and Yesler Terrace Neighborhood Park.This 1.5-mile round-trip path follows Terry and 8th Avenues, offering a welcoming way to explore First Hill while showcasing the area’s history, unique amenities, and public spaces.
Join us to take a walk, rediscover First Hill, and learn more about neighborhood efforts to improve public space, walkability, and community connections.
The walk takes about 2 hours with stops for stories. There are a couple short, fairly steep grades.