For everyone out there interested in urban planning, there are two events you should be aware of.

This weekend there are free Jane’s Walks going on in cities across Canada and the USA (including Winnipeg, family). Named after urbanist Jane Jacob’s, the walks are intended to encourage walkable neighbourhoods and help people reconnect with their environment. Here in Vancouver, the walks fill up fast, but they just made a few more spots available.

Emily and I will be attending a Sunday afternoon walk in our new neighbourhood: “Old Mount Pleasant – A Victorian Village”. Should be interesting.

The second event worth noting is the Where’s the Square? contest. Vancouver sorely lacks a car-free public space for people to gather, and the Vancouver Public Space network is trying to change that. Yesterday they announced the short list entries in their contest. One entry I was hoping to see, Lantern Park, didn’t make the cut. Of the 13 entries that did, I haven’t decided who to vote for yet.