On Saturday, May 2, communities around Maine will hold free, volunteer-led walking conversations emphasizing the power of individuals to influence the places they live and the participatory planning approaches that have helped people connect, support each other, and improve a sense of shared identity. Nearly 70 walks are planned in 34 cities and towns across the state, from Kittery to Eastport. Portland alone will host 18 walks.

“Jane’s Walk is a wonderful way for everyday Mainers to celebrate the importance of place and place-keeping in their communities,” said Tara Kelly, executive director of Maine Preservation, in a news release. “We are all experts in our own experience and the festival provides the opportunity to share that with others.”

This is the fifith year Maine communities have officially participated in this global celebration. Jane’s Walk is inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs, who spent her life (1916-2006) using grassroots advocacy to protect neighborhoods in both the United States and Canada from urban renewal and emphasizing the power of individuals to influence the places they live. Today, her principles represent the participatory planning approaches that have been embraced in communities around the world.

Walks are typically 60-90 minutes and open to the public. Highlights from the the roster of activities include:

• Old York and the River, 8:30am
• Over the Path: Yarmouth's Public Art and Architecture, 9am
• Where's Waldoboro? A Village Scavenger Hunt, 9am
• The Lost Story of the Maine Insane Asylum Hospital Farm (Augusta), 9am
• Reimagining Urban Renewal: 60 Years of Change in Downtown Bangor, 9am
• Arts and Culture: Essential Anchors for Portland's Community, 11am
• Affordable Housing in Portland: Rethinking Expectations, 11:00am
• Saving Handley Hall (Augusta), 10:30am
• Exploration, Education, and Ecology: Engaging with Old Town's Environment, 11am
• Monson Sculpture Project Tour, 1pm
• Manhole Cover Prints in Waterville, 1pm
• Historic Frye Street (Lewiston), 1:30pm
• Hidden in Plain Sight: Storefronts, Sidewalks, and Jewish Portland, 2pm
• The Abbott Boys: Fact and Fiction (Farmington), 3pm
• A Seaweed Centered Stroll: Downtown Ellsworth, 3pm
• Abijah Hill and its Rich History (Starks), 4pm

The full list of walks is available on the Jane’s Walk Maine website: janeswalkme.org/find-a-walk

This Maine effort is presented by Maine Preservation in collaboration with a group of nonprofit place-based organizations including Friends of Congress Square Park, Greater Portland Landmarks, Maine Downtown Center, Portland Downtown and Maine Semiquincentennial Commission. 

“Jane Jacobs shares with Friends of Congress Square Park an utmost love for and curiosity in the social urban environment,” said CJ Opperthauser, executive director of Friends of Congress Square Park. “We're proud to co-facilitate this beautiful statewide event to spread that love across diverse Maine communities.”

“Greater Portland Landmarks is excited to celebrate Jane’s Walk ME,” said Kate Lemos McHale, executive director of Greater Portland Landmarks. “These uniquely immersive, community-focused walks connect us with the stories and lived experiences of special places.”

“The Maine Downtown Center is thrilled to be part of Jane’s Walk with programs happening in some of our Main Street and Affiliate Communities,” said Anne Ball, Senior Program Director at the Maine Downtown Center. “Jane Jacobs would be so happy to think of her work and legacy living on in Maine’s historic downtowns, pocket parks, trail systems, riverfronts, and myriad shared public spaces.”

“As we commemorate the nation's semiquincentennial, these community-led walks help us see Maine through the lens of place, memory, and civic connection,” said Sarah Hansen, director of Maine Semiquincentennial Commission. “History lives in our neighborhoods and in the stories we share as we walk together.”

“This is an opportunity for residents to learn some history, brainstorm ways to improve their surroundings, and have some fun exploring their city,” said Cary Tyson, executive director of Portland Downtown.