Trailhead & Stats

Meet in Washington Park at the Gazebo

The trail starts at Washington Park in front of the gazebo in the park's center. Your guide, Derek, will meet you there.

Departure is at 1:00 pm

~ 2.5 miles
~ 1.5 hours

We highly encourage guests to arrive early. We will not wait longer than 5 minutes past our departure time.

Difficulty

The level of difficulty is rated as EASY. We will walk at a moderate pace, but this walk is relatively accessible, and the topography is flat.

About the Experience

So, What is a Jane’s Walk?

Join Urban Rangers Midwest for a special walking event in honor of the International Jane’s Walk Festival, a global celebration of the life and legacy of urbanist Jane Jacobs. Each year in cities around the world, people come together to walk, observe, and share stories in their neighborhoods—embracing Jacobs’ belief that cities are best understood and shaped by the people who live in them. Find out more about other Jane’s Walk events at janeswalk.org

Who was Jane Jacobs?

Jane Jacobs was an urbanist and writer best known for her influential book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, where she championed the idea that cities thrive through diversity, density, and vibrant street life. She believed that the best urban planning comes from observing how people actually use and shape their neighborhoods, not from top-down policies that ignore community needs. Her teachings are deeply relevant to Cincinnati, where questions of urban renewal, gentrification, and preservation remain pressing. Jacobs' emphasis on walkability, mixed-use development, and community-led planning offers a powerful lens through which to understand both the resilience and the challenges facing our neighborhoods today.

Our Jane’s Walk

Our walk will take us through Over-the-Rhine and the West End, two of Cincinnati’s most historically rich and rapidly changing neighborhoods. As we move through these streets, we’ll reflect on Jacobs’s principles of walkability, community-led planning, and the vibrant life of streets and sidewalks. Together, we’ll contemplate the ongoing impacts of urban renewal, gentrification, and preservation—asking the same questions Jacobs posed decades ago: Who builds the city? Who benefits from change? And how can we keep our neighborhoods diverse, inclusive, and alive? Come walk, observe, and reimagine Cincinnati—just as Jane would.

Terrian & Landscape

Sidewalks, parking lots, and pedestrian pathways. The hike features parts of the Over-the-Rhine and West End neighborhoods.

What to Bring

Bring water and sunscreen, and wear comfortable closed-toe shoes and appropriate clothing for the weather.

Urban Ranger Goods available after our walk:
Urban Ranger Stickers - $3.00
City Steps Patch - $12.00
Cash or Venmo payment is preferred.

Registration

Please register below. You may only register for yourself. There is no cap on the registration for this event. Invite your friends!