Five Questions With: Joelle Kanter

Last year Providence was one of 189 cities to participate in Jane's Walks, and Joelle Kanter, of the Providence Foundation, helped spread the word for walks taking place in the Ocean State’s capital city. / COURTESY JEN BRISTER
Last year Providence was one of 189 cities to participate in Jane's Walks, and Joelle Kanter, of the Providence Foundation, helped spread the word for walks taking place in the Ocean State’s capital city. / COURTESY JEN BRISTER

Jane Jacobs was a revered activist and author of “The Death and Life of Great American Cities.” Every year her life is commemorated by simultaneous guided tours that take place around the world to introduce residents to their neighborhoods and learn more about their surroundings. Last year Providence was one of 189 cities to participate and Joelle Kanter, of the Providence Foundation, helped spread the word for walks taking place in the Ocean State’s capital city.

PBN: Why was it important to you to become involved in Jane’s Walks and even host a walk?
KANTER:
Nate Storring, the first city organizer in Providence, completed his graduate program at Brown and moved to New York. In order for Jane’s Walks to continue in Providence, someone had to step up and take on his role. I wanted to continue his momentum, particularly since this would have been Jane Jacobs’ 100th birthday, and it’s the 10th year of the international festival. I worked closely with Caroline Stevens, a graduate student at Brown, to contact past tour leaders, encourage them to sign up, and spread the word about the event. In 2015, seven tours were planned in Providence, and this year, we had 12.

PBN: How do these walks help participants learn more about their city?
KANTER:
Jane’s Walks encourage people to observe and explore. The walk leaders are passionate about their neighborhoods and, through walking conversations, share concepts that aren’t typically covered on other tours. This year, Jane’s Walk Providence included College Hill and the International Slave Trade, Sacred Spaces of Downtown Providence, the North Burial Ground, Wayland Square, the West End, the waterfront, Elmwood and other areas. Participants gained a sense of the city’s diversity, history and ongoing transformation.

PBN: How do you think events like these can increase consumer engagement with area businesses?
KANTER:
Many Jane’s Walks give attention to underappreciated sites and neighborhoods throughout the city. While the walks don’t all focus on commercial districts, many do, and since they’re organized (and often attended) by community leaders, they give insight into what it’s actually like to live, work or shop there. Once participants feel comfortable walking around the area with a group, they’re more likely to come back, explore at their own pace and support local businesses.

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PBN: How, if at all, is Jane Jacobs’ work still relevant today?
KANTER:
Her work is certainly relevant in Providence. As we promote the city to visitors and locals, we start by describing its inherent strengths: architecture, diverse neighborhoods and pedestrian scale. We know that there’s a strong connection between Jane Jacobs’ ideas and our community’s vibrancy. For downtown Providence, in particular, to thrive, we need to increase population density, fill in gaps with small scale blocks, and attract an interesting mix of uses.

PBN: How do you think Providence businesses could benefit from her work?
KANTER:
Providence has several distinctive commercial districts that are anchored by locally owned businesses. They can follow Jane’s ideas about encouraging pedestrian activity and street level interaction through attractive signage, window displays, outdoor seating, landscaping and sidewalk programming. With more foot traffic and eyes on the street, these neighborhoods feel safer and more inviting.

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