What is Jane Week?
Jane Week gives Worcester residents and visitors a chance to connect to each other, explore Worcester by foot and participate in interesting discussions on how we can enhance the design and function of our city. The event is named for Jane Jacobs, an urban theorist and activist who championed a community-based approach to city building. Jane Week in Worcester joins an international movement that occurs the first week in May in over 250 cities across the world.
Jane Week Partners
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Who Was Jane Jacobs?
Jane Jacobs (1916–2006) was an
American-born writer and activist best known for her writings about cities. Her first book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), upended the ideas of modernist city planning and building, and offered a new vision of diverse, fine-grained cities made for and by ordinary people. She published six more major books about cities, economics, ethics, governance and culture.
Schedule of Events
Worcester Now Next: An Update and Dialogue on the City's Master Plan
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Monday, May 1 5:30 pm
The Park View Room, 230 Park Avenue
To RSVP, please visit the event page here.
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Featuring:
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Steve Rolle, Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility
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Michelle Smith, Assistant Chief Development Officer for Planning & Regulatory Services
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Sujatha Krishnan, Deputy Director of Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission
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Albert Lavalley, Chair of the Planning Board
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Joyce Mandell, Urban Planning Partnership and Jane Week Founder
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As part of Jane Week, The Worcester Regional Research Bureau will present an update & dialogue on the Worcester's Master Plan with city leaders.
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Historic Elm Park Neighborhood Walking Tour
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Monday May 8, 5:30 pm
(Postponed from May 2)
Meet at the Corner Oak of and Elm Streets
RSVP with n.campbellsiok@preservationworcester.org
Join Michelle Johnstone, Senior Preservation Planner for the City of Worcester, for a walking tour through the historic Elm Park neighborhood, which may become the City of Worcester’s fourth and largest local historic district. The walking tour will begin by stepping back in time to 1848, when the Greek Revival-style Alexander & Maria Marsh House was constructed at 57 Elm Street. The tour will traipse the decades while showcasing excellent examples of contemporaneously popular architectural styles paired with brief historical narratives of those who inhabited them.
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Sorry, no dogs (except service dogs) are allowed on our walking tours.
Open Farm Hours - YouthGROW
Wednesday, May 3 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Main South, 42 Lagrange St. Rear, Worcester
Parking in the back parking lot
The Regional Environment Council (REC) brings people together to create a just food system and to build healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities in Worcester, MA and beyond. Their programs include: UGROW, a network of 70+ community and school gardens, Community Farmers Markets and Mobile Markets that serve 10,000 unique customers at 10+ locations in Worcester County each year, and YouthGROW, an urban agriculture focused youth development and employment program serving 35-40 Worcester teens.
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The REC staff and YouthGROW program operate an urban farm in Main South. Visit on Wednesday, May 3rd from 10am-12pm to learn more about their programs, receive some free lettuce seeds, and get a tour of the YouthGROW farm.
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Sorry, no dogs (except service dogs) are allowed on our walking tours.
Crown Hill Walking Tours
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Tuesday, May 2 12:00 pm and
Thursday, May 4 12:00 pm
Meet at Herron Park, corner of Chatham and Crown Streets
FREE Please RSVP n.campbellsiok@preservationworcester.org
or 508.754.8760
Led by Randy Bloom, Preservation Worcester docent and
Elizabeth Mullaney, Preservation Worcester docent
Hidden right on the edge of downtown, Crown Hill is a beautifully preserved neighborhood of
mid-19th century middle class dwellings. Learn about the Greek Revival style and find out about Crown Hill’s 1970s restoration and the recent establishment of the Crown Hill Historic District.
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Sorry, no dogs (except service dogs) are allowed on our walking tours.
A Closer Look - Three Deckers
Wednesday May 3 5:30pm
The Park View Room: 230 Park Ave, Worcester
RSVP with n.campbellsiok@preservationworcester.org.
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Join Preservation Worcester docents Marilyn Polito and Jan Parent for an illustrated talk on Worcester’s iconic three-deckers. Learn about the different architectural styles, floor plans, and why these dwellings became popular. Immediately following the talk, attendees are invited to take a brief walking tour of the three-deckers lining Elm Park, learn more about the people who lived in these homes.
Riparian Invasives Ramble
Thursday May 4 at 10:00 am
Worcester Heritage Center 3 Paul Clancy Way
To RSVP, please visit the registration page here.
Join us for a walk-through Blackstone Gateway Park to learn about the invasive plant species present here and across the waterways of Worcester. NPS Volunteer-in-Parks volunteer, Joe Johnson will introduce us to the major invasive mono cultures and the history of how they were introduced to this area. This program will meet outside the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Visitor Center at Worcester and will be approximately 45 minutes of easy walking on flat paths and boardwalks.
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Sorry, no dogs (except service dogs) are allowed on our walking tours.
Open House at Preservation Worcester
Friday May 5 12:00 - 3:00 pm
Salisbury House, 61 Harvard St
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Visit our new headquarters at the Salisbury House and learn about our plans to restore this historic building.
Cool Origami Plane Making
Saturday May 6
"Drop In" from 11 am - 1 pm
Herron Park​
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Make origami planes together and let them fly! Whose plane will fly the most?
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Led by instructor Tomo Sakai and presented by the Historic Crown Hill Neighborhood Association, Worcester Center for Crafts, and Pleasant Street TDI
Dog Show
Saturday May 6, 2 pm
Herron Park​
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Bring your friendly, leashed dog and strut your stuff.
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Pre-registration required: 508-753-1457
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Presented by the Historic Crown Hill Neighborhood Association, Worcester Center for Crafts, and Pleasant Street TDI
Dance Fit 4U
Saturday April 29, 10 am
Saturday May 6, 10 am
Peace Park at Winslow and Pleasant Streets​
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All All ages and abilities boogie to Latin pop jams!
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Presented by the Historic Crown Hill Neighborhood Association, Worcester Center for Crafts, and Pleasant Street TDI
By the Canal - A self guided tour
Preservation Worcester’s DIY tour of Worcester’s Canal District highlights eleven buildings that
reflect the history of both the city and the neighborhood. Discover surprising bits of history and hear stories about the people, events, and economy that made Worcester the city it is today.
Click HERE to access the tour information and maps.
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Around the Common - A self guided tour
Preservation Worcester’s self-guided walking tour of City Hall and the area surrounding the
Worcester Common, highlights the history and architecture of the heart of Downtown.
Click HERE to access the tour’s information and maps.
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This Place Matters Photos
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Everyone who cares about Worcester and the residents and institutions that make it special are encouraged to snap photos of places that speak to their hearts.
Share your photos on social media by tagging Preservation Worcester, and use #WORCESTER_thisplacematters.
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Download a ‘This Place Matters’ sign or
make your own.
