The late activist Jane Jacobs — opponent of powerful city planner Robert Moses and author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, the 1961 critique of 1950s urban planning policy — would have turned 100 years old on May 4. To celebrate her birthday and honor her legacy of preservation, many locals have volunteered to lead free walking tours, known as Jane’s Walks, throughout Brooklyn this weekend.

The free, locally organized walks, which take place all over the world, work to provide attendees with a “walking conversation” that can focus on anything from an area’s architecture to a neighborhood’s history to current development. In New York, the Jane’s Walks are organized by the Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS), a nonprofit urban planning and preservation advocacy group.

While locally organized, the walks are coordinated by a charitable organization in Toronto.

In Brooklyn in particular, there is an impressive selection of tours — which are available on a first-come, first-served basis — available this weekend alone.

Here are three that we found interesting, and you can check out the others here:

jane jacobs walks
Photo by Edrei Rodriguez

Historic Districts of Prospect Lefferts Gardens

Longtime Prospect Lefferts Gardens resident, photographer and Brownstoner commenter Bob Marvin will be leading a tour of the neighborhood’s three historic districts as well as the smaller Ocean on the Park and Chester Court historic districts. The walk is sure to include plenty of stunning late-19th- and early-20th-century architecture.

The walk will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 7. Attendees should meet at the Prospect Park subway station — Bob will be holding a sign outside.

jane jacobs walks
Photo by Hannah Frishberg

Developing the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Take a rare tour inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the sprawling industrial park with big plans (including a public food hall), which is typically closed to the public.

The tour will be led by Jonathan Marvel, founding principal of international design firm Marvel Architects, and meet at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 6 at the Navy Yard’s only currently publicly accessible building, BLDG 92. The tour, which will be limited to 30 people, will include a look at two under-construction Marvel developments at Buildings 77 and 128. Attendees will not, however, be entering a construction site.

jane jacobs walks

New Bedford Historic District

Bed Stuy’s freshly designated Bedford Historic District was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in December, much to the joy of preservationists and neighborhood residents. Bed Stuy local, historic architecture expert, real estate agent and Brownstoner commenter Morgan Munsey will lead a tour through the area, beginning at the old Girls High School on 475 Nostrand Avenue.

The tour will focus on the row houses, mansions and African-American community of Hancock Street and the surrounding blocks. It is taking place at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 6.

Related Stories
Developer Now Taking Applications for Pricey “Affordable” Units in Prospect Lefferts Gardens
Brooklyn Navy Yard Aims to Boost New York’s Creativity Cred [Photos]
Preservationists “Overjoyed” as Landmarks Approves Bedford Historic District

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