Jay Pitter

Honoured to have shared my book talk — including my public joy framework — with students, scholars & others at Harvard University. Grateful for this reflection from Stephen Gray.

When it’s warm, I’m gonna host a lil iced tea and chat at a cafe in the market. Come :)

It’s a result of people not saying for permits or permission to build lil add ins to their properties. And so the fear of being overly planned is real and legitimate. And it’s also true some of the resistance was old guard flexin’ & lack of aspirational thinking.

… build capacity around what it means to both share and cede space (what I refer to as healthy spatial entitlement). And this project (any project really) would be a tough sell here because the beauty & distinct character of Kensington is a result of resisting formal planning…

You’re really out here debating me with my own metaphor :) I don’t disagree with your perspective AND I think it’s important to figure out how to have better convos about how investments in nice things often contributes to rising rents/property values, arm planners w/ better policy levers &

In reflection, it was also an inflection point for my book (which addresses gender and uplifts women’s wisdom throughout) and my current practice focus on public joy.

I’ve been making my way here.

addressing everything from policy to the real reasons women stop playing in public spaces while highlighting the limits of strictly considering safety and caregiving amenities is still one of my proudest practice moments.

Oh, I also want to guide the audience—yes hundreds of people—through a public space play date. Oh wait, I am also going to bring a vocalist, art supplies and some balls. Delivering a participatory keynote focused on the need for joyful, gender-responsive public space design —

That time, maybe years ago, the AGO invited me to deliver a keynote and I said: sure — but can I talk about the importance of public spaces that invite women to play? And while we’re at it, can I bring 12 women (and gender-diverse folks) to share their public play stories?

Partially true. Also true that there was a missed opportunity in terms of more clearly responding to our history & context. Not a single resident here thinks the ‘hood’s character is defined by cars. We have one of the richest pedestrian cultures in the country. But yes, tough & proud crowd :)

Agreed with one small caveat, and forgive me if I’m misunderstanding this part of your post. I live in Kensington Market and I think a major issue was presenting Distillery like pedestrianization here. But yup, I am saying that we deserve nice things year round.

Vancouver's Granville Street to be pedestrian-only during FIFA Men's World Cup | CBC News Five blocks of Granville Street will be closed between West Georgia and Davie streets from June 11 to July 20, but cross streets will remain open to traffic.

Cities often find the $$$ for public joy investments when major events like FIFA come to town—live music, expanded patios, art installations, pedestrianized streets. A bit like families who only bring out the “good china” when guests are visiting.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

A dirt path through a grove of redwood trees

I need a walk. Who’s with me?
Grove of Old Trees, Occidental, California
#nature #selfcare #photography #art #redwoods

100,000 Homes: Housing the homeless saves money? Giving apartments to the chronically homeless can save taxpayer dollars, advocates say

Anderson Cooper: “So it's more expensive to have a chronically homeless person living on the streets than it is to actually subsidize an apartment for them?”

Answer: “Yes, we’re paying more as taxpayers to walk past that person on the street and do nothing.” #HousingFirst #UrbanTruth

😂😂😂 I don’t even contemplate the possibility of real spring until mid-April.

Agreed :) And I have the theme I’d like to contribute to this much needed initiative ready!

When Brent and I aren’t passionately disagreeing, we’re passionately agreeing on the need for clearer communication in urbanism and evidence-informed city building — whether that’s public health data, social data, climate data, etc. This initiative seeks to address these two urgent aspirations!

YOU BETTA REEEEEEEAAAAAD.

I don’t know who needs to hear Jesse Jackson leading the kids on Sesame Street in this beautiful call-and-response reminding them that every child is somebody, but here it is

Good night to everyone but especially to the large number of women who’ve given me literal and metaphorical flowers. 💕

I’ll be starting my IG Live in 20-minutes (noon EST). Pop in if you’re interested in hearing me chat with the Mayor of Memphis about Black Public Joy and public joy more broadly in his city!!!

An exciting edition to the study of public life and the literature of urbanism and cultural studies! Black Public Joy, by Jay Pitter, explores Black people’s public joy histories, sacred rituals, movements, and contemporary expressions. /x

A parent/caregiver having to push a baby stroller in the roadway due to deficient sidewalk design or maintenance is a top tier municipal failure.

#SundaySilence

Clear from this thread that y’all have never attended a Black Pentecostal church. The first hour is a literal concert — full band and dancing in the aisles :)

This coming week, I will be engaging students, scholars & practitioners at Harvard University. It’s the first of two book talks I’ve been invited to deliver to their campus community (the second engagement is in April). Both are internal engagements, so I don’t have public links to share. Honoured.

Yesterday, I delivered my first book-related keynote as part of an internal event hosted by Toronto Dominion Bank. After a year of intentionally declining both clients and keynotes to complete Black Public Joy, it felt like another meaningful milestone in bringing the book into the world.

Impossible to select a favourite moment or response from my incredible conversation with Mayor Evans but his point pertaining to public joy and infrastructure was particularly powerful. Lots of people think public joy = festivals but very few think Brownfield development & green space.

“Give us enough sauce” is a universal courtesy and metric for excellence.

An example—one of many—of why every environmentalist should be an advocate of environmental justice.