Jane's Walk

Jane's Walk: Community Feedback in Mitton Village

In spring 2025, nusarnia invited residents to take part in a Jane’s Walk through Mitton Village to help gather ideas and feedback for the upcoming Mitton Street redesign.

Jane’s Walk is a global movement that encourages residents to explore their neighbourhoods on foot and share local knowledge about the places they live, work, and gather. These walks create opportunities for conversation, observation, and community-driven ideas about how our streets and neighbourhoods can evolve.

For this walk, the focus was simple. Listen to the community and document ideas that could help shape the future of Mitton Street.

Community Walk Through Mitton Village

Participants walked together along Mitton Street and through the surrounding area, stopping at key locations to discuss what is working well today and where improvements could be made.

A major focus of the walk was the Four Corners intersection, a central point in Mitton Village and an important connection between neighbourhood businesses, residents, and visitors.

Residents, business owners, and community members shared ideas about how this space could become more welcoming, vibrant, and people-focused.

What We Heard

Throughout the walk, participants shared observations and ideas about the current street design and how the area could better support people walking, biking, shopping, and spending time in the neighbourhood.

Common themes included:

Improving pedestrian safety and crossings
Creating more inviting public spaces where people can gather
Enhancing the design of the Four Corners intersection
Supporting local businesses by creating a more walkable main street
Adding greenery, seating, and placemaking elements
Improving connections between neighbourhood streets and the Mitton Village core

These conversations highlighted the strong sense of pride residents and business owners have for the neighbourhood and their interest in helping shape its future.

From Conversation to Action

All feedback gathered during the Jane’s Walk was documented and compiled. The ideas and observations shared by participants were then submitted to the City of Sarnia and the planning team leading the mitton Street redesign project so they can be considered as part of the implementation process.

Jane’s Walk provided an opportunity for community members to contribute their perspective directly to the planning process and ensure that local voices help shape the future of the street.

Why Community Walks Matter

Projects like Jane’s Walk demonstrate how simple community conversations can lead to meaningful input for city planning.

By walking together and discussing places in real time, residents can identify opportunities that may not always appear in surveys or formal consultations.

These small moments of engagement help build stronger neighbourhoods and ensure that the people who live and work in a place are part of shaping its future.