All eyes on Scranton for Jane Jacobs-inspired festival

May 2—The late Jane Jacobs left a lasting impression on the architecture and urban-planning industries, and it's time to celebrate her legacy where it all started: her hometown of Scranton.

The new Observe Scranton festival — taking place Tuesday, May 4, through Saturday, May 8 — will honor Jacobs and her influential ideas on preserving vibrant, diverse neighborhoods and cities. Its name comes from Jacobs' innate ability to view her surroundings and figure out how they connect and relate to each other, explained Maria MacDonald, a Marywood University architecture professor and executive director of the Center for the Living City. When MacDonald took over as director of the CLC, a national nonprofit advocacy organization founded in collaboration with Jacobs in 2005, the organization moved to Scranton — back where it belongs, she said.

"It all started here," MacDonald added. "Jane Jacobs is from here. Everything she did was informed by growing up in Scranton, and we're celebrating that. ... In the last year, Scranton is at the forefront of everyone's minds. The president (of the United States) is from here. It's all eyes on Scranton right now. We might as well give them something exciting to look at."

Born Jane Butzner in 1916, Jacobs grew up in Green Ridge and later Dunmore. A graduate of Scranton Central High School, Jacobs began her career as a journalist in the early 1930s at the Scranton Republican, a precursor of the former Scranton Tribune. Then, at 21, Jacobs moved to New York City, got married and wrote several books, including the groundbreaking "The Death and Life of Great American Cities."

Renowned worldwide by architects and city planners, Jacobs redefined views of urban life, leading to revolutionary changes in how urban planning is taught and practiced. She also advocated for the preservation of dynamic, tight-knit neighborhoods, MacDonald said, and believed that education, sustainability, diversity, arts, culture and giving back were keys to a thriving city.

The festival's logo features Jacobs' signature black eyeglasses, which represent the overarching theme of Jacobs' mission to urge residents to view their communities and determine what they love about them, what they could do better, who they could help and how they could create change for the better. A giant replica of Jacobs' black eyeglasses — created by Marywood interior architecture majors, headed by fourth-year students Brenna Heller and Angela Sanchez — will sit on Lackawanna County Courthouse Square. People can take photos with the glasses and share them with the hashtag #ObserveScranton for a chance to win a prize.

Looking through the glasses also is a way to "see Scranton through Jane's eyes," MacDonald said.

"(Jacobs) was all about making our community a better place and really looking at it for what it is," she said. "When people are standing behind the glasses and viewing the Electric City sign, I hope they can see Scranton and its place in the world. We hope it makes them feel proud of Scranton."

The festival will feature a full schedule of activities around the city and beyond. Starting May 4, which would have been Jacobs' 105th birthday, the festival kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony at City Hall, where Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti will proclaim the inaugural Jane Jacobs Day.

While Jacobs died in 2006 in Toronto, her formative years in Scranton laid the foundation for her ideas, MacDonald said. Not much is known about Jacobs' time growing up here, making the book "Jane Jacobs's First City: Learning from Scranton, Pennsylvania," by author Glenna Lang, so important, MacDonald said. A book launch will take place and be streamed online May 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Theater at Lackawanna College, 501 Vine St. Lang also will give readings and more at other times during the festival.

The festival also features a walking tour of significant places in Jacobs' life and 13 art exhibitions throughout the city, viewable during the First Friday Art Walk on May 7 from 5 to 9 p.m. and on Saturday, May 8, from noon to 8 p.m. The works by Marywood architecture students not only delve into architectural principles but also explore themes of racial injustice, sexual identity, mental health, gender equality and more.

"Celebrating Inclusion: A Retrospective" and "How Can Future Designers Empower Youth Through These Four Lenses? Racial Injustices, Sexual Identity, Mental Health, Gender Equality," will both be on display at 518 Lackawanna Ave. They look at the work of Black architects and designers and aim to promote diversity, inclusiveness and equity in the field, said Rebecca Dolgas, a fifth-year architecture student.

"Art of Living v.09," at the Leonard Theater, 335 Adams Ave., showcases works by second-year interior architecture students who referenced their own bodies and experiences to develop prototype furniture concepts. Jacobs never believed in "one-size-fits-all" for anything, student Enzo Cicco explained.

"That's all in line with Jane and how she saw the world," he said.The exhibit "Electric Jane," on display at 233 Oakford Court, demonstrates plans to revitalize Scranton's residential neighborhoods by filling vacant lots with affordable, net zero-energy rowhouses and providing safe, functional and sustainable homes for families, fourth-year architecture student Olivia Tobia said. This exhibit also was recognized in the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon collegiate competition.

"One of the judges ... when (he) heard where we were from, he was so excited because (Scranton is) where Jane Jacobs grew up," Tobia said. "It was surreal. She's such a big deal in this industry and from right here in Scranton. ... We hope (the festival) shows everyone the impact she's had."The week culminates with the Scranton StorySlam with Scranton Fringe, a storytelling competition happening outside Radisson at Lackawanna Station hotel, 700 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton. This event carries the "Observing Scranton" theme and includes storytellers Amber Viola, a veteran and the City of Scranton's human resources director; Times-Tribune columnist Chris Kelly; Glynis M. Johns, CEO of the Black Scranton Project; Scranton City Councilwoman and physical therapist Dr. Jessica Rothchild; content creator and educator Dan Kimbrough and more. Tickets cost $12 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com.

"Jane believed in sharing ideas and stories with each other as a way to connect us all, so having something like the StorySlam as part of the festival really encompasses everything Jane was about," MacDonald said.

The support the event has received so far, including from sponsors such as the Hawk Family Foundation, has blown away MacDonald, with groups jumping at the chance to participate. It's fitting, MacDonald said, as Jacobs stressed the importance of the entire community coming together for the greater good.

"This festival is a beautiful showcase of everything Scranton has to offer, and it's the perfect tribute to Jane, who was always urging community members to get involved and get to work," she added. "Everyone has been amazing, and we should all be so proud to watch this come together. Look what we can do when we work together. It's incredible."

Contact the writer: gmazur@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127; @gmazurTT on Twitter