Award-winning community builder to share 25 steps for building great places and transforming communities

Waterloo Region – The Region of Waterloo is pleased to present award-winning writer and community consultant Jay Walljasper, as the second speaker in the ION Community and Transit Talk Series on June 18, 2015. ION is a visionary plan that will help shape the community for the future by bringing light rail transit (LRT) to Waterloo Region in two stages.

Jay will share the insights and inspirations he has collected from all over the world that are helping everyday people make a difference in their neighbourhoods and the world by working together to implement community building and place making projects. His presentation, “25 Ways to Brighten Your Community: Common Sense Steps for a Stronger, Greener, More Connected and Fun Waterloo Region,” will be followed by a short question and answer session.

Event details:

When: Thursday, June 18, 2015, 7 p.m.

What: ION Community and Transit Talk Series presents Jay Walljasper

Where: Knox Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb St W, Waterloo

This free community event brings relevant speakers to Waterloo Region to discuss timely, thought-provoking matters related to transportation, community building, transit and urban design. Launched last year with author and transit advocate Taras Grescoe, this year’s event will focus on community building. The Region’s Community Building Strategy (CBS) was completed in 2013 to identify opportunities for development, investment and place making in the ION rapid transit corridor.

When he isn’t travelling around the world speaking and presenting, Jay lives in Minneapolis and is a Senior Fellow with the U.S.-based organization Project for Public Spaces. He is also the author of The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Place-Making, and numerous internationally published magazine and web-based articles, including How to Keep Cold Winter Cities Cool and 11 Reasons Why Transit, Bikes & Walking Are Moving Us To a Brighter Future. Copies of his books can be purchased at Wordsworth Books in Waterloo before the event, as well as on site on June 18.

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For more information on this event, please contact: Keren Adderley, Coordinator of Communications and Marketing, at 519-505-1984 or kadderley@regionofwaterloo.ca

For more information on ION: www.rideION.ca