Rooted Together: Community, Nature, and the Built Environment in Windsor's West End

Rooted Together: Community, Nature, and the Built Environment in Windsor's West End

Sunday, May 3 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Host: Ali Mokdad (Centre for Cities, University of Windsor - Faculty of Law)

Join Dr. Ali Mokdad and the Centre for Cities team for a guided walk along College Avenue in Windsor's West End, where nature and the built environment reveal themselves as deeply entangled parts of the same urban fabric. Together we'll slow down and learn to notice how the natural and human-made are woven inseparably through the streets, the grass and trees, and community life of this neighbourhood. As we walk between Prince Road and Brock Avenue, we'll practice observation as a way of deepening our connection to urban nature. We’ll pay attention not only to trees, plants, and wildlife, but to the layers of history and community visible all around us.

Along the way, we'll reflect on how municipal decisions, infrastructure, and policy intersect with the natural systems that make up the neighbourhood ecosystem. From the health care centre that once served as a beloved community hub, the lively parks, unintended wildlife habitat, and artwork that speak to decades of community life, to the industrial buildings and rail lines that connect this area to Windsor's working past and present. Each element of this streetscape tells a story about how people and nature have shaped, and been shaped by, this place together. Members of the Centre for Cities team will join to share insights on city-building, urban planning, and how community action and municipal policy continue to shape the neighbourhood today.

About the host:

Ali Mokdad is a post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Cities at Windsor Law, which supports collaborative research, teaching, and public engagement on legal and policy issues facing municipalities and local institutions. With a background in environmental science, Ali is particularly interested in how people relate to nature and urban nature policies. Particularly how people observe, experience, and build relationships with nature in everyday city spaces. This walk is inspired by a desire to slow down, practice observation, and explore how greater attentiveness to urban nature can deepen connection, care, and understanding within the city.

Event type:

Jane’s Walk - One hour guided walking tour

Starting/Ending location of the walk:

Intersection of Brock Street and College Avenue (across the street from Sandwich WECHC), Windsor

https://maps.app.goo.gl/vHK963qpnkGAUkwB6

Walking distance:

Participants can expect to walk 1.5 km.

Audience:

• All ages welcome

  
  

Accessibility Notes: 

• Easy route: paved sidewalks/pathways, minimal hills

• Wheelchair friendly: step-free route with curb cuts and wide path

• Baby stroller friendly: paved paths and no stairs

• Rest opportunities: there are benches/seats along the route

  
  

Is there a bathroom nearby?

• Public bathroom available at business within 1 block (ex. Tim Horton's)

  
  

Where can attendees park?

• Free street parking around the starting/ending location

  
  

Are dogs welcome?

• Dog friendly: participants can bring leashed dogs