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Jay Pitter

@jaypitter.bsky.social
12K followers 327 following 1K posts

Award-Winning Placemaker (25+ North American Cities). Author. Speaker. Urban Planning Adjunct Professor. Subdivided Co-Editor. Two Book Deal w/ Penguin Random House Canada. Hip Hop & a lil Punk Rock. Hopeful.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 22h
Not using stigmatizing framing like “poorer” or debating data showing that across MANY regions transit riders disproportionately come from lower income households. The point is that people from ALL income brackets deserve access to transit-oriented developments. How is this a radical assertion?
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
It’s great that affluent people ride the metro & good re: your other points. Clearly, the post is highlighting that housing affordability matters and that people living on modest incomes (who by the way represent majority of transit riders) should have access.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Transit-oriented development isn't particularly transit-oriented if the average transit user can't afford to live in it. Building high-cost housing around stations while pushing transit-dependent residents further away from them is a contradiction overlooked by status quo planners & advocates.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Absolutely. Immediately signals celebration and opportunity. Sometimes simple, asset-based messaging is most effective especially now when there’s so much polarizing public space convos.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Such a cute yet strategic way of advancing the pedestrianization of streets. No advocacy or political jargon. No use of the word “closure” just here’s a map of safe, fun places for people. 👌🏾
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Here’s my second public joy principle. Public joy doesn’t mean we have to feel joyful about public space crises like encampments, transit safety or violence at festivals. It’s a value & practice that helps us navigate fear, discomfort & anger while choosing connection, hope & collective flourishing.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Okay, girl. 👌🏾
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Impossible to be both an excellent Prime Minister and hold a regressive position on an issue that makes Trump’s threats to overtake us, destroy our economy or rename our lake moot. None of that matters if some of his policies irreparably damage the environment. But he’s shown strength in some areas.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
😂😂😂
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This year’s Word On The Street was more jammed than an ’80s basement party. Book signings are one of my favourite parts of these events. I ask each book buyer to tell me something about themselves or public joy. I learn so much plus it turns the usual autograph dynamic into an authentic exchange.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
My vision has always been to codify and institutionalize public joy work, ensuring there is both rigor and investment around it. The establishment of this fund is a crucial step in that direction. More when the fund page goes live.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
It will be co-stewarded by a Public Joy Advisory Circle composed of scholars, practitioners and community leaders whose expertise spans public space, philanthropy, social services, Indigenous planning, and place-based work.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Funding priorities are as follows: Public Joy Design + Policy Interventions Early Public Joy Education Community-Based Public Joy Audits + Action Plans Public Joy Professional Development Initiatives Cross-Cultural Public Joy Activations Social Prescription + Public Joy Initiatives
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Guided by the Public Joy Framework, the fund prioritizes people and places shaped by histories of harm and crises. This includes young people living in shelters, low-income communities, and other communities navigating barriers to full flourishing and participation in public life.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Toronto Foundation has moved and I’m pleased that we’ll be collaborating on the first engagement (invite only) in their new space. I’m especially excited to announce that the evening will also mark the launch of the Public Joy Fund.
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Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
They warned us Mamdani would impose Sharia law. Instead, he unleashed the real threat: line dancing in Bryant Park.
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The Cottage Garden @simonecannon.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I'm harvesting the last of my summer #garden salad greens, including these Garden nasturtiums, which typically #flower from midsummer right through to the first autumn frosts. Both the flowers and the leaves are edible and add a peppery bite to salads #BloomScrolling #KitchenGarden #FlowersOnFriday
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Transforming a parking lot into housing where 51 people can experience collective flourishing is top-tier public joy and a powerful public space precedent. #PublicJoyFramework Source: Andrew Boozary MD
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
From housing to parks to road maintenance, Mayor Mamdani is delivering a master class on impactful and transparent governance that goes beyond values-based messaging. He leverages qualitative, place-based storytelling (alongside actual numbers) to demonstrate daily impact. Exceptional leadership.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Yesterday, during an IG Live with my Jacksonville collaborator Kady, I shared my gratitude for 100-person cohort engaging with the Public Joy Framework in James Weldon Johnson Park — the city’s first park. Implementation at this scale will enable deeper documentation and evaluation of the framework.
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Skog @skog100.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The sunflowers i grew from seed this year are finally flowering ..the ones that came up from birdseed flowered much earlier so i didn't think these would make it ..but they have 🌻
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Long day. Longer game. Also, I’ve read a few comments across platforms re: bright eyeshadow not being “professional.” Odd ‘cause I’m a boss.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Unless you’re prepared to disentangle yourself from the algorithm and do the hands-on work of being in community—engaging with real people in real places—urbanism movements won’t progress. It’s amazing to have a passion but occasionally cheat on your core issue :)
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Inviting people to join YOUR movement or to become part of YOUR so-called following, is neither gracious or strategic. Most folks do not want to leave important parts of their identities, experiences, issues, and imaginations behind to participate in advocacy movements—even progressive ones.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
One of the biggest issues with urbanism and most of its leaders is the prevalence of single-issue advocacy. Whether it’s housing, bike lanes, or public transit, there’s a need for intersectional thinking. Cities are composed of complex social, spatial & systemic networks; they aren’t silos. So…🧵
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Corey Atad @coreyatad.com · 22/09/2026
“If you are staring at an example of social disorder or social inefficiency, and the left refuses to explain either why it has happened or how they will fix it, then the right gets to point at someone in the immediate area and say, ‘That’s who did it.’” crazy how much Mamdani speaks my language
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The first Public Joy Residency is launching in Jacksonville. My Public Joy Framework will be the foundation for PlacemakingJax’s Public Space Lab, and I’ll guide a 100-person cohort as they apply it at James Weldon Johnson Park. Excited to spend time in the city translating my framework to practice.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Here’s my first Weekly Public Joy Highlight — a series celebrating the people, places, & practices that illuminate public joy. ✨ This week I’m celebrating my friend Prasanna Ranganathan, a lawyer & advocate for more accessible public spaces and public life, bringing incredible swagger to the runway.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I just completed the draft of my upcoming Mindful article, “Belonging Begins in the Body.” In the piece, I explore three concepts that support dignified belonging. Excerpt: Lingering is a gentle yet radical act of asserting one’s presence and right to truly be in public. Article to follow.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
May seem boring but public bathrooms are an important component of public joy infrastructure.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
If we’re going to talk about the #WARonWALKING (great framing), policy deserves way more attention: histories of anti-vagrancy laws; sundown-town ordinances; redlining & racialized zoning; loitering laws; exclusionary public-space bylaws; and curfews are powerful invisible weapons.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
If we’re going to talk about the #WARonWALKING (great framing), social conditions deserve way more attention: inadequate street-level social supports; race-based police profiling; gender-based street harassment; social hostility & polarization; and lack of belonging & healthy spatial entitlement.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Okay, so if we’re talking about the #WaronWalking (great framing), the sidewalk deserves way more attention. A lack of connective sidewalk infrastructure, tree canopies, seating, public restrooms, lighting, pedestrian oriented wayfinding, and street-level retail & cultural hubs are major factors.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Healthy Spatial Entitlement Reflection: Recall the first time you were corrected as a child for occupying space “inappropriately.” How does that shape how you occupy space today? This week, where might you shrink yourself—and how can you prepare to occupy that space in a more healthy manner?
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I developed the term through years of practice and witnessing, alongside interdisciplinary research spanning sociology, human geography, territoriality and social performance. I continue to appreciate Azure for providing a platform to share this and other ideas emerging from my Public Joy Framework.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Of all the concepts I’ve developed, Healthy Spatial Entitlement is the one I’m most proud of. Taking up space isn’t inherently positive—there are healthy & unhealthy ways of occupying space. Understanding this nuance is vital for the repair of civic life across physical, digital & imaginative space.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Safety is not only freedom from physical harm or harassment. It also has psychological, cultural & historical dimensions. Historical safety means inhabiting a place without its histories of exclusion, displacement or harm being ignored or reproduced. Safety enables us to express & access public joy.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I’m not familiar with Bridget’s overall portfolio, but I’d encourage folks to rethink how business-case language is wielded within urbanism, particularly when it comes to access. Because, as we say in my community, the math ain’t mathin’. #MobilityEquity #AgingInPlace #AgeFriendlyCities #PublicJoy
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Public infrastructure cannot be reduced to a conventional business case in which the greatest existing use automatically warrants the greatest investment. Access, dignity, choice and public joy must all inform public investment decisions.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
But how many people aren’t cycling, taking transit or walking precisely because the infrastructure isn’t there? Access, whether physical or economic, both precedes and directly informs levels of participation.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Within transportation, we’ve seen this same circular argument repeatedly. We don’t need bike lanes because there aren’t enough cyclists. We don’t need better transit because ridership is low. We don’t need pedestrian infrastructure because few people walk.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Low use isn’t indicative of low need or low spatial entitlement. Imagine if, decades ago, when women were first gaining broader access to post-secondary institutions, someone argued against investing in women’s washrooms because there were so few women on campus.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Comparing putting a pedestrian crossing outside a residential care home to offering driving lessons outside a pub is alarming, particularly from someone with “inclusion” in their bio. It reflects underlying ageism and a lack of thinking re: mobility equity, systems & accessibility precedents. 🧵
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I am so proud of him. Wishing Greg, other superstar teachers, and all of the students on my timeline an amazing year ahead. Also, how cute is this lil welcome sign he made for his students and posted on his door?
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
His dedication to his students extends beyond the classroom—from music events and coaching every sport, to providing extra support to kids on the spectrum & making newcomer kids feel welcome, to encouraging girls to take up space in the classroom, and mentoring former students who are now teachers.
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Celebrating my Greg as he begins his 24th year of teaching. When he’s not busy being my part-time wingman, supporting me and my practice, he’s busy being one of the very best elementary school teachers out there.
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alexvonwitzleben.bsky.social @alexvonwitzleben.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
#Denmark built so much wind that some blustery hours the turbines out-produce what the whole country is using. When that happens, the extra power doesn’t sit idle. It moves through Denmark’s links into the wider European network and heads to neighbors like Germany, Norway, Sweden. #ActOnClimate
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I’d deliver a keynote wearing this combo. In my culture, wearing bright colours is commonplace and celebrated :)
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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Just as “no white after Labour Day” is antiquated, so is the idea that #publicjoy ends with summer. Find a tree-filled walking route & watch the leaves turn. Get an art gallery membership. Scan your local library’s special events. Wear vibrant sweaters. Schedule walks with friends. Stay outside.
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Musicology Duck @musicologyduck.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
The Gloria Steinem foundation posted today, "Gloria was a proud New Yorker since the 1960s. Whenever she was asked why she didn’t drive, she’d reply: 'Because adventure starts the moment I leave my door.'” i feel that so hard
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