Yes.
The 100 mile adventure is divided into segments; you are welcome to join for a whole or partial segment, or multiple days as you are able.
Please register individually for each segment that you plan to participate in. You’ll find upcoming events at http://www.jjtiziou.net/events/upcoming
Walk Around Philadelphia is an exploration of the city’s perimeter that happens twice a year in February and September (and whenever someone contracts with JJ to lead a retreat based on the experience)
There are growing ways to participate in this project beyond the walks themselves.
Please join us for the virtual launch & info session on February 1 via zoom, and/or virtual reportback on Thursday March 2nd.
The “Walking the Edge” exhibit at The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education runs Jan 26 – April 1, and includes both in person events (Jan 26 opening, Feb 24 evening rest, Feb 25 morning sendoff, March 1 reading, April 1 closing) and a virtual event March 7.
Sign-up here for future updates and invites.
Yes, please register individually for each segment that you plan to walk.
This helps us manage group size, and send relevant information and updates to the right participants for each segment.
The registration system requires you to register for each segment individually.
(This is mostly due to restrictions of our registration system and the need to manage each segment’s group sizes; most participants are just doing one or a few segments.)
Registration fees aren’t meant to be a barrier to access:
If you are able to register for all ten segments at the standard $25/segment registration fee, your combined investment of $250 will have covered the cost of a $200 VISA gift card stipend for another participant in need, and that’s pretty awesome.
If the cost of doing multiple segments is prohibitive, anyone is welcome to register for any (or all) segments at the $15 discounted registration fee.
There are also some free & stipend-supported registrations available (see the next FAQ)
Get in touch with us via walk@jjtiziou.net. You can also request a stipend via this form.
There’s at least one free registration available per group per segment and some funds set aside to offer participant stipends ($200 VISA gift cards) to help cover the costs of time off of work, childcare, transportation, etc.
You are welcome to bring a friend or two. Please register each participant individually.
The registration system allows you to register up to 3 individuals in one signup; this is intentional to encourage mixed groups that will allow new connections amongst participants and not have any one walk group dominated by a single friend group.
If you are interested in bringing a larger group, please reach out to walk@jjtiziou.net about becoming a walk sponsor or organizing a Walk Around Philadelphia retreat. But if you’d just like to bring a group of four, two of you can each register two participants if capacity allows.
Barring unforeseen needs for adjustment such as a change in SEPTA schedules, the start-times are precise; please plan to arrive early at the starting location so as to not keep the group waiting. Check email the night before or morning-of in case the start time needs to be changed.
Each segment’s duration varies depending on conditions encountered and choices made by the group, so any published time/distance estimates to potential pickup points are just that: estimates.
That’s ok – life happens. Please use the cancellation link in your original registration confirmation email and give us as much notice as possible so that we might make your slot available to someone else if your segment was at capacity.
Joining late is not an option; please be on-time for your group’s start. As to leaving early, that’s fine – some of us will be only walking shorter segments, and you’re welcome to leave the perimeter whenever your schedule or bodily needs require it.
Please just make sure to check in along the way and make sure that the group knows that you’re planning on peeling off (both so that we can bid you farewell, and so that we’re not worried about you having suddenly disappeared.)
We’ll be mostly outdoors, which is pretty covid-safe. We’re still in a pandemic and part of our duty to our fellow walkers is to look out for each other. To that end, I strongly prefer folks to be vaccinated against covid-19, and please bow out if you’ve had a recent exposure or are experiencing any symptoms.
That said, we will not be checking vaccination cards or test results, and are open to non-vaccinated folk joining the walk. Please bring an n-95 or kn-95 mask with you. Please be willing to wear your mask around fellow walkers if they ask you to and maintain physical distances that feel safe for all.
If you develop symptoms after the walk, test positive, or learn about a prior exposure, please notify us immediately so that we can give your fellow walkers a heads up.
That’s fine. The perimeter is big enough to hold all of your feelings, and all ways of being are welcome into this experience. You don’t need to put on a fake smile for the sake of your fellow walkers; come as you are. Walking can be a helpful way to process challenging emotions, and you might feel a bit better by the end of the day.
Participating in the walk involves encountering (and collaborating with) strangers, so it’s perfectly normal that the experience might involve individuals that challenge you. This is an opportunity to cultivate patience and curiosity.
Remember that one of our guidelines is to treat everything and everyone that we encounter with respect. That includes the person whose temperament or political/religious/social views might conflict with yours.
Common (but often less-helpful) ways to respond might be to respond to such a situation with judgement or debate, or to close-off and avoid interaction around contentious topics.
Can you instead find that third way where you stay steady, accepting the person as they are, finding ways to voice your own questions or discomfort without attacking them? Can you be grounded and open, engaging with this person with the same warmth, openness and curiosity that we strive to bring to our entire exploration of the city?
Yes. Everyone participating in one of the Walk Around Philadelphia organized walks must sign a release form.
Alongside a spot for emergency contact info, the form has three bits of legalese which basically say that:
- You’re participating at your own risk & will not sue me
- You’re ok with your likeness being included in project documentation
- You’re ok with my using any documentation/media that you share with me for telling the story of the project
Almost. The walk is a rain or shine kind of thing, with intimidating weather forecasts sometimes leading to some of the spectacular experiences. Please make sure that you are appropriately equipped for the day’s forecast.
That said, if there’s extreme weather that might pose significant safety concerns, we may cancel/postpone a segment, so keep an eye out for last minute updates.
Some segments of the perimeter have more food access options than others. It’s encouraged to bring a packed lunch, snacks, and enough water to get you through the day. Nuts & dried fruit are great fuel for the road. Restaurants can be great places for breaks, battery charging, etc, but in pandemic times, plan to make do without this option. We will of course take breaks!
The perimeter itself has inherent physical accessibility issues, but there are many potential paths to approach it, with different segments having varying degrees of accessibility challenges. Please get in touch if you have any specific questions or concerns.
The walk offers options for participants who only want to walk a half day or a few miles, with different segments having varying frequency of access to public transportation or ease of rideshare pickup. Future iterations of the walk may have additional accessibility resources.
A sustained pace of ~2 miles per hour is expected with breaks.
(For comparison, Google Maps estimates a ~2.8 mph pace for walking directions)
Bathroom access varies around the perimeter. The Where2Go bathroom-finder app might be helpful. Due to the pandemic, some establishments’ restrooms may not be accessible. Pack a small roll of toilet paper, just in case.
If you haven’t yet tried it, the internet has answers to the question “how to poop in the woods?”
(The small inconveniences we might encounter in a day’s walk can be a helpful reminder of the burdens borne by our most vulnerable neighbors for whom access to public restrooms is rare and for whom tending to basic biological needs in public is often criminalized.)
No. Think of this less as a guided tour and more of an adventure trek.
Walkers are provided with a map of the city’s border and use the walk guidelines to choose their path around the city’s edge.
Participants with prior knowledge of the perimeter may on occasion share insights from their experience, but each group collectively decides its own path. Each time is different, and collaborative wayfinding is an important part of the experience.
(Don’t worry – you’re never far from the city since you’re on its edge!)
- Everyone has different assessments of risk and safety. Pick what feels safe for you, and don’t feel pressured to go somewhere that feels unsafe because another member of your group wants to or because some other group might have gone there.
- Release any ideas of a way where the group “should” go and instead defer to the consensus choice to make sure that everyone in your group feels safe. Don’t worry, that other path will still be there for you to explore on another day.
- You are undertaking this exploration in public space at your own risk with all of the risks associated with walking out in the world; plan accordingly and have your emergency contacts written down on a card in your pocket.
- In the event of a medical emergency, call 911. Each group should include a minimum of four participants for safety’s sake so that if one person is in distress, someone can stay with them while others go for help.
- One of the guidelines for the walk is to prioritize safety. If there’s a place that doesn’t feel safe to you, don’t go there! You always have the option to turn back and/or go around.
- Some hazards might include road crossings without pedestrian passages, railroad tracks, ditches (sometimes water-filled), areas without sidewalks, active construction sites, etc. These are the types of hazards that you should go around if you can’t find a safe way through.
- Other hazards might include tripping hazards, flying golf balls, bees, brambles, poison ivy, ticks and more. These are the kind of hazards that you have to keep an eye out for in the moment.
- Another hazard is the potential to accidentally wander into a place you’re not supposed to be, or into a place where other people don’t think that you should be, which might result in an encounter with a neighbor or law enforcement. Prioritize safety, obey the law at all times, and explore with a spirit of curiosity & goodwill. If someone challenges you or asks you what you’re up to, stop and take a breath. Don’t get worried, or defensive! Respond with calm friendliness & first ask them how they’re doing and how often they encounter pedestrians walking through the area. Then you can tell them about your adventure and ask for their help in circumnavigating the city safely.
The group walk segments are planned to be doable at a leisurely pace. That said, any number of things can result in a group covering less ground than anticipated. (It is not uncommon to encounter unforeseen obstacles, or exciting discoveries that cause delays as they are explored in greater depth) – The group will ascertain their progress as they go, and decide collectively where/how they want to end their walking day and head home. There’s no wrong way to do it.
Every segment has different transportation logistics, and we encourage you to use public transportation as much as possible.
Using SEPTA and rideshare cars also helps keep transportation plans flexible in the event that the group takes a different route than planned, or walks a shorter or longer distance than originally anticipated. As we approach the end of our walk, the Google Maps transit planning features can always help someone figure out how to get to where they need to go.
NOTE shuttle service will be available from The Schuylkill Center to nearest public transit after February 24th event, and from transit to the Center before the February 25th walk.
Registered participants are provided a detailed packing list, but everything on it is a suggestion, and you can basically bring whatever you’d like (except for your dog – see below)
This is one part adventure trek, one part walk in the park, one part stroll in the city; try to balance being prepared for eventualities without being too burdened by a heavy pack. With seasonally appropriate clothing, a water bottle and some comfortable shoes, you’re already off to a good start.
The experience is recommended for ages 13 & up. If you think that your children would enjoy the walk, we’d love to walk with them! Minors must be accompanied by parents or legal guardians and should be registered individually.
Sorry but please don’t bring any four-legged friends along on the organized group walks.
No matter how amazing and well behaved your pup is, another dog might not get along with yours. Some other participants may have canine-phobias, and there are segments where having a dog along might complicate logistics or route options.
You may well discover parts of the city that you want to bring your pup back to though!
You’re obviously welcome to set out to walk wherever you’d like whenever you’d like.
If you continue the perimeter walk on your own, we encourage you to follow the guidelines, take reasonable care and safety precautions. We also hope that you’ll take time to share any documentation or reflections on your experience with us.
Please also sign up for updates and continue to keep an eye out for Walk Around Philadelphia programming to connect with other perimeter-walkers and compare your experiences.
Some participants develop new friendships during the walk, and find themselves wanting to reconnect with their fellow walkers.
The easiest thing to do is trade contact information before you part ways.
After the walk, your email address may be shared with your fellow group members to assist in connecting & sharing documentation; If you would like to opt out of this, just let us know.
Yes! They are currently available in standard Gildan sizes:
- Youth Small / Medium / Large
- ‘Regular’ Small / Medium / Large / XL / XXL
- ‘Ladies’ Small / Medium / Large / XL / XXL – slightly smaller & fitted
The shirts are available for a suggested donation of $35; proceeds help support the project’s accessibility initiatives & continued growth.
They are available for porch pickup near 45th & Osage in W. Philadelphia, or shipped anywhere in the continental US for +$5. Venmo @jjtiziou & text 267-702-5464 to coordinate pickup.
You can also pick one up in person at the Oct 1 reportback event at Cherry Street Pier.
Hey thanks! That’d be great!
You can help the walk’s next steps by…
- telling folks in your network about the walk & your experience of it
- making a contribution or becoming a monthly backer
- geting in touch to send us your documentation and/ or connect us to potential partner organizations & funders.
- signing up for updates & making sure that mail from jj@jjtiziou.net & walk@jjtiziou.net is getting past your filters