Jay Walljasper

An award-winning writer and speaker, Jay Walljasper showcases stories – from around the nation and the world – that point toward a greener, more equitable and more fulfilling future.His focus goes beyond what’s in the headlines to chronicle the surprising real life of communities in today’s world.  He often uncovers overlooked accomplishments in neighborhoods, transportation, planning, economic development, cultural life and public spaces that add up – singly and cumulatively – to big improvements for our cities and regions.

Jay Walljasper is a fellow and editor at On the Commons.org, an organization devoted to restoring an appreciation of our society’s common wealth.  He is also a senior fellow at the Project for Public Spaces, a New York-based organization that helps citizens enliven their communities by improving their many and diverse public places.  He is also a contributing editor of National Geographic Traveler, reporting regularly on urban revitalization and sustainable tourism initiatives around the world.

Walljasper is the author of The Great Neighborhood Book (2007), Visionaries: People and Ideas to Change Your Life (2001), and, most recently, What We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons (2010).
His experience includes being editorial director and editor of Utne Reader, executive editor of Ode magazine, and a travel editor at Better Homes & Gardens.  Utne Reader was nominated for the National Magazine Award for general excellence three times during Walljasper’s years as editor.  He has blogged about the promise of Green Cities for the National Geographic Green Guide. For more than a decade he was the American columnist for the British magazine Resurgence, and also wrote a column about American affairs for the Belgian magazine Enjeux Internationaux.

Articles by Walljasper have been published in AARP Bulletin, The New Statesman (UK), San Francisco Chronicle, Planning, Chicago Tribune, Preservation, Common Dreams, Toronto Star, WorldChanging, Australian Financial Review, New Courrier (Paris), Sunday Independent (South Africa), Business Craft (Singapore), and other publications. He has been quoted on contemporary issues in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and NPR.

Among Walljasper’s speaking engagements have been appearances at a range of occasions, among them the UNESCO International Conference on Creative Tourism, the Chicago Architectural Foundation, the Great Places Conference sponsored by the state of Iowa, The Tom McCall Society Lecture in Portland, the Smart Growth Summit in the Louisville area, the Trinity Cathedral Lecture Series in Cleveland, and the Mayor’s Symposium on Sustainability in Winnipeg.

See http://www.JayWalljasper.com for his articles, columns and past talks.

Last updated February 9, 2010