Black Public Joy is on shelves in large and local bookstores across Canada & the U.S. Through practice stories across many cities & research, I assert that Black public joy, and public joy of all kinds is civic, cultural & spatial infrastructure. DM for book talk & public joy mapping engagements.

Black Public Joy by my colleague, @jaypitter.bsky.social, is out this week— an uplifting narrative amid the strain of civic systems & public spaces. Toronto Life calls it an “instruction manual for joy.” The book frames public joy as civic, cultural and spatial infrastructure. (link)

Thank you, friend.x

#HearThis ‘Black Public Joy’ by @jaypitter.bsky.social is out this week— an uplifting narrative amid the strain of civic systems & public spaces. The book frames public joy as civic, cultural and spatial infrastructure. www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/672022... 1/

Happy publication day @jaypitter.bsky.social. I can’t wait to read this.

Alex Pretti was an American hero. He saved lives. He protected people. He cared deeply about his community, unlike the murderous thugs who killed him. The very last thing he did was try to help a woman who had been pepper-sprayed and violently shoved to the ground by ICE. 1/

When I wrote these words—and so many of the ideas in my book—I didn’t realize they would be tested so immediately & intensely. Still, here we are. Still, these words. #restinpeace #alexpretti #reneegood

Three days before Black Public Joy hits shelves, I’m grateful for a full-page Globe and Mail spread featuring my essay on Black laughter. Laughter was the soundtrack of the book—so I started there, and expanded out to how it can light the way for us all amid crumbling civic systems + spaces.

I appreciate @mayor.nyc.gov’s simple but powerful gesture of handing out free theater tickets. The idea that New Yorkers, and people in all cities, deserve lives that include joy, art, rest, & expression is deeply aligned with the values of Black Public Joy & my broader public joy framework.

100% agreed. It’s important for individuals with progressive viewpoints to resist the urge to compare or “out-progressive” each other. To build a coalition resilient & compassionate enough to create change, we must align values AND create more space for divergent approaches, voices & capabilities.

Grateful to see Black Public Joy included in Toronto Life’s “The best things to see, do, read and hear this month in Toronto” section. The book won’t be on shelves for another few weeks, so this early nod, which arrived on my birthday, felt especially hopeful.

Anyway every housing policy fight is a proxy battle over who gets to live in your neighborhood and what lifestyles are acceptable.

New York. England. Amsterdam. Playing shows, producing music in the studio and always showin’ love to fans, her team & collaborators. My daughter claiming and creating space in the world continues to be one of my absolute greatest joys. Forever #1 Fan. 💕

The DAP isn’t just a cool public greeting. It’s a sacred Black public joy expression rooted in history. Alongside storytelling, Black Public Joy is underpinned by research. This was important to me b/c so much of Black culture informs popular culture and is embraced by people of all identities.

Seventy years ago today, Rosa Parks boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama and refused to move to the back. Her refusal & arrest ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott. A powerful reminder that we must advocate for dignified, equitable & joyful public transportation for all people.

Homelessness in the U.S. is far more pervasive than the official figures suggest: roughly four million people are without housing right now. Many are part of the low-wage labor force, powering the very economy that has abandoned them. I spoke with PBS News about this devastating reality (Part 1):

Finished recording the last chapters of my book this week. Speaking the book aloud taught me a lot: emotional presence over perfection, the sacredness of direct quotes, my Jamaican roots living on the tip of my tongue, and the rare gift of trusting others to hold the process with me. Grateful.

Long walks are hands down my favourite public joy practice. They bring me a deep sense of rootedness, allow me to get out of my over-active head, facilitate unexpected connections with folks & connect me to beauty. Incredible & diverse list of long walks: www.outsideonline.com/adventure-tr...

Elected officials shouldn’t have the power to vote against traffic signals or lower speed limits. I don’t think this because I don’t believe in democracy; I think this because I believe in evidence-based placemaking & city-building. Safer streets shouldn’t be situational or left up to a vote.

Nadine and the Swimming Lesson

I love Toronto but the fact that permitting convenience stores in residential neighbourhoods is an actual debate reminds me of how incredibly conservative the city is. Like, are people okay?

Agreed. And a third thing: People and the planet urgently require more than “light-years better” given how low the benchmark is. Lukewarm centrist political agendas, which would have been considered right of centre a decade ago, is simply not imaginative or courageous enough.

Sidewalks should be spacious enough for greetings to become gatherings.

The fact that a president can single handedly make decisions that threaten public health, freedom of fact-based information, civil rights, women’s rights, government services, etc. reveals the fragility of democracy. I naively believed that democracy protected us from these & other threats.

Yesavage is 🔥🔥🔥

"Paulette Jordan just won the Democratic primary for governor in Idaho. Meaning, she's now positioned to become the first female governor of Idaho--and the first Native American governor in the US."-Powwow Nation

When I began Black Public Joy, I thought the story was about collective joy in public life—but writing revealed it was also about reclaiming my own. Creating space for personal joy, beyond achievement and performance, has been the greatest gift of this journey. I can’t wait to share it with you.

As I advance my public joy framework, people often picture a destination — a concert, a park, a festival. But the quality of the commute is one of the most powerful metrics of public joy. Parents trading minivans for electric cargo bikes are modelling this metric.

This is one of the central questions, challenges & gentle invitations in my upcoming Penguin Random House book, Black Public Joy. “If war can be waged against Black and other exploited bodies, then what prevents those bodies from being reclaimed by individuals as sites for waging joy?

Word on the street is that there are a bunch of new folks joining Bluesky right now, so it seems like a good time to re-share my first & biggest STARTER PACK of urbanists & city-making organizations from across the world. Hope you’ll consider following the excellent accounts here. And please share!

This is wild and kinda amazing. As a Jamaican-Canadian, I’m confident that the fact that you were very blunt was well received. Our culture is very direct and warm. Also, I am confident my peeps will make strides, that’s also a part of our culture :) Congrats on a successful engagement.

A cover that is more than a design. It’s a declaration. BLACK PUBLIC JOY JAY PITTER JANUARY 2026 Published by Penguin Random House

Tori Amos says her new album ‘In Times of Dragons’ is “a metaphorical story about the fight for Democracy over Tyranny, reflecting the current abhorrent non accidental burning down of democracy in real time by the ‘Dictator believing Lizard Demons’ in their usurpation of America.”

In every school album I had as a little girl, there was a line that asked: What do you want to be when you grow up? From wobbly printing in Grade 2 to confident cursive years later, I always wrote the same thing: writer. Although I’ve been previously published, this book is what that kid meant :)

I’m genuinely glad to see Jimmy Kimmel reinstated. The outpouring of public support for him this past week is a reminder of how democracy works in the contemporary public square. But I can’t celebrate this moment without naming a significant disparity.

Here are some nice mushrooms

This is tiresome: a couple builds a 4100 ft.² second home, but reuses materials and so it is supposedly eco-friendly. What’s even greener: - Keeping the existing building - Not having a second home at all

Laurentian University has a course focused on urban ageing course that seems to depart from the typical “let’s make sure these old folks can age at home, have enough time to make it across the cross walk & have benches to sit on while navigating public spaces.” Not suggesting these aren’t important…

Recently, I refused a high profile contract in an amazing city b/c the potential client didn’t have an implementation budget or resource development plan. I refuse to engage & raise hopes of communities on behalf of clients unwilling to make investments beyond consultants. I’ve learned say “no”…

The city demands; the forest invites.

Sharing a meal with friends is a public joy ritual for many. That’s why all of the excursions my team has organized for the unhoused youth we have the privilege of engaging in our pilot project, Pathways to Public Joy, begins with food. And not just any food, fancy and healthy food.

To my 10th grade English teacher, who said, “Make the conclusion count.”

My first Starter Pack! The Canadian urbanism and planning community on here is growing. Give these folks a follow. Some well known faces … and some you should get to know! (please re-post!) go.bsky.app/AEYL7FZ

For many youth navigating homeless, public spaces are sites of criminalization, indignity & uncertainty. That’s why I’m piloting my Pathways to Public Joy project with the shelter staff at Eva’s. Public joy is as urgent as justice. I’ll share what we experience & learn in an upcoming AZURE series.

Denmark requires children to take weekly empathy classes, which has led to low bullying rates, and high graduation & employment rates. A version of this should be a requirement for engaging in placemaking convos re: housing, active transportation, street-based harassment, police profiling, etc.

An #UrbanistShoutOut list I recommend following, that I have some connection to, or just enjoy interacting with: @toderianuw.bsky.social @canurbanism.bsky.social @reneedsc.bsky.social @jaypitter.bsky.social @jwhiteyvr.bsky.social @grantennis.bsky.social @tomflood.bsky.social @katharinehayhoe.com

Inspired by @jaypitter.bsky.social's "starting our day with 10km walks" example, I tried to restart old habits and walked to work today. 90 mins. Then, inspired by my own example, I walked back home. 90 mins. In conclusion: I am on the couch, and I will not be moving any time soon.

Starting our days with 10K walks requires a significant time commitment but it’s hands down the best way to flow into the day.

if you want to have a nice and relaxing sunday, do not watch the new Hulu documentary on Hurricane Katrina. if you want to shake with rage and anger over the total failure of this nation's government and media establishment, watch the Hulu documentary on Katrina (this is a recommendation)

This weekend I wrote about Doug Ford’s plan to sell off a large chunk of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. Exactly the opposite of what should be happening: parkland expansion.