East Central Walking Tour

East Central was once Spokane’s most racially and economically diverse neighborhood. In many ways, the story of East Central is a familiar one: racial diversity led to redlining, which led to economic disinvestment, leaving the community vulnerable to destructive infrastructure, in this case the construction of I-90. Today, East Central – with the help of the City of Spokane, federal grants, and non-profits – is attempting to respond to the mistakes of the past while avoiding what has too often been the last chapter of this tale, displacement and gentrification. This walking tour will visit sites of East Central’s past, present, and future, with some detours into the history of park and library design.

The tour will begin at 11:00 am on Oct. 3. We will leave from the Liberty Park branch of the Spokane Public Library.