The Open Streets Project

Resource Description

Open streets initiatives temporarily close streets to automobile so that people may use them for any activity but driving—walking, jogging, bicycling, dancing and just about any other physical activity. People traffic replaces car traffic, and the streets become ‘paved parks’ where people of all ages, abilities, and social, economic, or ethnic backgrounds can come out and improve their mental, physical, and emotional health.
Today, there are more than 80 open streets initiatives in the United States and Canada. Open streets are increasingly common in towns and cities seeking innovative ways to achieve public health, environmental, social, and economic goals. These initiatives:

• Encourage physical activity and allow participants to reimagine their communities as places to walk and bike for transportation
• Improve the air quality of cities by removing cars from the road
• Provide a novel type of public space that helps people meet and make social connections, thereby allowing individuals, community organizations, and political leaders to build relationships
• Bring thousands of people to frequent businesses and fuel local economies

The Open Streets Project is a collaboration between the Alliance for Biking & Walking and The Street Plans Collaborative. The goal of the project is to share information about open streets and increase the number, size, and frequency of initiatives.
The Open Streets Project began in early 2010, when Street Plans began examining the breadth and diversity of open streets initiatives in the United States and Canada. In the fall of 2010, Street Plans teamed with the Alliance with the goal of reaching local advocates and open streets organizers across North America.

The Open Streets Project includes a published guide and an interactive website (www.openstreetsproject.org), which allows advocates and new open streets organizers to explore open streets efforts in peer cities across the continent. It also allows seasoned open streets organizers to continually update and share best practices, maps, photos, videos, and publicity materials via the individual initiative blog feature.