Open Streets

New York City Open Streets

Where Open Streets Are Succeeding

The cities that are making their pandemic-era car-free experiments permanent.

January 6, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

People lounging on grass in Alamo Square park in San Francisco overlooking painted ladies Victorian houses and city skyline

Predictions for San Francisco’s Public Spaces

In 2023, will the city’s public spaces be reclaimed by cars, or will pandemic-era interventions lead to permanent change?

January 5, 2023 - San Francisco Chronicle

Vacant boarded-up storefronts along Powell Street in San Francisco, California.

Planning Year in Review 2022: Downtowns, Transportation, Climate Change

Part two of a review of the major themes, debates, and events of the year in planning that was 2022.

December 19, 2022 - James Brasuell

People sitting at outdoor dining tables next to bike lane protected by delineators and three-story buildings in Dublin, Ireland

Where Car-Free Streets Won Out

While some open streets experiments have met with backlash from community members, others were so successful they led to permanent changes.

November 22, 2022 - Next City

New York City Open Streets

Open Streets and Outdoor Dining Are Best for Business, Report Says

Most business owners believe that they'd be out of business without on-street parking near their front door. The experience of New York City during the pandemic proves otherwise.

October 27, 2022 - StreetsBlog NYC

Italian restaurant outdoor dining patio with string lights in New York City

Who Should Manage New York’s Outdoor Dining Program?

A proposal to shift responsibility away from the Department of Transportation has met staunch resistance from industry groups and advocates of the program.

October 24, 2022 - StreetsBlog NYC

Children in Halloween costumes at a crosswalk with officer offering bowl of candy

Opinion: Make Halloween Car-Free

Forget razor blades in apples. Henry Grabar argues the biggest threat on Halloween is much more mundane.

October 17, 2022 - Slate

New York City Open Streets

Cities Rethinking the Value of Parking

The effort to reclaim public and private spaces from car storage had some setbacks since the days of al fresco and open streets in the first years of Covid-19. But widespread parking reforms and new evidence shows the public is rethinking parking.

October 17, 2022 - Globe and Mail

Curb cut at corer of sidewalk

Universal Design in D.C.’s Rock Creek Park

After being closed to cars during the pandemic, Rock Creek Park’s Beach Drive has become a haven for people with mobility impairments.

September 16, 2022 - Greater Greater Washington

Walkable, mixed-use neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain

Could Los Angeles Emulate Barcelona’s ‘Superblocks’?

A proposal in the city council could bring the ‘superblock’ model to Los Angeles, opening up neighborhood streets to more biking, walking, and public amenities.

August 15, 2022 - The Real Deal

People gather on a street with no cars during the L.E.A.F. Festival of Flowers in the Meatpacking District of New York City.

The Tide Has Turned Against Open Streets

Once a promising development for advocates pushing for a less car-centric future in cities, the open streets movement has ceded significant ground to cars since the height of the pandemic.

August 14, 2022 - The New York Times

Copenhagen Street

The Century-Old Call for Open Streets

Historical reports from the Regional Plan Association show that car-free streets is an idea almost as old as automobiles themselves.

August 7, 2022 - Regional Plan Association

People in masks walking on Page Street, San Francisco, June 2020

San Francisco Nixes Slow Street

Lake Street’s designation as a ‘slow street’ is overwhelmingly popular with residents. Why does the city plan to dismantle it?

July 14, 2022 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Welcome sign for Rock Creek Park, Washington. D.C.

National Park Service Weighs Changes to D.C.’s Beach Drive

The scenic road has been closed to car traffic during the pandemic, but the park service could begin allowing through traffic nine months of the year.

July 13, 2022 - DCist

The Griffith Observatory is perched on a hill above Los Angeles, with the city's downtown shown int he distant background. Griffith Park's rolling hills and winding roads are shown in the foreground.

Los Angeles to Test Road Closure Through Scenic Griffith Park

After a driver killed a cyclist on Griffith Park Drive in April, the city of Los Angeles is studying safety upgrades on streets in its famous park. The L.A. Times says the changes are part of a growing movement.

July 12, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

People gather on a street with no cars during the L.E.A.F. Festival of Flowers in the Meatpacking District of New York City.

‘Togetherness’ as a Synonym for ‘Transportation’

Transportation is a fundamental aspect of community cohesion, and should be considered a synonym for togetherness.

May 23, 2022 - William Riggs

People in masks walking on Page Street, San Francisco, June 2020

San Francisco ‘Slow Streets’ Face Uncertain Future

The pandemic-era ‘slow streets’ experiment has met with mixed reviews from residents, prompting the city to consider the removal or adjustment of many segments.

May 9, 2022 - CBS Bay Area

The Las Vegas Strip, pictured at night with lights and illuminated and Las Vegas Boulevard congested with cars.

NFL Draft Inspires Proposal to Block Cars From the Las Vegas Strip

The NFL draft shut down the Las Vegas Strip to car traffic. Some people liked the change so much that a new law proposes to permanently block cars from the street. Yes, you read that correctly.

May 4, 2022 - Fox 11 Los Angeles

Google Maps street view of Diamond Street

Local Opposition Threatens San Diego’s Last ‘Slow Street’

Residents in Pacific Beach want the city to revise its design of the Diamond Street ‘slow street,’ the last remaining segment of pandemic-era pedestrian-oriented road in the city.

April 26, 2022 - San Diego Union-Tribune

Higgins Avenue in downtown Missoula, Montana

Tactical Urbanism Takes Hold in Missoula

Community organizations are taking action to transform the city and pave the way for permanent infrastructure improvements.

April 6, 2022 - Missoula Current

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