Event Date
Panelists:
- Moderator: Mollie, Policy Director, 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program
- Nico Larco, Professor and Director, Urbanism Next Center, and Sustainable Cities Initiative, University of Oregon
- Kea Wilson, Senior Editor, Streetsblog USA
- Additional Speakers TBA
Is now the right time to rethink street design to favor people over cars? An international trend of “open streets,” also called “slow streets,” reflects a movement to reclaim streets from cars for people to sit, dine, or travel on foot and bicycle. However, it is unclear whether these street design experiments are a passing fad or whether they offer a window into the urbanist dream of a future of dense livable cities. There have also been moments of trial and error in pandemic-related open streets efforts. Questions remain about whether city planners can utilize open street design to improve the experiences of low-income communities, people of color, people with disabilities, or people experiencing homelessness. Some community members have questioned who is able to enjoy the benefits of open streets. New York City was criticized for a heavy police presence associated with an early roll out of an open streets effort. More discussion is needed about how to reclaim streets in a smart, equitable, and long-lasting way.