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Don't forget to register to attend the virtual program of Walk/Bike/Places before the conference starts on June 15-18, 2021!
If you're still trying to decide whether to join us, take a look at the full program on our website. It includes session titles and speakers for all of our general and breakout sessions—which will all be available online for up to six months after the event. Learn more and register.
More Events & Opportunities
June 3, 2021 • Webinar: What If We Managed Streets as Places? Open Plans, PlacemakingX, and Association of Pratt Placemakers
June 25, 2021 • Grant: Canada Healthy Communities Initiative, Community Foundations of Canada
ASAP • Job: Business Development Associate, Patronicity
ASAP • Job: Project Coach, Patronicity
ASAP • Job: Social Media Coordinator, Patronicity
Ongoing • Grant: Community Heart & Soul Seed Grants (for towns under 30,000), Community Heart & Soul
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Greenway Breaks Ground in Detroit. The City of Detroit broke ground on the first phase of the Joe Louis Greenway. The project, which has been in the works since 2007, is named for the legendary boxer and Detroit native. Designed to encircle the center of the city and to be suitable for pedestrians and cyclists, it will run for 27.5 miles when complete. (Urbanize)
Who Decides the Future of George Floyd Square? For the past year, the Minneapolis intersection that was the site of George Floyd’s murder has been off-limits to cars. A multiracial community group led by Black women has been meeting twice daily at the square to push the City to meet 24 demands for racial justice. Multiple nonprofits now operate within the semi-autonomous zone, which also has a reduced police presence.
Despite Mayor Jacob Frey's previous pledge to open the square to cars after the trial of Derek Chauvin—the former officer convicted of killing Floyd—it remains a pedestrian-only area. Frey maintains he is open to a compromise that will include a memorial while also allowing cars to return. (CityLab)
Street Vendors See Some Relief, Needs Remain. The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, part of the spring 2021 pandemic relief bill, provided many street vendors with a lifeline. More targeted than 2020's Paycheck Protection Program, the program replaced lost revenue for vendors who were impacted. However, without additional appropriations, the program does not have enough funding to meet demand. (Next City)
Debate Continues Over Pandemic Parklets. Like many cities, San Francisco relaxed rules around outdoor dining and encouraged businesses to use public streets for seating and amenities. The city is now mulling whether to make these changes permanent. Some community advocates are concerned that doing so effectively privatizes public spaces, and seek alternatives that embrace both commercial activity and public access. (San Francisco Examiner)
Can Removing Highways Fix America's Cities? Highways transformed American cities in the mid-twentieth century—not necessarily for the better. Many were built right through the heart of urban centers, carving up or bulldozing neighborhoods in their paths. Following successful efforts in places like Rochester, NY, there is now growing momentum behind a movement to remove them and reconnect communities. (New York Times)
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As always, here is a roundup of 10 inspiring placemaking ideas from the week
- The death of Jaime Lerner, father of "urban acupuncture" (ArchDaily)
- A team of young coders creating a digital remembrance of Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood (Next City)
- A striking street transformation in Chillán, Chile (Instagram)
- These community gardens co-created with people who are in solitary confinement (Next City)
- A group pushing to make LA's outdoor dining permanent (Planetizen)
- What NYC would look like if 25% of its roadways were reclaimed for people (StreetsBlog NYC)
- This street in the small town of Mount Airy, NC that was transformed by engaged citizens (Main Street America)
- A more thoughtful approach to public furniture (MetroRailNews)
- This restaurant turning empty parking into a placemaking plaza (La Jolla Light)
- A plan to make placemaking central to Vermont's COVID recovery (Brattleboro Reformer)
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