From Los Angeles to Minneapolis, Milwaukee to Pittsburgh, Open Streets season is kicking into high gear in communities across the United States. And we're excited to bring more than 100 leaders and organizers together at the 2015 National Open Streets Summit in Atlanta, September 25-27.
Organized by the Open Streets Project — a partnership of the Alliance and The Street Plans Collaborative — the Summit will focus on the theme of "Connecting People & Healthy Places." With unique content for both new and experienced organizers, this event will provide information and inspiration for initiatives at all stages and sizes.
Here's a preview of the Summit agenda.
Plenary presentations:
- The Rise of Atlanta Streets Alive: Atlanta has emerged as the model city for open streets programming with attendance well over 100,000 people at their events. This panel includes leaders of Atlanta’s open streets and active transportation community who will discuss the trajectory and rise of the successful partnerships and programming currently in place.
- The Story of CicLAvia: Organizers with CicLAvia, the nonprofit that has produced Los Angeles’s multi-cultural and hugely popular Open Streets programming since 2010, will present the story of the organization and its role in the partnerships that have led to major active transportation policy shifts in recent times.
- Building Equity in New Brunswick: For the New Brunswick Ciclovia (NBC), equity isn’t just a consideration—it’s been at the center of the initiative. In a community that is nearly half Spanish speaking and where health disparities are prevalent among its residents, NBC’s mission is “to promote active living for the entire community through open and car-free streets.” Speakers will discuss how they are doing this.
- The Future of Open Streets and Healthy Cities for All: 8 80 Cities Co-Founder and former parks commissioner for the city of Bogota, Gil Penalosa , will deliver the Summit’s closing plenary. He’ll discuss the importance and impact of closing streets to cars and giving the pavement back to the people and provide an overview of inspiring trends emerging within the Open Streets movement.
Breakout sessions:
- Foundation Support Models: This session will provide insights, trends, and lessons learned from some of philanthropy’s biggest Open Streets financial supporters.
- Evaluating Open Streets: This session will cover proven best practice methods of evaluation for Open Streets programs.
- Open Streets, Open Cities: From pilots and programming to permanent change, learn how these agencies are utilizing Open Streets and tactical urbanism to test ideas for successful implementation and policy change. Speaker will address initial agency challenges and concerns and relay the outcomes and change that has occurred since adoption.
- Making the Case for Health: Open Streets can improve health by encouraging fun, every day activity. This session will provide data and messaging examples that helped make Open Streets a public health initiative.
- Designing Your Route: A key component of a successful open streets program is the route that is highlighted. This session will include a discussion on how to select the right route for programming.
- Big Ideas, Small Cities: Small cities have different contexts, but their opportunities are just as great and, perhaps, greater in terms of creating transformation change. This session include speakers from small communities involved in big
- 8 80 Cities Toolkit: 8 80 Cities has developed a comprehensive toolkit to assist communities, of all shapes and sizes, in developing robust health-focused Open Streets programs, what we’re calling Healthiest Practice Open Streets programs. This workshop will demonstrate the dynamic toolkit’s contents.
- Crowdsourcing with ioby: Learn how to leverage and maximize fundraising with tips and tactics from ioby, a crowd-resourcing platform. The session will cover successfully crowd-funded projects and the ‘seven habits’ of their most successful campaigns.
- Streets for All: Pedestrian and bicycle advocacy organizations are natural partners for open street programming—often they are leading the initiative from an engagement and organizing standpoint. Learn from leaders using inclusive and outreach engagement strategies.
- International Practices: Open Streets is a truly global movement, with a particularly strong base of experience in Central and South America. This session will focus on sharing best practices from leading cities outside of the United States.
- WORKSHOP: Growing and Sustaining Open Street Programs: Increasing the frequency and participation of Open Streets programs requires planning and a sustainability plan. This guided workshop will allow participants an opportunity to develop a roadmap for success in their local efforts.
Be part of the program:
We want to hear from you. What innovative ideas are making your Open Streets initiatives engines of community engagement, physical activity and civic pride? Be part of the Summit by submitting your idea as a Pecha Kucha session. Organized in collaboration with the TransitCenter, proposals can span topics as broad as, “How I stimulated innovation in Open Streets” to something more specific like “How I built a coalition of supporters to get multiple departments on board for summer play streets.”
Presentations will follow the Ignite or Pecha Kucha format of 20 slides of 20 seconds each, challenging speakers to distill their ideas to the most salient points and inspiring the audience with compelling stories. Interested applicants should fill out this short application form. Submission deadline is August 28, 2015!
At the Open Streets Summit, you'll learn all about:
- Building a coalition of supporters
- Outreach to key community partners and stakeholders
- Marketing and branding
- Choosing a route
- Program frequency
- Volunteer recruitment and management
- Sponsorship, fundraising, and sustainability
- Evaluating your initiative
