Open Streets, Open Minds
Spend a car(e) free afternoon exploring Charlotte neighborhoods
Yoga poses on South Mint Street. Oversized checkerboards on West Fourth Street. Pumpkin carving on West Bland Street.
It’s all part of Open Streets 704, a car-free, family friendly event set for Sunday, Oct. 23, from 1–5 p.m.
Open Streets 704 transforms a 3-mile stretch of city streets into a linear park, connecting Charlotte neighborhoods. This Open Streets event will meander between the historic West End and South End, connecting the Biddleville, Smallwood, Seversville, Wesley Heights, Fourth Ward, Third Ward, Wilmore and South End neighborhoods. Motor vehicle traffic isn’t allowed on the route, but “soft closures” will permit cars to cut through the route at certain intersections, with the help of law enforcement.
The goal of Open Streets 704, however, isn’t to keep cars off the streets. Instead, the event is designed to encourage everyone else to get out onto the streets and explore the city together.
“This is not an event about excluding anyone,” said Scott Curry, CDOT’s pedestrian program manager and the city’s lead organizer for Open Streets 704. “This is an event about including everyone.”
Whether you’re into biking, walking, dancing, running, playing basketball or doing yoga, Open Streets 704 has a little something for all. More than 80 activities will be spread out along the route to encourage people from all parts of the city to try new things, meet new people and fall in love with new neighborhoods.
“The best places in Charlotte, really in any city, are the most walkable places,” Curry said.
Curry, an urban designer by trade, has worked with the City of Charlotte for two years. He serves as CDOT’s pedestrian program manager, in charge of the city’s walkability initiatives.
Walkability and accessibility are an important part of any growing city, but Curry said Charlotte needs events like Open Streets 704 now more than ever.
“Open Streets 704 events put everyone on an even playing field by opening up our streets to all people — no matter how old they are, what they look like, where they live or how they choose to travel,” Curry said. “Our sincere hope is that Open Streets 704 can shrink the distances between us by helping us to realize that there is far more that unites us, than there is that divides us.”
The upcoming Open Streets 704 event is the second one hosted in Charlotte. Charlotte’s first Open Streets event, held in May, attracted more than 10,000 people, and Curry hopes to see that number increase this time around.
With that many attendees, the event wouldn’t be possible without utilizing partnerships across the city. Curry said he has enjoyed watching so many different agencies work together toward a common goal. The City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and Partners for Parks have all joined together to make the event a success, with the help of a grant from the Knight Foundation.
Other partners include Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, the Mecklenburg County Health Department, the Charlotte Fire Department and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
Businesses and neighbors along the route received notification in advance so that they could not only plan for the event, but also be part of it. CMPD, together with event volunteers, will help direct traffic at major intersections so that cars can cross the event route safely. Open Street events are typically held on Sunday, when traffic volumes are at their lowest.
Visit the Open Streets 704 website for more information, including details about the route, a list of frequently asked questions and how you can volunteer.
