just thinking through next spring/summer…
I know winter isn’t even really here, but like a gardener in autumn, I am already getting ideas ready for next spring!
The ones that seem to be rising to the top are a combination of ‘public space’ and ‘reclaiming streets’.
I have talked before about my conviction that we waste too much precious space on streets in Mile-End, but I know that in the short-term there is no way we are going to be able to rip up asphalt and lay down gardens and other greenery (although that is my ultimate goal!).
In those posts, I have also mentioned how much I like the temporary pilot-project way of approaching things that has been spreading like wildfire (thanks to Jan Gehl of Copenhagen, and Janette Sadik-Khan of New York (his protégée)). The idea is: nothing really changes except for a coat of paint, some sort of physical or pyschological divide to show cars aren’t allowed … but the impact is huge. And once people get a taste of it, they likely will not want to go back to the standard way of the past.
(found here.)
So the rough outline of what I’d love to see happen next spring is this:
1. We close a chunk (one lane?) of road, probably in the Sector St-Viateur Est. This project will be a temporary pilot project, and I think a good street to consider might be Casgrain, between Maguire and St-Viateur Est (partly because half the road is already blocked at the entry to St-Viateur Est, partly because Naada is right there, and so is a kind of focal point, and partly because the street is quite symbolic given how it connects residential with industrial/commercial in quite a stark way).
The car-free zone will be created as a public space, with both programmed and open elements. This space will be delineated from the remaining street and its traffic through the use of some sort of planters, perhaps like that seen below (although not so elaborate). Like the New York examples, paint could be used as well.
(found here.)
In other cities that have implemented these sorts of temporary pilot projects (such as San Francisco and New York), standard planters are used to delineate the car-free space. I think that’s fine, but given the nature of St-Viateur Est, and the artistic energy in our neighbourhood, I think we could come up with something a little more local and funky. Whatever it is, though, I think it should include green since this part of Mile-End is extremely lacking in green, and so is one of the hottest zones in the city.
Perhaps by doing so, we could also access some of the pools of money that exist out there for greening concrete-heavy zones.
2. This temporary car-free space (closed for the entire spring/summer/fall season seasons) will be our newest (and maybe only true) public space in Mile-End. As such, it will be intended for pedestrians, for kids to play freely in, for folks to eat their lunch in, and for a Mile-End market (among other things).
Hopefully the Mile-End market could happen once a week, and host both veggies and other food, as well as art, crafts, and whatever else people feel like selling or giving away.
3. In order to ensure that the space feels genuine, sincere and inviting, I think it would be great to open up the space to a sort of concours that invites local artists and crafts-people to design the street furniture, or other parts of the space. I don’t know how doable this is, since I am sure the borough has no money to contribute (or very little?). Regardless, even if this stuff is out of pocket, I would love to get something like this going on. (It’s not like it has to cost a lot to be cool).
(two photos above found here with other great ones to check out.)
(pool noodle furniture found here.)
(found here.)
4. I think that’s it for now. So, in short … we look for a permit to take back half a street in Mile-End from April(-ish) to October(-ish). We make a public space there that is inviting for folks of all ages, and hopefully brings more neighbours together for events, or just hanging. We look for a permit to hold a weekly market, where we can sell local organic veggies (and the like), as well as arts, crafts and other.
Any takers? Any suggestions? Is Casgrain the right street? Any other ideas? Anyone willing to help getting this going?
