The Oakley Neighborhood Association is in the midst of planning its first event: Open Streets Oakley at Thompson St. on October 16, 2021 from 12-5.
And we'd like to invite you to participate!
What is an Open Streets event?
"Open Streets are programs that temporarily open streets to people by closing them to cars." (OpenStreetsProject.org) Open Streets events are designed to help residents change how they think about, use and view streets and other public spaces in their neighborhood by temporarily closing those areas to vehicular traffic and redesigning and reconfiguring to include:
Pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly throughways.
Park-like areas featuring fun learning, recreational and other activities.
Demonstrations of traffic-calming and safer multi-modal/mixed-access solutions.
Areas for neighborhood businesses and organizations to promote themselves.
Opportunities for residents to think about, explore and experience their public spaces from a new perspective.
Open Streets events help residents answer the question: How would our neighborhood and city be different with more sidewalks, bike lanes, greenways, and streets we could safely share with vehicles?
Some ideas that are already in progress for this event include:
A kid's bike and roller skate pop-up park
Yoga/zumba classes
Street chalk art
A food truck presence at New Origins brewery
Ice cream sandwich vendor
Plant swap/giveaway (no need to bring one - we have plenty in need new of homes!)
A neighborhood story board
Protected pedestrian shoulder demo and community safe-streets feedback surveys
Music
And much more to come...
Otherwise, it's your space to (legally) do what you want: Bring your kids and have roller races. Bring your lawn chairs and party games. Bring your Zumba class. Bring pets. (Please DON'T bring alcohol or illegal substances, because we do NOT have ABC permits. But there are two pretty cool breweries *right there,* just saying.)
Restrooms:
We are still a brand new association with limited funds (donations can be made at the HQ tent) so we did not have the capacity to rent PortaJohns for the day. With that said, it is advised that folks make their way to our neighborhood breweries (New Origins and Curus Keme) if in need. Please remember to patronize these establishments for their hospitality.
Food:
Picnics are encouraged so please feel empowered to set up a blanket/chairs in the middle of the street and enjoy. New Origins also hosts a Lebanese food truck that I can personally vouch for as being awesome!
❃ Please bookmark this page for reference: We'll be posting updates as they develop! ❃
Where will the event be held?
We will be closing off Thompson St. between the Glendale and Decatur street intersections. Alternate routes to businesses and other locations on Thompson will be open.
Click on the map below to view a live Google Map of street closures (with alternate accesses marked), as well as the locations of proposed demonstrations, projects, events and other features as they are added.
Get Involved!
We are currently still working to get all permits and applications for this event, so nothing is set in stone. However, given that the date is rapidly approaching, we'd like to reach out to if community members have ideas, time, or skills they would like to contribute to making this event a success.
And if you are part of a neighborhood business or community organization and would like to set up a tent or host an event to get the word out about your initiatives and recruit new members, this could be a great opportunity!
✔︎ For more information and questions about the event itself or about participating in the event, please contact the Oakley Neighborhood Association.
✔︎ We will need volunteers to help organize, set up, clean up on the 16th. If you can help out during the event, please sign up on our Open Streets Oakley Volunteer Form.
✔︎ Interested in hosting an activity or event? Use the "Activity Activator" section of our Open Streets Oakley Volunteer Form and let us know how you want to participate!
✔︎ Please visit and share the Open Streets Oakley Facebook event page with your friends - everyone is welcome to join in the fun!
This is a neighborhood event, we'd love to hear your suggestions! If you have an idea we haven't thought of, please reach out. We'd love to hear from you.
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