Inspiring a vision and building support through community events

We co-sponsored a Forum on Transportation & Livable Communities for Boston's mayoral candidates in September 2013 to help educate the public and the candidates about the vital transportation issues facing our city. In addition to the forum, we developed a briefing book for candidates on the issues and administered a candidate questionnaire.

 

We helped design and facilitate this groundbreaking event hosted by Mayor Menino—bringing together key players to launch and build capacity for the city's new approach to street design.  This led to our hosting the first annual Boston Bikes Update event in Jan 2009. The fourth annual event will be in February 2012.

Working with Boston’s Museum of Science, we designed and facilitated four 3-hour sessions that helped citizens better understand, and be prepared to act upon urban transportation issues. LivableStreets and Museum of Science Transportation Priorities for the Boston Area

 

As part of national Park(ing) Day, LivableStreets coordinated the transformation of 5 parking spots in Cambridge and Boston in collaboration with WalkBoston, neighborhood groups, and university clubs who designed each individual spot in 2009. In 2010 we assisted with the creation of over 10 spots throughout Boston, Brookline and Cambridge. Park(ing) Day is an annual, one-day, global event where artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into Park(ing) spaces: temporary public parks intended to promote creativity, civic engagement, critical thinking, social interactions, generosity and play.

This annual ride, founded by a LivableStreets board member, has been critical to encouraging bicycling throughout the city. It also provided an opportunity to connect with city hall, which has led to the growing cultural change we are now experiencing. LivableStreets is currently working with the city to expand road closures during the annual ride, and we have created a LivableStreets team to encourage people to bicycle with us.

LivableStreets collaborated with a local bicycle shop to organize their first-ever block party. The adjacent street was closed for activities, which included a People’s Choice Award for best commuter bicycle, a raffle supporting LivableStreets, free food/drink donated by local businesses, and more. It was a huge success – a celebration of bicycling, encouraging new cyclists.