Family Bicycling Day 2014

TACTICAL URBANISM: Open Streets

People traffic replaces car traffic, and the streets become ‘paved parks’ where people of all ages, abilities, and social, economic, or ethnic backgrounds can come out and improve their mental, physical, and emotional health.   
– Gil Peñalosa, Executive Director of 8-80 Cities

Safe streets for people to enjoy

Open Streets initiatives temporarily create safe and inviting car-free streets for enjoying city neighborhoods with friends and family: walking, jogging, bicycling, dancing, shopping, dining. 

In 2012 we compiled hundreds of comments from residents over two years of open street events. Read: Safe Street Comments from Residents.

2011 was the year of Redding’s first ciclovia.   On the eve of that event, organizers received a congratulatory email message from renowned open streets advocate Gil Peñalosa, who championed car-free Sundays as former parks commissioner in Bogota, Colombia, where the ciclovia movement began in the 1970s.

2011 Redding’s First Open Street Program Family Bicycling Day!

Supports Our Community Values   

  • Uses Already Existing Resources
  • Supports Our Favorite Pursuit – Getting Outside!
  • Encourages Family Fun and Builds Community
  • Promotes Safe Physical Activity For All
  • Supports our Local Business
  • Adds to Our World Class Biking and Outdoor Activities
  • Adds to Momentum for Complete Streets.

Six Years of Redding Open Streets

Connecting the River Trail to City Hall
Park Marina Drive

Celebrating new Complete Streets
Parkview Avenue & City Hall

Taking it Downtown
Streets Alive! on California Street

Tactical Urbanism: Short-Term Projects for Action-Oriented Planning

“Tactical Urbanism” is a word to describe the types of participatory projects that are designed for short-term tests of new ideas in cities. 

Shasta Living Streets manages short-term projects to give residents, businesses, community-based organizations, and city leaders a chance to work together and test out and try new ideas – to experience new types of city amenities and see how they fit in our community.   These projects allow people to experience the vision of a new idea, and to gather input from people about what they like, as well as ideas for adjustments.

Shasta Living Streets projects have included hundreds of businesses and organizations and thousands of residents since 2011. Past projects include:  Open Street events, Parklet and Street Deck demonstrations, California Street Labs Downtown events and activities, and asphalt murals. 

What others are saying

About the first Open Street event in Redding:  Shasta Living Streets supports community values and health,  published in the American Trails magazine, 2011.

Redding was one of the first in the nation.   At the start, Redding’s cyclovia was the first in California outside of the metro Bay Area & Los Angeles ~  We are included in this overview of the 80 open streets initiatives across the country, with examples and best practices.  Download the report. 

Flyer for Family Bicycling Day 2013:  OnePageFamilyBikingDay2013