Updated
If the streets weren't used for driving and parking, could they become a place to play, exercise and hang out with the neighbours?
For the last two years, a community organisation in Perth's Victoria Park has experimented with closing off one of the area's streets to let the locals take over.
Organiser Dave Lindner from the Vic Park Collective said the car-free day, held this year in early October, was inspired by the former mayor of Bogota, Enrique Peñalosa, who led the movement in Colombia.
"It's based on a worldwide movement that close streets to cars and encourages the community to come out onto the street and play and reclaim it as a piece of public open space," Mr Lindner said.
Ordinarily Victoria Park's main street, Albany Highway, is heaving with cars that fill the street parking and traffic is restricted to 40km per hour on the main café strip.
But for one Sunday a year, on nearby Kent Street, plastic barriers go up and a portion of the street is closed to cars and people are free to use the street however they wish.
"It's meant to be a fun time for the community, so there are lots of different activities that we have," Mr Lindner said.
"We have couches on the street so people can just hang out, chalk galore so people can chalk on the street and do their own street art.
"There was swing dancing, jungle body fit, bike polo and street roller hockey."
There is no parking available on the day, so visitors have to walk or cycle to join the street party.
Mr Lindner doesn't expect people to give up their cars permanently, but the event is meant to be a conversation starter.
"The idea is to inspire people to think about different modes of transport, walking, biking, scootering, whatever you want," he said.
"To get people talking about different ways to use public space and to ask — do we actually need all the roads for all the cars?
"Can we look at a future where there might be fewer cars and fewer roads and more public space?"
The event is put on without a budget, as the Town of Victoria Park waives the road closure fee and the activities are run by volunteers.
"We would also like to think that people might want to do it again on their street," he said, adding that the local council have a grants program for people who do want to shut down their own street for a day.
"It's possible to do this stuff for free, and it's not a huge expense, not thousands of dollars.
"It's a really simple way to create connected communities and to have fun on the street."
ABC Radio Perth Breakfast with Peter Bell will broadcast live from Elizabeth Quay on Wednesday 18 October, from the Ride2Work Day. Register online for Bicycling Western Australia's free breakfast at the event.
Topics: urban-development-and-planning, community-and-society, street-art, community-and-multicultural-festivals, perth-6000
First posted