over the past six years is that … you can remake your streets quickly and inexpensively, [and they] can provide immediate benefits.” Research shows that gathering places like these are important for city dwellers’ mental health and foster a sense of community belonging. A growing appreciation of their impor- tance is changing how planners think about city streets: after decades of asking, “How can we make this more convenient for cars?,” cities are look- ing to roadways to provide real estate for more human interactions. In San Francisco, the focus is on
parking spaces. Communities and businesses can petition to convert parking spaces into “outdoor liv- ing rooms,” or “parklets.” More than three dozen such parklets have been set up around the city. Each is unique: some have creative seating carved out of wood or metal; others feature art installations. At least one has been fashioned out of a minibus.
“Open streets” programs go one
step further, designating days for roadways to be closed to cars al- together. Families stroll in groups. Children come out on their bicycles. Some cities even set up musical per- formances or mini street fairs. “You’ll see people riding unicycles and flying windup airplanes,” says The Trust for Public Land’s Peter Harnik. “A lot goes on when you’re not afraid of the traffic.”
BRINGING THE GYM TO THE PARK For many people, the hardest part about exercise isn’t hitting the gym— it’s finding a gym. Not everyone lives near a health club, and even more simply can’t afford one. For others, trying to get fit indoors just isn’t all that fun. Indeed, research shows that people are happier when they exercise outside. Just living near a park can improve people’s mental health—even if they never actually use it. With this peculiar power of green space in mind, the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health added a new
50 · LAND&PEOPLE · SPRING/SUMMER 2014
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