Turning streets into pedestrian walkways, either permanently or temporarily, is becoming an increasingly common occurrence in major cities. New York, Dublin, Copenhagen, and Bogata are just a few of the cities around the globe that are embracing car-free zones. This weekend, Chicago will experiment with turning one of its most important downtown streets into a pedestrian playground.
State Street (between Lake and Van Buren) will be open to pedestrians from 10am-3pm on Saturday, October 1st. The seven-block stretch will be closed to cars as part of an event called “Open Streets on State Street.” The event is a joint initiative between the Chicago Loop Alliance and the Active Transportation Alliance. Open Streets is based on similar events in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco that encourage people to walk outside and engage with local businesses and fellow participants.
The event is free and will include a wide range of activities including a mobile skate park, roller disco, four square (the playground game, not the app), break-dancing, yoga, martial arts, a dunk booth, and more. This all-ages event promises to be a fun, outdoors experience on one of Chicago’s most iconic thoroughfares.
Click here for a map of the “Open Streets on State Street” event.
