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Local Cities Bring Family Fun to the Streets

Closing streets creates public spaces for communities to come together

June 9, 2017

So, normally, we all pretty much encourage our children to not play in the street. However, there have been some new exceptions to that rule! Local cities have been experimenting with temporary street closures to encourage folks to come out and interact in a more open and casual environment. The City of Berkley last year experimented with closing Robina Ave. at Twelve Mile, calling the sectioned-off portion of the street "Robina Plaza." (If you want to know more about how that worked and what they learned, here's a nerdy-but-cool report: http://placemaking.mml.org/how-to/berkley-placemaking-2/)

This year, you'll find street closures in downtown Royal Oak and in Oak Park. Royal Oak  has closed off Main Street for the last few weeks, and will do so again on June 16, encouraging families, street performers and pedestrians to enjoy the warm summer evenings. Last week, we had a wonderful time playing with a stomp rocket in front of Toyology with a bunch of other kids, along with running into friends from several of our different circles. Some Friday nights have included extra fun elements from Oakland County Parks and Recreation, such as a giant climbing wall and a play fishing pond.

In Oak Park, part of the city's Nine Mile Redesign Project is the Sherman Summer Pop-Up Park at the corner of 9 Mile Road and Sherman Street. For all of June, you can enjoy all kinds of pop-up fun for kids and adults alike. Check out the schedule below! What other fun ideas could there be for encouraging folks to get outside and chat?