Saskatoon Construction II

[Echoes]

Group hopes to convert stalls to parks
One-day event held worldwide

By David Hutton, The StarPhoenix August 15, 2012

A September event is hoping to show that streets aren't just for cars.

Our Saskatoon, a group of urban planners, architects and business people, is looking to close down two traffic lanes on 20th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C to install bike lanes and host a full-day festival in the area to demonstrate what a "complete street" looks like.

The event is linked up with Park(ing) Day on Sept. 21, which calls on people to transform metered parking spaces into mini-parks.

"We definitely want to spark a conversation about what we expect as a city for our streets and what our expectations are as to what a street is for," said organizer Mike Velonas, a board member of Roadmap Saskatoon. "This is a way to demonstrate what some of the changes the city is looking at will potentially look like."

Complete streets - the idea that the use of roads should be balanced among cars, bikes, buses and pedestrians - is a major part of Saskatoon's future plans, but many people don't fully understand the concept until they see it in action, Velonas said.

The event will kick off with a presentation the night of Sept. 20 by Ken Greenberg, a prominent Toronto urban designer who is working with Stantec Consulting on Saskatoon's downtown plan. The next day, the former Barry Hotel parking lot at 20th Street and Avenue B will be converted into a public plaza. Vacant buildings on 20th Street will be turned into "popup retail stores" where local fashion designers and artists will showcase work. Yoga sessions and buskers will enliven the street. Parking spaces will be converted to parks around Broadway Avenue, the University of Saskatchewan and in Riversdale.

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Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/business/G...s+parks/7091670/story.html#ixzz23csQ8ST3