07 Oct Cross-fit, Skaters, and a Breast-feeding Clinic. Open Streets Detroit brings people together on 4 miles of streets

The Motor City has done it. Better yet, they did it twice. People biked, they danced, they caught magnetic fish with real fishing poles—all in the middle of Michigan Avenue. Why? Well, if haven’t heard, Detroit has officially joined the Open Streets movement. On September 25 and October 2, 2016, Open Streets Detroit gave people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to walk, bike, play, and meet their neighbours on almost 4 miles of The Motor City’s streets.

And not just any streets – big ones. Michigan Avenue is 6 lanes wide! Open Streets Detroit was a powerful opportunity to demonstrate how such a street could be friendly to more than just cars, namely people.

The Open Streets Detroit route did what Open Streets programs do best. The route started in Detroit’s downtown core from Campus Martius. It ran along Michigan Avenue, passed iconic buildings like Michigan Central Station, through Roosevelt Park where a cross-fit workout, a breast feeding clinic, and a skate park all happened simultaneously, and ended along West Vernor Hwy with zumba dancing, tacos, and rich Latin American culture. It was beautiful combination of community connections.

So welcome to the club Detroit – the international Open Streets Club. We’re happy to have you. And congratulations on taking another step towards making Detroit a more people-friendly city.

Open Streets Detroit is powered by the Downtown Detroit Partnership and presented by DTE Energy Foundation.