Streets Alive

  Streets Alive is an age inclusive project, which aims to foster commnity growth, by creating streets that children can play in and bring people together through children. By closing off streets to traffic for an event or street party, they create opportunities for neighbours to meet, talk and get to know each other, ways for older and younger generations to interact. Arts events have engaged artists with the public, together they interpret the street through art and help raise any issues of the street, such as transport issues. They have also green awareness and travel events, recruited community volunteers and helping create neighbourhood watch groups with a very positive focus, which can help build up communities.

 The play streets programme run through street parties, providing more opportunities for children to meet and play. They take advantage of children meeting frequently being a precursor to adults meeting and socialising too, they describe children as a social lubricant that help to being together people of all ages. By closing the street to traffic for play, it reduces social isolation caused by adults seeking to keep children from danger and the separation traffic causes. They also encourage sports day like events in streets and parks, which often run at time of major sporting events such as the Olympics for example.