Why Play Streets for St. Paul?
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Play streets benefit both children and adults. They lead to an increase in physical activity, community connections, and feeling of neighborhood safety
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25% of land area in St. Paul is devoted to cars. Play Streets allow people to make more use of the space in their neighborhood.
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The costs associated with barricade rentals mean that lower-income neighbors have less equitable access to their own streets.
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"The policy of the city is to encourage the holding of small block parties" - St. Paul legislative code
How can we make Play Streets an easier option in St. Paul?​
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Frequent block parties are already allowed, but following the current process for frequent events leads to a lot of paperwork and a lot of money spent on barricade rentals--if you have a play street twice a week just in the summer it would cost $2700 to rent barricades from Public Works.
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We've already successfully advocated for a recent change to make the permit application process easier.
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More options for lower-cost or free barricades will make block parties and play streets more accessible for everyone in St. Paul.
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View a St. Paul Play Streets presentation:
Play Streets
What is a Play Street?
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Play Streets are block parties that happen on a regular basis--monthly, weekly, or multiple times a week, for a few hours at a time.
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Play Streets create a safe space for physical activity, play, and community gathering.
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Kids love Play Streets, but adults also benefit from having opportunities to spend time outside and meet their neighbors.
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Play streets began in the 1910s in New York City, and can now be found in cities around the world
