Street reclaiming

Street reclaiming is the process of converting streets for non-car use. It is advocated by many urban planners and urban economists, of widely varying political points of view. Its primary benefits are thought to be:

• Decreased automobile traffic with fewer automobile accidents and less smog
• Reduced summer temperatures due to less asphalt and more green spaces
• Increased pedestrian traffic which also increases social and commercial opportunities
• Increased gardening space for urban residents
• Better support for co-housing and infirm residents, e.g. suburban eco-villages built around former streets

Some advocates approach the problem of street reclaiming more directly with picks and shovels, and simply remove parking lots and unwanted streets with armies of volunteers, often squatting on the reclaimed land. Others prefer a more political approach, e.g. Reclaim the Streets, which runs annual events to physically reclaim the streets for political and artistic actions.