Corridors Connect Events “Open” the Streets
In neighborhoods not known for large scale events, the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, Partners for Parks, and other friends helped host the Corridors Connect events throughout Charlotte neighborhoods.
For three consecutive October weekends, streets in Charlotte’s Corridors of Opportunity – which are often less-emphasized neighborhoods were home to six, unique Corridors Connect events. Parks, recreation centers, and the neighborhood streets themselves played center stage for line dancing, double-Dutch, live music, arts and crafts, food trucks and games. Each programmed site had a unique feel that reflected the culture and identity of the corridor; something neighbors emphasized in the planning process.
Walta Blackmon is the Corridors of Opportunity Program Manager for the City of Charlotte. She said the feedback she received from the community members in attendance was quite encouraging.
“I hope they reimagine public spaces as a social space and commit to reconnecting with neighbors by biking, walking, or playing outside,” added Blackmon. “I hope the connections that were made will foster relations within the communities that will last for years.”
Along with the opportunity to emphasize “active” participation with each other along the streets by walking, biking, and playing games, the events were also a vehicle to bring City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County services directly to the neighbors they serve.
“Overall I think the neighborhoods embraced the events just as we hoped they would,” said Jay Tryon, Superintendent of Community Relations with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation. “This gave the neighborhoods an opportunity to embrace one another and enjoy the outdoors and learn about a variety of organizations… and the increase of awareness about our recreation centers.”
Tryon said connections made during the Corridors events led to the a new Monday pickleball group. Prior to the event, the attendees had never been to or heard of the Ivory Baker Recreation Center.
Opening up the streets to community members rather than cars is not a new idea. The original Open Streets 704 events pioneered the concept in Charlotte with larger scale, active, community-based events. Partners for Parks has been a part of the Open Streets team since the first-ever event in 2016.
“Participating in programming that fosters equitable access to parks, connectivity, and healthy communities is a natural fit for this organization,” said Beth Poovey, president of Partners for Parks. “Facilitating opportunities that give neighbors the chance or the reason to come outside and interact with one another … that’s community-building at its core.”
“The weather was nearly perfect all three weekends, the neighbors were delightful, and the folks who came out really seemed to enjoy themselves,” said Al Brown, Partners for Parks’ treasurer. “Connecting with each other in open, public spaces is central to our mission to, ‘breathe life into our community’.”
Monica Holmes, Corridors of Opportunity executive manager, described the events as, “multicultural, multigenerational and multilingual experiences for a diverse and fast-growing community.”
Holmes said these corridors are, “vital to the health of Charlotte’s communities, serving as links that connect people to the resources and businesses they need to live and thrive.”
That’s a message Blackmon hopes hits home with neighbors and visitors who attended the events, as well.
“I hope they leverage the city and county resources shared and connections made during the events… I hope they see the Corridors are open for business” she added, “and, I hope they see that regardless of where we lay our heads, we are all the same at the core.”
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