Streets are for Sharing a bit more

Back in September, we did this:

The day included a ‘play street’ street closure (the first to take place in Brighton we think), and information stalls and activities on the street and in the Hanover Centre. Part of the plan for the day was to start a conversation – to get friends, neighbours and Hanover folk in general talking about our streets and how we want them to be.

During the day we tried out different ways to find out what people thought.

We left questions on the street….

… we dished out postcards for general comments, and we showed some films and talked some more in the Hanover Centre after the Play Street part had finished.

All of the words have been summarised, put on a pdf and can be downloaded here.

At the end of the day, everyone still around agreed that we should all meet and talk about ideas some more – see what we could take from the day and how it could be turned into action.  This meeting is on Friday (October 12th) 7.30 pm at the Hanover Centre.

Hope you can come

Hanoverland

The main thing about the Streets are for sharing streetparty on Sunday was Fun. As well as this though, it was a chance to find out a bit about what people thought of the area and how it could/should/might be.

Inspired by this project from Candy Chang, one way of finding things out was a series of questions posted on laminated sheets along Grove Street and in the immediate area.

Here’s what people thought.

On Hanover Streets

“I would like streets in Hanover to be…car free, no cars, safe“

“I would like to be able to…. scoot …. on Hanover Streets”

“I want to see… lots of people … on Hanover Streets”

On ‘my’ Street

“I would like my Street to be… a place to play, a place to park, a box, awesome“

“I would like to be able to… be happy …on my street”

” I want to see… Old people and children, sunflowers, Russell Howard, less rubbish, wolves, The Fish of Aberdeen (a band), sharing, cakes … on my street”

On this Street (Grove Street)

“I would like to be able to… walk freely on the road, party, very fun fireworks …on this street”

“I would like this street be… car free!!, full of trees, fun, resident parking, safe, one-way, sunnier, child friendly“

“I want to see… street play, more trees, horses and sheep, happyness, people smiling and chatting, butterflies, seagulls, flowers, look round and do things and walk, guinea pigs, penguins, pies… on this street”

Not sure about the wolves, but this mostly seems a reasonable batch of aspirations. Gathered from a few on a happy day it  doesn’t form a representative manifesto for the area, but there are themes with broader resonance, and the enthusiasm for the event and keenness shown to do it again sometime back up the organisers initial notions: that streets are for sharing, and Hanover is more than a car park.

Look – We Made a Zebra!

Getting ready for the Hanover Streets are for Sharing event on Sunday (see last post for more info).

The day will involve a street opening (or street closure if you will) at Grove Street which will be filled with activity of many sorts, and a series of events in the Hanover Centre building and garden.  To get from one part of the event to the other involves crossing Southover Street, and to make things a bit easier all round, someone suggested a Zebra (crossing that is).

A trip to the pound shop, the hardware store and the spray paint shop and presto! Our trial run today – ably assisted by a passing oompa loompa – went well, though we need to wind proof it a bit more. The important bit is that cars all stopped as if it was the real thing!

Do come along on Sunday and give it a go. See this facebook place for more information

Hanover Streets are for Sharing

As well as looking at local growing, energy use and food, the ever clever people from Hanover Action for Sustainability (HASL) have been at work putting together a new initiative looking at sustainable transport and our streets.

Early thoughts have inevitably circled around car use – in two ways mostly: the impact of vehicle emissions on air quality/pollution and on carbon reduction/climate change, and the impact on our streets and quality of life from parked and moving cars, including; restrictions on children’s play, obstruction and noise and using up space which could have other community functions.

In September, the group will hold its first public event – ‘Streets are for Sharing’. This will include the closure (or opening up – depending on your POV) of Grove Street, and a host of activities and events going on in the Han0ver Centre.  The Grove Street activities will be mostly on a play street theme with an emphasis on children playing, street art and neighbourliness, and is (at least in part) inspired by the Bristol ‘Playing Out’ initiative, which sees regular temporary closure of streets to motor traffic and turning them into meanwhile playgrounds. The Hanover Centre events will be about information and will feature a ‘Human Library’ discussion and short films.

More than just a Car Park?

Many people in Hanover agree that our streets could be more than a dormitory for cars. The success of our alfresco events; Hanover Day, Zocalo, street parties… back this up, and there is also no shortage of ideas on how things could be improved. More street planting, better seating, bike parking, street art, peace and quiet, better lighting, cleaner pavements, street events, spaces for children….

One of the central aims of the ‘Streets are for Sharing’ day is to explore some of these ideas a bit more and see what the appetite is locally for taking any of them forward, turning them into fundraising targets, campaigns and such.

For more information about the day or the group, have a look at their facebook page. Oh – and if you are coming, don’t forget your tree!

Hanover Gets About

Last September the council did a lot of doorknocking around here, asking us questions on local transportish things.   Below are some snippets which struck me and the link to the full report is at the foot of this post.

The full summary of the report findings is available here

Green Streets of Hanover

It is the warm, wet weather, or is austerity Brighton encouraging the council to go easy on the weedkilller? A combination of both probably, and the result is increasingly verdant and varied streets, being rapidly colonised by a rich diversity of plant life. There is strength in nature: it will take back the concrete at great pace when given the chance. This is a positive thing.

These pictures were taken on a short walk along two streets in Hanover. B&H Council – whatever it is you are not doing; please keep on not doing it!

Road Opened