Webinar Description:
As the world responds to the COVID-19 pandemic and adapt to the new normal that is social distancing, transportation professionals are also adapting to new demands of increased walking and biking while maintaining social distancing due to the spread of coronavirus. This webinar will provide an overview of how streets are changing across the world due to COVID-19 and dive deeper into how three cities in North America – Burlington, Vermont, USA, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and Oakland, California, USA – are adapting streets to the needs of people during social distancing.

This webinar will highlight where and how these cities are closing streets; from what street types to where cities are monitoring demand for increased walking and biking. The presentations will answer questions like how are cities deciding partial or full streets closures, what tactile urbanism and enforcement measures cities are using to ensure the open streets are safe and encouraging social distancing. Moreover, most importantly, we will hear what the transportation professionals are learning from open streets during COVID-19 and the potential lasting impacts that may change the way we shape cities long term.

Learning Objectives: 

• Learn about the worldwide shifts and trends in adapting streets for increased walking and biking during COVID-19 social distancing.
• Identify tactics and approaches to deploying open streets during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Recognize how cities are making decisions to adapt or close streets for increased walking and biking.
• Describe the possible long-term impacts of increased walking and biking during COVID-19 on our streets.