Open Streets
Open Streets
Welcome to Open Streets
On 5 May Edinburgh became the first city in the UK to join the Open Streets movement, joining Paris, Bogota, New York and many others with a programme of people friendly routes around the old town. Open Streets are programmes that temporarily open streets to people by closing them to cars.
From Sunday 5th May 2019 a number of city centre streets will be closed to vehicles from 1200 - 1700 on the first Sunday of every month. The exception will be blue badge holders. The Open Streets team will ensure that people with a disability will be able to access the area safely
Open Streets Vision
The Open Streets programme is being developed around five objectives and a vision to create a “people friendly” route around the Old Town.
In the first phase running from May – July 2019, the focus is on the first part of this loop, including the Royal Mile, Victoria Street, Grassmarket and Cockburn Street.
Open Streets seeks to help to increase public exploration, use and awareness of the connected areas in the old town. We are keen that this isn’t an events-led programme, but one that is shaped by the community, especially residents and businesses. The Open Streets team is currently looking to work with residents, communities, interest groups, and businesses that are keen to be involved.
In summary, the programme aims are:
- To promote a healthy, active and inclusive city;
- To celebrate and add to the culture of the city;
- To contribute to the city’s economy; and
- To inform future initiatives for the city.
You can contact the Open Streets team on openstreets@edinburgh.gov.uk