Atlanta Streets Alive is an event inspired by open streets projects all over the world. The idea originated in Bogotá, Columbia, where neighborhood activists opened the streets for people to bike, skate, or use any human powered means of transportation, while temporarily closing them to motor vehicles.  In Bogotá today, 70 miles of streets  are opened to the public from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday. Amazingly, over 800,000 people – young and old, on foot, bike, and every imaginable kind of wheeled device – take part each week!

On May 20th, 2012, a local Ciclovia called Atlanta Streets Alive is happening on a two mile stretch of North Highland Avenue, from 2pm to 6pm. The organizing sponsors of the event include Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, Kwanza Hall and a steering committee filled with civic leaders, business leaders and community leaders.

The vision of Atlanta Streets Alive is to encourage Atlanta to develop living streets — streets that appeal to pedestrians, bikers, businesses and neighbors. Streets are publicly owned assets but on most days are used mainly by cars. On this day, people can regain ownership of the streets they pay taxes to build and maintain.

The goal for each event is multi-fold: to celebrate the neighborhood and to expose attendees to the vast array of outdoor activities that help build a happier, healthier and more sustainable Atlanta. By encouraging Georgia residents to take to the streets by foot or by bicycle we hope to remind residents of what Atlanta can be.