Residents in Dortmund can close streets off to play football or throw a party

Local authorities offer up new public spaces for the summer, as people can reclaim their streets for a limited time and build stronger communities

Today, authorities in Dortmund, Germany, announced that they will institute a measure to help citizens reclaim their streets as public spaces. The measure would allow a group of neighbours to petition the local Youth Welfare Office to close their streets for traffic. This would free up the space and give people a chance to play football, draw with chalk or even throw a block party.

Reclaiming the streets of Dortmund  

Spending summers in a city can be quite daunting, boring, crowded and most importantly – hot. This is why local authorities in Dortmund have decided to give citizens a chance to reclaim their local streets, transforming them into public spaces available to the community.

Before urban areas gave in and let the car reign supreme, streets used to be a space for people to meet and engage in commerce, kids used to run around and play, while pedestrian movement happened in all directions at once. Streets were vibrant spaces where communities grew.

Since the rise of the automobile after World War II, however, pedestrians and traffic started to become increasingly segregated, through sidewalks and parks. Gradually, streets became the exclusive domain of the car. And for lawmakers, the decision made sense at the time, as more and more people were adopting motorised travel. Cities became packed with cars and streets turned from communal spaces to dangerous zones where the inattentive risked injury.

Yet, now many cities have started to reclaim streets for pedestrians and cyclists, pushing cars further and further to the margins. This year, Berlin authorities even started discussing whether to make the entire city centre car-free.

According to a statement by the City of Dortmund, many children and adults wish to use their local streets in a  different manner. This is why they can now petition the Youth Welfare Office to get their own communal space. They will have the chance to play badminton or Viking chess, get to know the neighbours, party or chill together - and all of that in the middle of the street.

The measure will be available to locals until the end of October. The Youth Welfare Office has the authority to grant a street closure of up to one day.