Brattleboro’s Better Block Challenge will be held this weekend (September 20-22). Debuting on Friday night and running through Sunday, residents and visitors to downtown can check out temporary installations that are designed to transform spaces in downtown into active, vibrant and safer public spaces.
Better Block activities will take place on Friday from 5 to 8, Saturday 9 to 3, and Sunday, 10 to 2. Stop by the orientation booth in the Latchis Gallery at 50 Main Street as you visit the three pop-up Better Block projects installed around downtown.
The Brattleboro Planning Commission chose the following community-led projects to be designed and built:
- The Brooks Memorial Library and Downtown Brattleboro Alliance will install a pop-up “storywalk” on Main Street from the Whetstone Pathway to the library. Walk the length of Main Street and read the story that unfolds station by station along the way. This will be combined with a participatory art installation occurring at the library during the event.
- The business owners at 167-181 Main Street (Brattleboro Bicycle Shop, Penelope Wurr, Mitchell Giddings Fine Arts, Insight Photography, A Candle in the Night and Austin Designs) will install art, greenery and lighting in the alley between their buildings.
- The Brattleboro Coalition for Active Transportation will install a pop-up bike lane on Flat Street in between Elm Street and the Preston Parking Lot (note: the bike lane will not be operating on Friday night). The Bike Blender will be on hand and Bike Rodeos to help people practice and develop skills to become better bicyclists will be held from 10-11 am and 2-3 pm on Saturday.
The Better Block Challenge project is part of the Downtown Design Plan. For more information about the Downtown Design Plan effort – including the Better Block and Places for People Charrette – visit https://placesense.com/brattleboro/. Contact Sue Fillion, Planning Director at sfillion@brattleboro.org or 802-251-8112 with any questions.
