Reclaiming Public Space: Sharing Lanes is Transforming Mississauga Streets this Summer

The City of Mississauga is paving the way for people this summer by transforming some of our streets and sidewalks into open and active spaces for the community to enjoy.

Launched this week, Sharing Lanes is a tactical urbanism project that will see temporary, people-friendly gathering places installed along select streets in the City’s downtown and Cooksville neighbourhoods. The project’s main goal is to put people first by making our streets inviting and accessible for all.

As the program rolls out, residents and visitors will enjoy:

• Sidewalks with whimsical new seating, painted games along the boulevard and additional planters and greenery
• Transformed streets where one lane is replaced with safe community space including lounging spaces, library programming, music-based play equipment, chalkboards and natural game boards
• Vibrant public art including ground murals and bike lane artwork
• Bicycle repair station and solar phone charging station

During the pandemic, access to outdoor public space was more important than ever for the heath and well-being of Mississauga residents. The Sharing Lanes project is building on that experience by rethinking what public space is, how it can be used, and the value it holds for everyone.

What:
Sharing Lanes is a tactical urbanism project that uses a pop-up approach to transform streets and sidewalks into people-friendly public spaces.

Where:
Sharing Lanes is rolling out in two locations:

1. Downtown: Princess Royal Drive and Living Arts Centre Drive area
2. Cooksville: Jaguar Valley Drive north of Dundas Street

When:
Work is currently underway on the installations in the downtown and will begin later this month in Cooksville. Most of the new amenities will be open to the public by mid-June and the project will be in full-swing through the summer months.

Sharing Lanes will wrap-up in mid-September.

Why:
Tactical urbanism initiatives have been used by cities around the world to examine new ways to think about and enliven public spaces. City staff will evaluate the installations through traffic and road use monitoring, surveys and observation. Community feedback will be central to inform future projects.

How:
Crews will be using temporary road paint, planters, bollards and walls to create safe and protected spaces for community use. While one lane of the street will be removed in each location, the roadways will remain open and accessible for vehicular and bicycle traffic. On-street parking will also be maintained and there will be no impacts to access for local businesses or fire and emergency services.

Photos from Mississauga’s 2019 Tactical Urbanism Project:

Tags

• Planning and Building