The 78th St. Play Street turns an under-utilized street in park-starved Jackson Heights into public open space for sports, arts and social interaction.
Leader
Donovan Finn
Location
78th Street btwn Northern Blvd and 34th Ave Jackson Heights, NY 11372
Impact areas
The Play Street provides a place for the diverse population of Jackson Heights to interact and to play sports, learn to ride bikes, and generally be active and social. With increasing obesity and diabetes rates among urban residents, space for physical activity is extremely important. The Play Street also reduces the amount of air pollution in the adjacent Travers Park. And it provides a place for community activities such as "learn to bike" clinics, the Greenmarket, composting workshops and other activities that are rare in such a dense neighborhood with so little public open space.
We have city approval to close 78th Street to traffic 24 hours a day from July 1 to Sept 31, 2011. In previous years we have relied on volunteer labor and art supplies, sports equipment and a few tables and chairs donated by local businesses and residents. We will rely on these kinds of assistance again this year. However, parents of young children and elderly residents in particular have asked if we can provide better quality seating and some shaded areas, so we need to raise money to purchase some more sturdy tables and sun shades to provide a respite from the summer heat.
Jackson Heights is a very dense urban neighborhood with a large immigrant population, low to moderate median income, and very little public open space. This project provides additional safe space for neighborhood residents of all ages to play, socialize, relax, and be outside during the summer months.