Streetfilms: seven minutes to become a daylighting expert
That film above can teach anyone, in seven minutes, what daylighting is, how it’s best implemented, where you can find great examples in NYC, and how Open Plans has been leading the groundswell for communities to get it! Open Plans staff, elected leaders, neighborhood representatives and transportation planners all appear to talk about this powerful, proven street intervention.
Regardless of whether you live in NYC or not, there’s a big wealth of content here that can help you. After all, daylighting is huge in Hoboken! It’s universally applicable. And the best practices for protection – such as placing bike racks, seats, planters, boulders in the space – will work most anywhere. Every neighborhood or city can add their own local flare; there is still lots of room for innovation and fun ideas.
And if you need something shorter to present to a group of people or only have one minute, use this express version! Emily Chingay, Open Plans’ Citywide Engagement Advocate, headlines this quick video that gives the vital informationl.
Daylighting is having a moment, but it’s not new. I made a video about it 15 years ago. It’s a little dated now, but it is fun to watch Streetfilms in its infancy and get a glimpse a slightly more vintage NYC. Though this video might not look so impressive now, it helped introduce many people to daylighting and helped spread the idea throughout the urbanist community.
“Sneckdowns” (snow + neckdown) are like naturally occuring daylighting. Anytime snow sticks on the ground, you can see how much wasted space we’re giving to cars, and what’s available to reclaim for people. Long ago, we used a series of videos on “sneckdowns” to introduce that. The unusual name helped make the concept catchy and fun.
Finally, returning to our newest film on daylighting, there were so many comments and soundbites we had to leave out of the larger piece. So we released teasers and short one-person soundbites from some of our participants. I found Queens Borough President Donovan Richards very spot on; the way he talks about parking and the welfare of our children and how daylighting helps EVERY road user be safer was compelling, and just common sense.
