At Local Motion, our mission is to make it safe, accessible, and fun for everyone to walk, bike, and roll in Vermont. Our Complete Streets team works alongside communities to create streets that are safer for everyone. Recently, we’ve found ourselves asking: What if the most powerful step toward people-centered streets is connection?

That question has led us somewhere both simple and profound: the block party.

More Than a Party

When a street opens to people and closes to car traffic, even for a few hours, something remarkable happens. 

Streets open up.
Children play freely.
Neighbors of all ages meet and talk.
People walk, roll, linger, and laugh in a space usually reserved for passing through.

For a moment, the street becomes what it has always had the potential to be: a shared public space full of community life and shared connection. 

A block party is more than a party. It offers a glimpse of what people-centered streets can feel like and what they can make possible for Vermont communities.

Why This Matters Now

Across the country, social connection is fraying. Fewer people know their neighbors, and more of daily life is spent alone, in cars, at home, or on our phones.

Yet strong neighborhoods are built from something simple: showing up for one another. When people know and care for each other, streets grow safer, public spaces become more welcoming, and communities become more connected.

And that connection is the foundation for people-centered streets.

Streets as Places

Complete streets are not only about transportation, they are about belonging. Block parties demonstrate what’s possible:

• Children gain freedom to explore, play, and move safely.
• People experience what complete streets can feel like in everyday life.
• Neighborhoods build trust, belonging, and social resilience.
• Older Vermonters stay connected through gatherings that are accessible and free of mobility barriers.
• Communities build momentum for changes that make streets safer for everyone.

These moments may be temporary, but their impact can lead to lasting and transformative changes.

What Comes Next

This belief is why Local Motion will launch the Streets as Places micro-grant program next month, helping neighbors host block parties and street gatherings across Vermont through funding and technical assistance. Complete streets and block parties share a common purpose: rediscovering streets as safe, welcoming public spaces for everyone.

These moments of connection are a first step toward stronger neighborhoods and safer streets, because streets work best when they bring people together.

In partnership with AARP Vermont, the Preservation Trust of Vermont, and Front Porch Forum, Local Motion will support communities across the state in bringing neighbors together, one street at a time.