“Some cities, like Seattle, have decided to permanently close their streets. They know the need for safe places to walk and bike is not going to end when business resumes and the crisis is behind us. A lot of cities like Seattle, New York, Paris, Portland, Charlotte are really looking at this as an opportunity to re-imagine how our streets are used and who are they accessible to,” Binns said.

“Streets are our largest public space. They are owned by the public, but largely over the last 60, 70 years they’ve been turned over to people who drive. Thirty percent of Charlotteans do not own a car. This is an attempt to make sure that there’s equitable access for all people, no matter how they choose to get around.”