Street Minds

Street Minds is a platform for learning and action around streets as an integral part of cities. We seek to improve practices around street design through innovation and collaboration.

The Street Minds working group was formed by OSCT in 2016 to create forums for interdisciplinary learning and action on street design and street-related matters. In a spirit of openness and learning, Street Minds provides an opportunity for people to support one another in exploring and improving the way we design and contribute to the processes of building better streets, cities and communities.

The working group has a more technical focus than other OSCT work to date. It engages with, interrogates and challenges the current policy, regulatory framework and modes of practice with a view to creating streets that exhibit the qualities embodied in the Open Streets Manifesto. It also has an interest in influencing behaviour change, of both professionals involved in street design and citizens who use and define streets through their everyday actions.

Street Minds strives to be solutions-focused and our activities are centred around two pillars:

1. Learning and sharing: Sharing new and emerging theories while promoting best practice and different approaches to street design and place making.

2. Action: Action orientated initiatives should lead to a clear outcome or deliverable. Arriving, through collaboration, at real and pragmatic design solutions, having an impact on design processes and influencing policy.

Most importantly members of Street Minds agree to work together in an open and challenging manner which is curious, non-judgemental and respectful of each other’s perspectives and points of view.