Better Block Earns Rave Reviews in Akron

A Better Block installation took over the streets of Kenmoore in Akron, Ohio last weekend.

1 minute read

September 7, 2017, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Fred Cay reports on the results of a Better Block installation in the Kenmore neighborhood of Akron, Ohio over the weekend.

A band cranked out a blues/rock concert on a parking lot stage while a hip-hop DJ spun vinyl records on the sidewalk across the street.

Thirsty customers patronized the adjacent beer garden. Food trucks and carts offered sandwiches. Cyclists traversed the bike lanes and sidewalks filled with pedestrians after a late morning shower subsided.

Motorists moved slowly along one lane on each side of the median, with on-street parking on the curb side. It was a kind of temporary utopian version of what the Kenmore business district might become.

The temporary Better Block demonstration, a result of the work of the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, took place on Kenmore Boulevard, between 13th and 16th streets, and earned more positive reviews from residents and business owners.

The Better Block Twitter account also took some aerial photos to show the dramatic effect of the temporary demonstration. 

Saturday, September 2, 2017 in Akron Beacon Journal

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