Circle The City

Connecting Parks, Neighborhoods and Healthy Living in Boston

A 2012 Urban Signature Project of the America’s Great Outdoors.

Circle The City is currently recruiting volunteers and activity providers for our events! See below under “How can I get involved?” for links to our applications.

• What is Circle the City?
• How can I get involved?
• Why Open Streets?
• When and Where will Circle The City happen?
• What activities Can I expect at Circle the City?
• Who will benefit?
• How much will it cost?
• Who can participate? Do I have to sign up?
• How will Circle the City impact city traffic?
• Further Information

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What is Circle The City?

Boston’s Circle The City, an Open Streets initiative connecting people to parks, will launch this summer on three Sundays: June 24, July 15 and August 5. Featuring free activities for all ages that promote healthy, active living, Circle The City will draw people out of their homes and cars and onto safe, car-free streets to walk, bike, roll, play and celebrate some of our greatest urban resources—our parks.

A 2012 Urban Signature Project of the [America's Great Outdoors Initiative](http://www.americasgreatoutdoors.gov/, Circle The City Circle The City is a collaborative venture of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness, LivableStreets Alliance, Franklin Park Coalition and the City of Boston. Demonstrating an innovative model connecting conservation and recreation, Circle The City will serve as a national leader for exemplifying healthy living in the city and improved accessibility to urban green spaces.

Circle The City events this summer will highlight Boston’s Emerald Necklace, the Southwest Corridor Park and the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

1. Sunday, June 24th
Circle The City launches with a kick-off event in Franklin Park! The day’s events will include Common Boston co-sponsoring two exciting CTC events:

• 10am: Join Alan Banks of the National Park Service for a 5-mile walk of the Emerald Necklace from the Emerald Necklace Conservancy Visitor Center to Franklin Park.
• 2pm: Join Laurie Pessah of Toole Design Group for a 2-hour bike ride from Boston Common to Franklin Park.

Other activities will include:

• 1pm: Kick-off in Franklin Park with free activities for all ages
• 4pm: Live performance of the Boston Pops Brass ensemble

2. Sunday, July 15th, 11am-4pm
Circle The City will feature a car-free corridor between Franklin Park and Jamaica Pond. Come out and walk, bike, roll and play with us on Open Streets!

3. Sunday, August 5th, 10am-1pm
Circle The City will feature a car-free corridor along the Rose Kennedy Greenway downtown. Come out and celebrate the city with us along the Greenway!

All Circle The City events will include free live performances, outdoor fitness, dance and yoga classes, Farmer’s Markets, bike clinics, children’s activities, culinary demonstrations, roller skating, hula hooping, and countless other opportunities to have fun on the streets and in the parks. Join us as we walk, bike, roll, play and celebrate together on June 24th, July 15th and August 5th!

How can I get involved?

Circle The City is currently recruiting volunteers and programming for all three events!

If you are interested in offering an engaging performance, fitness, yoga or dance class, art activity, kids activity or something else that is active and fun, click here.

If you are interested in volunteering at the events or in our outreach efforts prior to the events, click here.

For further information, please email Jessica Parsons, Circle The City Project Manager at jessica@emeraldnecklace.org.

Why Open Streets?

In crowded cities around the U.S. and the world, Open Streets initiatives are drawing people out of their homes and cars and onto miles of safe, car-free streets to celebrate active urban living in our most public space. With community-building, healthy lifestyles and park accessibility at the heart of these events, Open Streets engage participants of every age and background.

The goals of Circle The City focus on encouraging healthy engagement with our parks by all residents of Boston, and include:

• Improving neighborhood accessibility to parks and open space.
• Gathering the community for free activities and performances on safe, car-free streets.
• Increasing the involvement of youth in our parks through summer employment programs and regularly scheduled activities for children.
  

Circle The City is not a parade, nor is it a race. Rather it is a unique opportunity to safely enjoy the streets and explore new neighborhoods and parks. We are currently partnering with dozens of Boston groups to coordinate activities along the route, so there is sure to be something for everyone!

When and Where will Circle The City happen?

Circle The City events in Summer 2012 will happen on three dates, as follows. Locations will highlight Franklin Park, Jamaica Pond, the Southwest Corridor Park and the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

• Sunday, June 24th, 1pm-5:30pm: Kick-off event in Franklin Park with an ensemble of the Boston Pops to perform at 4pm
• Sunday, July 15th, 11am-4pm: Open Streets event featuring Franklin Park, Jamaica Pond, and a car-free corridor in between to walk, bike, dance and play.
• Sunday, August 5th, 10am-1pm: Open Streets event featuring downtown Boston and the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

What activities can I expect at Circle The City?

Circle The City will have a festival-like atmosphere featuring safe, car-free public space to walk, bike, roll and dance. Circle The City activities will include live performances, outdoor fitness, dance and yoga classes, Farmer’s Markets, bike clinics, children’s activities, culinary demonstrations, roller skating, hula hooping, and countless other opportunities to have fun on the streets and in the parks.

Who will benefit?

Circle The City offers free and fun space for physical activity and community gathering to all residents and visitors to Boston, and creates improved accessibility to parks and open space. Local businesses will also benefit from increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic along commercial corridors. The events provide a model of how cities can provide healthy, environmentally friendly outdoor activities for their residents.

How much will it cost?

Circle The City is free to all participants. Some will enjoy the route by strolling, skating, cycling, or just people-watching. Others will participate in free group events such as yoga, aerobics, dance, health checks, farmer’s markets and other activities. These group events will be spaced out along the route. More information on these activities and more to come—please check back!

Who can participate? Do I have to sign-up?

Boston residents of all ages, families, local businesses, and visitors are all invited to join the fun. Come one come all. No registration required. Sign up to volunteer or offer an activity!

How will Circle The City impact city traffic?

Circle The City will be held on Sundays and will be planned to ensure that people have alternative routes to drive around the neighborhoods. Our dates have been researched to account for conflicts with other large Boston events.

Additionally, the routes will allow cross traffic allowed at a limited number of points along the closed route for neighbors to have the ability to conduct their Sunday business. This type of closure has worked very well in many other cities around the world. Traffic will be monitored so that any traffic impacts can be measured.

Further Information

For further information about Circle The City, please email Jessica Parsons, Circle The City Project Manager at jessica@emeraldnecklace.org.