This event, supported by staff and students from the School of Natural and Built Environment (SNBE),* aims to bring people together to "re-imagine shared space" in the area, showcasing one of Belfast's most popular city streets as a place fully accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.
Organisers of the Open Botanic Festival want members of the public to see what it would be like to "experience the diverse, busy thoroughfare in a totally different way".
Forward South Partnership, through the Open Botanic Festival, is leading the discussion around changes to the streets of Belfast with fewer cars in order to give better access to pedestrians and cyclists, reduce pollution and improve health.
* “The Open Botanic Kiosk Co-design is now funded by the IAA AHRC Impact Acceleration Grant, and Public Engagement and Engaged Research Seed Fund funded other parts of the project. We spent the last four months working with six community groups to co-design their kiosk for the event. Eight students from architecture and planning at SNBE have been working on this project to improve the wider sense of ownership of residents in the area of Botanic Avenue.” — Dr Agustina Martire, School of Natural and Built Environment
Groups involved in the event are from the Holylands, Donegall Pass, Sandy Row, as well as Anaka Women's Collective, Sustrans, The Friends of the Field, the South and East Belfast Bands Forum, and Yallaa – a group that promotes Arabic culture.
