“Bloomberg Philanthropies expands Art on Asphalt grants to Canada and Mexico for street safety projects”

All cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States are eligible to apply for grants to reconfigure streets through art projects to improve safety, revitalize public spaces, and engage local communities.

Three previous rounds of Art on the Asphalt grants supported 64 projects in 41 US cities and 22 European cities.

Bloomberg Philanthropies announced today that all cities in Canada, Mexico The US and United States can apply for Art on Asphalt Initiative grants that provide $25,000 to improve street safety, activate public spaces, and engage residents in local communities. Expansion to Canada and Mexico from Art on Asphalt Initiative builds on three previous rounds of Initiative grants, conducted between 2020 and 2022, which supported a total of 64 Projects in 41 US cities and 22 European cities. The initiative invites all cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States, of any size, to submit their candidacies by June 12, 2023. In the fall, a maximum of 20 winning cities will be announced with the selected projects whose implementation will take carried out during 2024. In addition to the grants, the selected cities will receive technical advice from Bloomberg Associates in collaboration with the tactical urban planning firm Street Plans Collaborative. Guidelines for application submission and city selection are available at AsphaltArt.bloomberg.org.

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Art on Asphalt Initiative responds to the growing number of cities around the world that are choosing art as a low-cost and effective strategy to improve street safety through interventions at crosswalks, intersections, plazas and other transportation infrastructure. In addition to improving street safety, the program creates dynamic public spaces, promotes interagency collaboration, and increases the potential of each city to work on creative projects with artists and community groups. The 64 Bloomberg Philanthropies-supported projects completed to date have transformed a 360,464-square-foot blend of streetscape with artwork engaging nearly 7,765 residents and 178 artists in the design and implementation process.

The Art on Asphalt Initiative is inspired by work done to improve pedestrian safety and revitalize New York City streets during Michael R. Bloomberg’s mayoral tenure (2002-2013) and consulting work pro bono of Bloomberg Philanthropies, which has, among its tasks, advising cities in different parts of the world on the implementation of urban artistic projects.

“The number of cities that have demonstrated the power of Art on the Asphalt projects continues to grow,” he said. Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP and 108th Mayor of New York City. “Through this latest round of grants, we will help more communities make their public spaces safer and more welcoming. It’s amazing what can be accomplished with a few cans of paint and a forward-thinking community.”

Data shows that Asphalt Art projects developed at problematic intersections or locations in need of improved safety can significantly reduce traffic accidents and dangerous driving:

• He security study of Art in the Asphalt, published by Bloomberg Philanthropies in collaboration with Sam Schwartz Consulting in 2022, found that road safety demonstrably improved at 22 locations in the United States where Art on Asphalt projects took place. The results of the study showed a 50% drop in the rate of accidents involving pedestrians or bicyclists and a 27% increase in the rate of drivers yielding to pedestrians who have the right-of-way.
• In Baltimore, Maryland y Tucson, Arizonaurban safety art projects more than doubled the number of motorists yielding to pedestrians to cross the street.
• In Kansas City, Missourithe artistic transformation of an intersection known for the high speed at which motorists passed showed that the average speed decreased by 45%.
• The projects have also had an impact on how the inhabitants of Durham, North Carolina when crossing the street, the percentage of people who feel unsafe crossing the street fell from 85% to 6%.

In addition, the cities participating in the Art on Asphalt Initiative have creatively rethought spaces to unite their inhabitants:

• A project in Chattanooga, Tennessee repurposed a parking area to create a community gathering space near a supermarket, in a neighborhood that had been a food desert.
• In Troy, New Yorkthe city painted murals to revitalize a 500-foot-wide highway underpass that divided downtown from low-income uptown neighborhoods.
• In East Providence, Rhode Islandthere are five great walkways connecting an elementary school to a nearby park, and the percentage of residents feeling positive about the street increased from 20% to 93%.

“With 64 projects on two continents, the Art on Asphalt program helped neighborhoods create new public spaces, with a renewed public road, which improved the safety of cities,” he said. Janette Sadik-Khan, director of transportation for Bloomberg Associates and former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation. “As the initiative expands, more cities will have the ability to implement artistic urban designs that not only improve our quality of life, but help save lives.”

“The Art on Asphalt Initiative has transformed pedestrian-friendly sections of thoroughfare into urban highlights that unite the local community,” he said. Kate D. Levin, who leads the Arts Program at Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Cultural Heritage Management practice at Bloomberg Associates, and is a former commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. “This new round of projects will continue the initiative’s mission to use public art to achieve social cohesion, reinforce neighborhood identity, and empower residents of those communities to shape urban landscapes.”

Resources for cities:

To help create Art on Asphalt projects, cities can consult the Asphalt Art Guide, which provides case studies and best practices used in other cities around the world. The guide, which has been accessed more than 8,000 times by governments and other professionals in all 50 US states and 90 countries, is available for free download in Spanish, French and other languages. The guide and the Frequently Asked Questions with sample materials and information on completed projects are available at AsphaltArt.bloomberg.org. The guide was developed by Bloomberg Associates Transportation and Cultural Heritage Management teams in collaboration with architecture and urban planning firm Street Plans Collaborative and public art consultant Renee Piechocki.

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