RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The mobilization of civil society organizations and the population led the City of São Paulo, in 2015, to create the ‘Paulista Aberta’ (“Open Paulista”) Program closing the avenue to motorized vehicles on Sundays and holidays, making it open to pedestrians, bicycles, strollers and skateboarders.
Since then, one of the liveliest avenues in the city of São Paulo has become the stage for economic, cultural and leisure activities, in addition to providing a large free space for the practice of physical activity.
The study is based on the premise that open streets increase urban vitality and quality of life in the area. The study was conducted through indicators of people’s quality of life and the administration of public spaces in environmental, urban, social and economic terms.
Questionnaires have been distgributed to visitors, traders, and residents, and helped to understand how the initiative has impacted these groups in recent years.
The results show that the program adds to the attractiveness of Paulista Avenue by allowing people to engage in outdoor leisure activities. During the survey, 73 percent of respondents stated that the program also motivated them to attend other public spaces on a daily basis.
The population’s interest in the project is clear: both residents and visitors claim to attend the Avenue regularly. 89 percent of visitors and 78 percent of residents report visiting the program quite frequently for leisure purposes.
‘Paulista Aberta’ has also benefited the economic indicators: 63 percent of visitors say they consume products in the area, and more than 80 percent of retailers perceive that the impact is favorable to their establishment, as the volume of sales on Sundays has increased since the program began.
With regard to noise pollution, approximately half of the visitors feel comfortable or very comfortable with the noise from the activities taking place on the streets during the days of ‘Paulista Aberta’.
About 30 percent of residents feel uncomfortable about the noise pollution caused by crowds of people and music events. However, the perception of comfort is lower during the week, when vehicle traffic is intense. On such days, only 12 percent of residents report feeling comfortable or very comfortable with the noise.
Overall, the study shows the significance of assessing and monitoring the outcome of urban policies, essential for proving their benefits and for identifying points of improvement. The studies carried out show that the program was successful in achieving its initial goals, with a positive impact on the urban vibrancy of Paulista Avenue.
Evaluations such as these may encourage both the improvement of existing public policies, as well as support their implementation in other parts of the city and even inspire similar policies in other Brazilian cities.