About this Event
Bloomfield Avenue is more than a road. It is the shared spine of SUB/URBAN Essex, connecting Newark to West Caldwell and linking neighborhoods, businesses, institutions, and public life across the county.
This interactive event invites participants to see Bloomfield Avenue as a commons: a shared civic space with the potential to foster connection, belonging, and collective flourishing.
The evening will feature the New Jersey premiere of Close Encounters of the 34th Avenue Kind: The Story of NYC's Best Open Street, a documentary by renowned filmmaker and street advocate Clarence Eckerson, Jr. The film tells the story of New York City's celebrated 34th Avenue Open Street in Jackson Heights, Queens, exploring how public space can be transformed into a place for recreation, mobility, community, and civic life.
Following the screening, Clarence Eckerson, Jr. will join a panel discussion with representatives from Bike Walk Montclair, Hudson County Complete Streets, Stronger Montclair, Transit Newark, & VELO BLOOMFIELD, and transportation advocate Dulcie Canton, a Transportation Alternatives alum. Together, they will explore how people-centered street design can strengthen safety, health, democracy, and social connection throughout Essex County and beyond.
Using the Three Practices framework, participants will then engage in a facilitated community conversation about Bloomfield Avenue's future. Together, we'll reflect on how we share public space, build trust across differences, and imagine a more connected future for the communities linked by this vital corridor.
Whether you're a resident, business owner, advocate, cyclist, pedestrian, planner, or simply curious about the future of Essex County, you'll leave with new perspectives on one of our region's most important civic corridors and a deeper understanding of how streets can become places that bring people together.
Event venue & nearby stays
Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, United States
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