From downtown to playground: This is the power of Open Streets

How could streets bring cities together if people got out of their cars?

That's the question the Open Streets Project attempts to answer.

Across the nation, the movement encourages cities to rethink public spaces by temporarily closing their streets to cars and opening them to people.

This year, Fort Wayne took part its second-annual Open Streets event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 15.

Here's a look at what residents did with four hours, 18-blocks of space, 78 stations, and more than 100 free activities.

The Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation department brought out a Bubble Machine.Bicycle Friendly Fort Wayne and FWPD Bike Patrol taught bike handling skills.Sud’n Impact Gym hosted Step into the Ring boxing exhibitions.The Fort Wayne Mastadons and Fort Wayne Sport Club teamed up to teach soccer skills.Residents enjoyed miles of bike lanes on Fort Wayne's active transportation network.Along with biking, rollerblading was another popular activity.Part of rethinking public spaces is decorating downtown buildings.Checkmate! Residents played giant board games like Chess in the streets.A putt-putt golf course opened on Calhoun Street.