Streets are the most valuable public asset in cities, amounting to roughly one-third of the total land area. How streets are designed and used holds endless potential to spur economic vitality and social exchange--all while serving as transportation conduits. For over a century, most cities have handed the role of streets solely and swiftly over to moving automobiles. There is an overdue need to change that paradigm.

Granting cars prerogative has resulted in huge costs to society--more than the resources required to fix the pothole you hit every morning. Streets are the space in US cities that:

• More than 100 people are dying each day.

• More than one-third of greenhouse gas emissions being emitted.

• Problems of justice and equity are being exacerbated, affecting who has access to various transport facilities and therefore, who has access to basic goods and services.

Ample opportunity, as a society, is available to do better. The dawn of 2021 has witnessed scores of communities across the globe peering into the crystal ball, looking for ways to better use street space. A changing landscape is emerging and one need not look further than:

• How COVID has deepened a public reckoning for the amount of space in cities devoted to automobile-focused infrastructure (e.g., outdoor dining, street openings for outdoor walking).

• How telecommunications have opened up options for how people access basic goods and services on a daily basis.

• Emerging and innovative forms of mobility--scooters, e-bikes, etc.--are prompting planners and designers in cities to reconcile new and unprecedented demands on the space in city streets.

• How the Biden administration is forging ahead with major legislation, affecting infrastructure and climate, that draws on the power of streets to “build back better.”

Throughout the spring of 2021, students in the Environmental Design Program at CU-Boulder envisioned a bold future for urban streets—one that moves beyond assuming that we always need to prioritze the car and towards one that highlights varied uses and priorities--like placemaking, safety, environmental responsibility, accessibility. This website/wiki displays the proceeds of the students' efforts, all compiled in attempt to envision a future that recognizes the value of public asset contained within streets and opportunities for change.