Wander Wabasha: Building Momentum for Mobility Improvements Through Events
Client: Wabasha Partners and Smart Trips St. Paul (now “Move MN”)
Date Range: 2014
Summary: In an effort to reverse the trajectory of Wabasha Street - the historic retail center of Downtown St. Paul - the newly-formed Wabasha Partners Coalition and Smart Trips St. Paul retained The Musicant Group to produce an event which would: 1. Demonstrate that a revitalized Wabasha Street was possible; 2. Build support for the Downtown St. Paul Bike plan and the need for protected bike lanes; and 3. Attract customers to Wabasha Street businesses. Our Wander Wabasha event brought in an estimated 5,000 attendees, and our programming significantly contributed to the support which was generated in order to get the Downtown St. Paul Bike plan adopted.
Project Goals & Strategy
Our goal was to produce an event which would: 1. Demonstrate that a revitalized Wabasha Street was possible; 2. Build support for the Downtown St. Paul Bike plan and the need for protected bike lanes; and 3. Attract customers to Wabasha Street businesses.
Our strategy involved producing a pilot event to demonstrate the possibilities for revitalizing Wabasha street, and in doing so, partnering with a wide array of vendors to create a sense of vibrancy and community connection.
What we did
Converted parking spaces into seating areas, bike parking, and putt-putt golf holes.
Produced and partnered with organizations to create novel experiences over a 4-block stretch, which included: a participatory music-making event, a mobile bike cart that connects strangers through Ethiopian tea and foosball, and a brass band parading down Wabasha over the lunch hour.
Outcomes & Benefits
5,000 people were estimated to have attended this event
89% of participants and community partners met or exceeded their goals
300+ surveys filled out
The Downtown St. Paul Bike Plan was ultimately adopted, in part, as a result of the support we generated through our event.
Testimonals
-
“It was an exciting afternoon and I have never seen so much life on Wabasha!”
- Dave Thune, St. Paul City Councilman
-
“People were happy and people wanted this feeling to be what happens all the time.”
- Tony Bol, Wabasha Partners Chair, Director of Fitzgerald Theater