Blogger Kate Gawf captured some scenes of Northwest Portland as it would look in a car-free world. Due to scheduled leaf cleaning, the streets were left to pedestrians and bikers. Idealized architectural renderings and streetscapes often show us imagined places without cars, but we almost never see our neighborhoods in this way. The only time I've experienced this unique form of spontaneous pedestrian Utopia was in the NYC blizzard of 2003.

Scheduling and serendipity can expose us to urban conditions and design (im)possibilities, expanding our perception and creative scope.

To continue to envision new possibilities, be sure to check your local calendar for street sweepings, traffic closures, bridge rides, and other events which will allow you to reconceive urban public space and envision a world much different and perhaps much improved.