Main Street Gets a Makeover
See how a weekend transformation made downtown Bethel, Vermont, pop!
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
Bethel Better Block
In 2016, the planning group Team Better Block partnered with AARP Vermont in the town of Bethel (pop: 2,030) to demonstrate how placemaking and community design influence successful aging, health, economic vitality and overall livability.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
The Roadmap
The event took place over a weekend in early October and featured temporary "pop-up" businesses, street modifications, new public spaces and many other small interventions aimed at improving livability in the downtown corridor.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
Bird's Eye View
Bethel was a great place for a Better Block demonstration project because it featured a good street (suitably named Main Street) that could be made better.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
Closed for Business
Among the reasons Bethel benefited from a Better Block intervention was that many of its downtown buildings, including this historic one at 257 Main Street, were vacant and in need of a facelift.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
Open for Business
During the Bethel Better Block weekend, pop-up shops and services took upoccupency in the building's street-level spaces.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
Take a Closer Look
This bird's eye view image shows three demonstration projects that were added to improve Main Street's walkability.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
Pedestrians Crossing
Stripes added to the crosswalks and curb extensions enhanced by landscaping bulb-outs helped alert drivers to the presence of pedestrians and reduced the crossing distance from one side of the street to the other.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
No Parking
Two parking spots were taken over for the weekend and transformed into spaces where people (rather than cars) could spend the day.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
Sidewalk Dining
The floorspace within the two parking spots provided room enough for both a pop-up taco stand and a dining area.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
Sidewalk Stories
Sidewalk seating and dining brings activity and activities to Main Street. The food stand generated $900 in revenue during the three-day event.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
The Blue Lane
The most noticable change to Main Street was the addition of a dedicated, 700-foot-long walk-bike lane. (The lane borders were created by using straw wattles.) The Blue Lane concept originated in Denmark. Bethel was its first use in the U.S.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
Street Signage
A volunteer is shown spray painting an image of dancers, which was one of the several icons used to indicate that the Blue Lane welcomed all kinds of non-motorized means of getting around.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
Before and After
Small, seemingly discarded spots of greenery can be opened, tidied and shared as outdoor public spaces.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
There was Transit, Too
After the weekend event, the private transit operator that was used to get visitors in and out of the downtown decided to add a permenant route through Bethel.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
A Parklet for the People
When the weather is nice, it's nice to have a place for sitting outside.
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Photo by AARP Vermont
Swimming Along
After the demonstration weekend, Bethel received a grant from the Vermont Arts Council to beautify public spaces with art. This fish-themed mosaic decorates a retaining wall on the way into town.
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Photo courtesy Team Better Block
Welcome to the Video
See more scenes from the Bethel Better Block weekend and learn about the damage caused to the town when Tropical Storm Irene swept through in 2011. Watch the or video and read more about how the demonstration came to be.
Slideshow published January 2017 | Updated October 2019
Learn More
Read how Bethel was able to prove its potential — and watch the before and after video:
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