Through a connection with People for Bikes, we were invited to work with NOLA Complete Streets to design public engagement methods and materials to help them inform their communities about Complete Streets planning and implementation in New Orleans. The focus of their public engagement are the numerous festivals and events that happen throughout the year in New Orleans and based around the 10 x 10 tents that are commonly used at these events. With the goal of creating a quick, fun, multi-level engagement that would allow participants to actively embody elements of Complete Streets redesign, we designed a created a Complete Streets Photobooth. We created large scale backdrops that featured annotated images of NOLA street before and after redesign, a series of custom props that allow participants to compose scenes, and informational text components integrated into the interaction, so that participants can gather information throughout the activity. Instead of a flier which might be thrown away, the annotated backdrops and prop tags introduce Complete Streets ideas by interacting with the choices participants make in composing their photographs. The props include item like a roll out bike lane, custom street signs, costume elements, and symbolic objects that offer both visuals to enhance participant’s photographs and additional information on each of the Complete Streets elements. Each of the props includes a tag that gives a brief explanation of the prop and how it relates to complete street redesign.
