Painting the pavement

A living room neighborhood rug.
That is how Luna GebbenGreen described the Paint the Pavement (PTP) project in her neighborhood at the intersection of Van Buren Avenue and Pascal Street.
Recently the neighborhood gathered to freshen the paint of the mural and celebrate community with a potluck.
GebbenGreen has been a part of the project since its inception in 2006. The Hamline Midway Coalition was starting a project to develop neighborhood organizers. According to GebbenGreen, the idea of PTP came from a similar project in Portland, Ore.
“We collaborated with the public works director of Saint Paul to build PTP,” said GebbenGreen.
John Levin, who has also been a part of the project, said PTP started in other Saint Paul neighborhoods, as well.
“The original painted mural was an organized neighborhood effort,” Levin said. It was a geometric design that came out of a composition among neighbors, and that neighbors voted on. That design was in place until 2016.
“The city comes around every eight or nine years and repaves, covering the mural,” Levin continued. “So in 2017, a new mural was painted.”
GebbenGreen said the mural painted in 2017 was a kind of circle with spirals in it. “We went for simple the second time,” she said. At the recent repainting and refreshing of the mural, about 100 people painted at a time. Children could also mark sidewalks with chalk.
“PTP is about painting the intersection, neighborhood art and community. Neighbors come together to do the planning. This is not an annual event, but every year the neighborhood comes together for other events, also.”
GebbenGreen added, “PTP is a place-making project. It is kind of personalizing an anonymous space, very localized, with the intention of organizing and building the social capital of your neighbors. The painting is a symbol of the new connections and relationships that are built.”
Levin said the painting is coordinated with the city. “There are certain requirements for the kind of paint that goes along with city guidelines. This is a big part of it. You can’t just go out and paint the street.”
He said the City of Saint Paul is eager to work with the neighborhoods to help make these things happen.
“One of the things we do as a community is raise the funds for the paint and supplies. Things have gotten very expensive, but fortunately the neighbors are very good at donating. And we have a couple companies that have provided generous support.”
GebbenGreen said the very first time they did this, a few people were unsure about it. But after seeing the project applied fast-drying traffic paint as well as an anti-slip additive, many concerns were addressed.
“There isn’t a single person who has said anything negative about it or opposed it now,” Levin noted.
Calling the mural a vibrant, dynamic presence in the neighborhood, GebbenGreen said it is an identifier and a point of reference for directions.
“This is a pretty busy street, and we have noticed that when the intersection is freshly painted, people tend to slow down,” said Levin. “We invite people to stop by and take a look.”