Mamdani Will Turn 50 School Streets into ‘Soccer Streets’ During World Cup

Kids will certainly get a kick out of this.

More than four dozen existing car-free school streets will be transformed into soccer fun zones, Mayor (and First Soccer Fan) Mamdani will announce later on Monday in The Bronx.

The so-called “Soccer Streets” will comprise 50 “pop-up activations” by Street Lab for students to do soccer drills, play the world’s game, make art, and do other World Cup-related activities to celebrate that the world’s biggest sporting event will be contested in the New York area this summer.

“We want every kid in this city to experience the joy of the game,” Mayor Mamdani said in a statement. “Soccer Streets takes that energy directly into our neighborhoods — closing streets to cars, opening them to play and making sure this celebration isn’t reserved for people who can afford a ticket. Open Streets is one of the best tools we have to reclaim public space for the public and these activations are another step toward bringing the World Cup to our city’s young people.” 

The World Cup’s eight games in the metro area will be spread out from June 13 through the tournament’s globally watched final on July 19, but the activations at schools will begin on May 1 and run only until June 26 — the last day of public schools.

According to the Department of Transportation, there are currently about 68 school streets around town, though not all of them operate every day of the school week. Street Lab is already a partner at at least two of them, both in The Bronx.

The school activations are part the Mamdani administration’s effort to create events keyed to the World Cup. So far, the mayor has announced five fan zones — one per borough. But the administration also curtailed watch parties on other existing open streets after “feedback” from the NYPD. More open space events, perhaps on already car-free plazas, are expected to be announced soon.

According to the mayor’s announcement, the soccer activations are not automatic, but schools that already have car-free space under the Open Streets program are encouraged to “contact Street Lab to learn more and get involved.”

The non-profit Street Lab, which runs all manner of activities in the city’s greatest public resource — its streets — is certainly encouraging schools to take advantage.

“Open Streets for Schools hold a special promise for the future of the city,” said Leslie Davol, Executive Director of Street Lab. “We’re seeing students, families, teachers, and neighbors, working side-by-side to transform streets into places to gather, bringing learning from out behind the walls, and inspiring the whole community. It’s a grassroots movement, rising from the ground up and from the boroughs in.”