Community
reclaims the road
On August 28th, brilliant summer weather sets the perfect stage for Ebensee’s inaugural Main Street Festival (Hauptstraßen-Gaudi). Under the motto “Share Street Space Fairly,” the town’s main thoroughfare closes to motorized traffic for two hours, transforming from a car corridor into a vibrant community gathering place where people truly matter more than vehicles.
Photo from workshop, Ebensee
Building Awareness Through Joyful Action
The street came alive with an explosion of activity as numerous families responded to the invitation from Bunter Kinderhort and daycare facility M3. Children played football and danceed alongside adults, creating a colorful tapestry of community life that rarely gets to unfold in street spaces. For two precious hours, laughter and connection replace engine noise and exhaust fumes, demonstrating what streets could be when designed for people first.
Unity in organization
This celebration of community and mobility was organized by Frauen*forum Salzkammergut and the Municipality of Ebensee with support from SV Ebensee and ASKÖ dance group Spirit of Team.
As part of the European Fair Mobility project, which Ebensee serves as one of two pilot communities, the Main Street Festival created powerful awareness about fair and safe mobility needs.
Through joyful community action, the event highlights how current street design disadvantages vulnerable groups like children and people with mobility restrictions. By temporarily reclaiming this space, residents experienced firsthand what inclusive, human-centered streets could look like, planting seeds for lasting change in how communities can approach mobility justice.