Santa Barbara has been chosen as one of 10 cities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States to receive a $100,000 grant and technical support from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ “Asphalt Art Initiative.”
Announced on Monday, the initiative aims to use art to improve street safety, revitalize public spaces, and engage local communities through creative roadway redesign projects.
The project page states the Santa Barbara project will focus on reimagining the city’s busiest intersection, which serves as the site of the beloved weekly Farmers Market and is adjacent to the country’s longest pandemic-inspired “slow street,” State and Carrillo Streets.
According to Bloomberg Philanthropies, the redesigned intersection will prioritize enhanced pedestrian and cyclist safety while providing a visually vibrant space for community interaction.
Revitalizing Streets with Asphalt Art
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative addresses the growing trend among cities worldwide of integrating art into public infrastructure as a low-cost, high-impact solution for urban challenges. “Asphalt art” creates visual interventions on roadways—such as intersections, crosswalks, plazas, and sidewalks—as well as on vertical infrastructure, like utility boxes, traffic barriers, and underpasses.
The initiative builds on findings from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Safety Study, released in March 2022. Conducted by Sam Schwartz Consulting, the study revealed that streets incorporating asphalt art experienced measurable improvements in pedestrian safety, including reduced crash rates and increased driver awareness.
A Bold Vision for Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara’s asphalt art project aims to stand as a local example of the initiative’s mission to transform streets into safer and more engaging community spaces. With the grant funding and technical support provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies, local officials, artists, and urban planners will collaborate to deliver a striking redesign that harmonizes safety and aesthetic appeal.
The announcement recognizes Santa Barbara’s commitment to innovative urban solutions, particularly after the success of its “slow street” initiative, aka the State Street Promenade, which was introduced during the pandemic to promote pedestrian and cyclist use. The reimagined Farmers Market intersection promises to serve as a model for effective urban design through creativity and collaboration.
Global Reach of the Asphalt Art Initiative
Santa Barbara joins nine other cities, including San Francisco and Portland, as winners of this round of funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, marking a milestone in the initiative’s expansion across North America. The Asphalt Art Initiative underscores the global movement toward using art as a tool for activating streets and reinvigorating public spaces.
For more information on Santa Barbara’s project and the Asphalt Art Initiative, visit Bloomberg Philanthropies or follow local updates from city officials.
🎉Our #AsphaltArt Initiative is back!
Today we announced 10 cities across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. selected to receive $100,000 grants and technical support to develop asphalt art projects of their own to improve street safety, revitalize public spaces, and engage… pic.twitter.com/nHZSvtPZKE
— Bloomberg Philanthropies (@BloombergDotOrg) June 16, 2025
Also Read
- Cottage Health Child Care Center Expansion Approved by Planning Commission
- Historic Cañedo Adobe to Undergo Significant Roof Restoration Through Prop 68 Funding
- Frank Lanzone Announces Retirement from KCBX Central Coast Public Radio After 45 Years as President and General Manager
- What’s Happening in Downtown Santa Barbara: February 12-18
- Goleta’s First Coffee & Community Event of 2026 Recap
This is cool!
Off chart STUPID! The last thing we need at intersections is this level of distraction. Drivers and pedestrians alike will suffer more collisions. The accident stats will tell the tale over time.
Try reading the article instead of going by your “feels” about what will happen: “the study revealed that streets incorporating asphalt art experienced measurable improvements in pedestrian safety, including reduced crash rates and increased driver awareness”
Driving into a hallucination like that would certainly make me pay more attention to driving safely, wondering what’s coming next.
Why? Distract drivers? Is that the idea? No thank you. Absurd. There are so many other more suitable places for public art.