SLC.gov

Feb. 5, 2026

Community members and Salt Lake City leaders unveiled papel picado art along 900 South between 500 West and 600 West on Thursday morning. It highlights long-standing barriers between the City’s west and east sides and invites residents to shape solutions. 

Westside residents created the colorful paper banners—a traditional Mexican art form—in partnership with Artes de México en Utah to draw attention to the negative effects of the west-east divide and encourage community participation in the City’s West-East Connections Study (WE Connect), which aims to identify potential solutions. 

“This makes visible what westside residents have long experienced—the ways Salt Lake City’s infrastructure has separated neighbors and impacted daily life,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall. “WE Connect is about listening first, learning from lived experience, and working alongside the community to reconnect parts of our city that should never have been divided.” 

Railroad crossings create daily challenges for people who need to travel between the City’s east and west sides and have negative ripple effects across the west side.  

“Train delays disrupt daily life for Westside residents—whether it’s getting to work or school on time or simply going about the day,” said Salt Lake City Council Member Alejandro “Ale” Puy. “I’ve long advocated for practical solutions since this issue impacts safety, access, and quality of life. WE Connect gives us a chance to address it with the community and focus on long-term solutions.” 
 
The art installation is one of many ways the public can work directly with Salt Lake City to identify barriers, co-create solutions, and prioritize future actions. 

“Public art is a tool for change, communication, and connection,” said Luis Novoa, executive director of Artes de Mexico in Utah and lead artist on the papel picado project. “Creating this papel picado-inspired visual bridge felt like a meaningful way for me to honor community identity and a shared sense of belonging shaped by movement and memory reflecting the experiences of being from here and there as Salt Lake City residents.” 

Community input will help guide solutions to reduce the divide between Salt Lake City’s west and east sides. 

“We’re on the westside now, and we really want to engage with our neighbors and help improve things on the westside,” said West-East Connections Study Community Advisory Board member Camille Winnie. “Not only for our residents who live there but the whole community.”   

Opportunities for the community to get involved include: 

• Through February 15 — Westside Online Scavenger Hunt: 
  Residents are invited to identify places on the west side where getting around is difficult—such as railroad crossings, busy intersections, or other barriers. Participants can take photos, upload them to an interactive map, and share ideas for improvement. Each photo submission counts as an entry into a prize giveaway. 
• February 5, 5:30–7:30 p.m. — Community Open House at The Other Side Village –1882 West Indiana Avenue: 
  Learn about the WE Connect Project and participate in fun, family-friendly activities designed to gather ideas for solving the west–east divide. Dinner and children’s activities will be provided. 
• February 12, 5:30–7:30 p.m. — Community Open House at the Sorenson Unity Center – 1383 S. 900 West: 
  A second opportunity to learn about the project and engage in interactive, family-friendly activities. Dinner and children’s activities will be provided. 

To learn more about the West–East Connections Study, visit https://link.slc.gov/weconnect. Community members are also encouraged to sign up for email updates to stay informed about future engagement opportunities.