Knoxville is doing four weekend trial runs that will turn a busy stretch of Gay Street into a pedestrian plaza at night.

Gay Street's 400 block, which runs from Wall Avenue to Union Avenue and is packed with restaurants and bars, will be closed to parking and traffic 7 p.m.-4 a.m. on these dates:

• Nov. 10 and 11  
• Nov. 17 and 18  
• Dec. 8 and 9  
• Dec. 15 and 16

Ryan Wilusz and Brianna Paciorka discuss what this change could mean for Knoxville, including how Gay Street businesses could benefit from more pedestrians, how traffic could be more evenly dispersed and where else a similar strategy could be implemented downtown. 

"The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.