Part of a larger safety and beautification plan, the mural is designed to slow down drivers and bring a 'sense of hope' to the neighborhood.

A Philadelphia neighborhood has a new mural that supporters "hope will improve pedestrian safety, help bring business to the stores on the corridor and, as Somaly Osteen puts it, 'create a sense of hope.'" According to Juliana Feliciano Reyes, "[t]he mural is part of a larger beautification and safety effort run by SEAMAAC [Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition] for the neighborhood" and "is intended to make the intersection safer by attracting the attention of drivers, who will then slow down and stop, instead of rolling through stop signs." The coalition hopes this will improve safety for children walking to nearby schools and instill a sense of pride in the community.
"Murals aiming to slow traffic and increase pedestrian safety have been installed in cities such as St. Paul, Minn.; Baltimore; and Philadelphia — the South of South Street Neighbors Association worked with Mural Arts to install one in Graduate Hospital this year. Philadelphia had a higher rate of traffic-related deaths than New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco, according to 2018 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration." Meanwhile, "Neighborhoods that are largely home to people of color and those living in poverty are more likely to experience these accidents."

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.

Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.
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