The Ben Franklin Parkway was originally designed as a bucolic escape from the city. It could be that way again.

In an op-ed in Next City, Lydia Kulina outlines a people-centered vision for Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway that protects pedestrians and creates a vibrant public space that discourages dangerous practices like drag racing. “As countless users have experienced, it is not responsive to the needs of pedestrians and undermines contemporary planning ideals that have been substantiated in recent decades.”
“We must begin to see disturbances in the city as a by-product of the erroneous settings we have created,” Kulina writes. The drag racers are, in fact, using the parkway for its intended purpose: to move car traffic, fast. Now, the Reimagine the Parkway Commission is working to redesign the thoroughfare. “It will cost millions to rethink and revise these faulty design decisions as the commission begins the combined infrastructure, transportation, and economic plan.”
FULL STORY: Philly’s Fast and Furious Thoroughfare

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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