Open Streets as Teachable Moments

According to a column by Inga Saffron (and professional planners might be happy to hear this), "urban planners are starting to pile up the wins. They've introduced amenities that encourage the slow-movers - things like sidewalk cafes, parklets, bike lanes, and riverfront trails. It's no accident that the emphasis on people-friendly attractions has coincided with the greatest urban revival since American cities crashed in the 1960s."

That remarkable summation of the current zeitgeist in American planning comes courtesy of Saffron's take on the open streets movement's latest in-roads in Philadelphia. In fact, Saffron sees open streets as a way for Philadelphia to make even more substantive contributions in the advancement of people-first planning.

Saffron's column counters the predictable outcry from the "car-first lobby," which has already commenced with berating the idea of car-free days in Philadelphia's Central City, following the accidental model provided by Pope Francis's recent visit to the city. To counter the apocalyptic future imagined by such naysayers, Saffron provides a more sober explanation of the current proposals for open streets events in Philadelphia as well as some of the benefits such an event could bring to the city. One potential benefit would follow the example of Atlanta in gaining new understanding about the city's traffic needs.