March 21: Blumberg Apartments imploded | Broad and Washington train shed plaza | Pizza drones

The Norman Blumberg Apartments in Sharswood came down Saturday morning. Read Aaron Moselle’s report from the scene, and check out a video of the implosion. 

Pennsylvania goes too easy on drunk drivers, argues John Baer. Baer makes the case for a breathalyzer ignition interlock bill that’s up for a committee vote in Harrisburg this week. “Pennsylvania mandates interlocks after multiple DUIs – but, unlike half the states [with interlock policies], not after first convictions. There’s overwhelming evidence that these devices work.”

Jake Liefer proposes a large public plaza instead of a one-story retail building for the area in front of the train shed at Broad and Washington, where a redevelopment plan is in the works. “A pedestrian plaza would be dynamic, allowing for multiple uses, serve as a neighborhood gathering space, and develop an important ‘Third Place‘ in the neighborhood connected to the trainshed market.

A four-story mixed-use building is replacing a one-story day care on Girard Avenue, half a block from the Girard El station, reports Naked Philly.

Data artist Eric Fischer analyzed Flickr photos from 19 major cities to show the different places locals and tourists go. Here’s his map of Philly. 

Domino’s is testing an autonomous pizza delivery robot in New Zealand, Ars Technica reports. Called the “Domino’s Robotic Unit” or DRU, the pizza drone will one day make deliveries within a 12-mile range, with customers entering access codes to retrieve their orders. The DRU recently made its first successful delivery.

Autonomous vehicle sensors could one day obviate the need for traffic lights, while accommodating twice as much vehicle traffic on the streets, according to new research from MIT. The Kurzweil AI blog has a video simulation demonstrating how this would work. One thing missing from the simulation: pedestrians.