Open Streets in Philadelphia

Guests: Mayor Michael Nutter, Inga Saffron, Nate Hommel, Denise Goren

After Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia this September, in which blocks and blocks of the city were shutdown to cars, some Philly residents have launched a call for more weekends to feature open streets devoid of cars in certain sections of the city. We’ll discuss the potential for open streets in Philly with INGA SAFFRON, architecture critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, NATE HOMMEL, one of the leaders of Open Streets PHL, the campaign to bring open streets weekends to Philadelphia in 2016, and DENISE GOREN, director of policy and planning at the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities. We’ll also discuss potential concerns about open streets weekends, their feasibility, and what it might mean for the city and its denizens. We also heard briefly from Philadelphia Mayor MICHAEL NUTTER about his vision for open streets in the City of Brotherly Love.