Philadelphia's Center City District has announced plans to temporarily close certain streets to vehicular traffic on Sundays in September. The initiative, dubbed "Open Streets: West Walnut," will transform one of Philadelphia’s most popular shopping and dining destinations into a pedestrian-friendly zone. The closures will include 18th Street from Locust to Chestnut and Walnut Street from 15th to 19th, and will take place on four consecutive Sundays, starting on September 8th and ending on September 29th. The event will run from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m., with closures in effect by 8 a.m. and opening back up at 6 p.m.
The program aims to encourage shopping, dining, and activities for all, with retailers encouraged to expand outdoors. Some stores will even offer discounts, in-store entertainment, and special incentives as part of Open Streets: West Walnut. The first two weeks of the program will coincide with Center City District Restaurant Week, allowing diners to check out some of the participating restaurants right along the route.
Prema Katari Gupta, President and CEO of Center City District, said, "Philadelphia has been named one of the most walkable cities in the United States and we are hopeful that Open Streets: West Walnut will encourage real-life interaction between friends, neighbors and passersby by reclaiming streets as an expansion of public space.”