Feet First Philly is taking a short break from the internet to celebrate our nation’s birthday next week. We’ll be back in full swing on July 5th! In the meantime, enjoy this collection of news and blog posts from the pedestrian sphere.
• Chalfont Playground in Northeast Philly gets new play equipment and a sprayground! (NEastPhilly.com)
• This summer, Parks and Recreation and the Fairmount Parks Conservancy are teaming up to bring activity back to Eakins Oval, the public space at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Rebranded as simply “The Oval,” the space will host games, entertainment, food, and more from July 17th to August 20th. (Philadelphia Parks & Rec)
• The NYPD is examining traffic collisions in greater depth than before, thanks to a reduction in other violent crimes. (New York Times)
• A Colorado man takes on Jonathan Stalls’ call to try taking life at three miles per hour by walking the five miles to his office. Sure enough, the walk offered valuable time for reflection and was considerably less stressful than driving. (Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved)
• A San Francisco nonprofit held a placemaking experiment that made use of the city’s alleys. On their blog, Benjamin Grant details the importance of alleys in a city’s streetscape. (SPUR)
• Without strong leadership from the city, a different San Francisco placemaking program is in danger. (Streetsblog.org)
• Paris converted a waterfront expressway into a pedestrian walkway. (Systemic Failure blog)
• “There is more to walking than walking:” Jan Gehl, renowned architect and proponent of walking, visits Melbourne, Australia, to see the great strides the city has made in redesigning its streets for people since the 1970’s. (Assemble Papers)
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