PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — With spring fast approaching, Center City District has announced 20 dates for this year’s Open Streets program, which includes the Rittenhouse and Midtown areas of Center City.
Launched in 2024, the Open Streets program opens select city streets to foot traffic to drive pedestrians to shops, restaurants, events and community activities.
In describing the program, the district has drawn an idyllic picture — people filling the sidewalks, browsing stores and sitting under awnings enjoying brunch, families and couples walking, talking and shopping — a picture they have expanded upon, according to Giavana Pruiti, director of promotions and activations for the district.
“Open Streets is an extension of public space for pedestrians to stroll, to shop, to dine, to hang out and enjoy Center City at its best,” said Pruiti.
“We are very excited to introduce 20 new dates for 2026 including 15 on West Walnut Street and for the first time, a weekday pilot in Midtown Village on Tuesdays in June.”
Open Streets will kick off the year by taking over Walnut Street from Broad to 19th streets and 18th Street from Chestnut to Locust streets every Sunday in April, starting April 5, then the first three Sundays in May.
The district then moves the program over to Midtown Village for the summer. The district will reserve 13th Street from Chestnut to Walnut streets, Sansom Street from Juniper to 12th streets and Drury Street for pedestrians each Tuesday in June.
The program then returns to West Walnut on Sept. 13, 20 and 27, and each Sunday in October, then finally on Dec. 6.
“We do a lot of work on the street to make it a comfortable environment, meeting, adding seating on the street, chalk for kids, light entertainment,” said Pruiti, “so people want to just be there longer and the longer you're there, the more curious you're going to be, right?”
In announcing this year’s dates, Andrew Jacobs, the district’s vice president of planning, said the program has welcomed more than 170,000 visitors.
“We have an average of 10,000 people coming on West Walnut per day, the kind of overall pedestrian increase of 27% compared to prior Sundays,” he shared. “Businesses reported a 62% increase in foot traffic. Sixty percent of survey responses, they discovered a business that they did not previously know about.”