Walnut Street Closing To Vehicles Sunday In Center City

PHILADELPHIA — A portion of Walnut Street in Center City Philadelphia will close to vehicles this Sunday as part of Center City District's Open Streets program.

Open Streets: West Walnut will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The closure route is on 18th Street from Chestnut to Locust and Walnut Street from 15th to 19th.

The street closure program temporarily pedestrianizes sections of Walnut Street and 18th Street in Rittenhouse Row to create a welcoming space to shop, stroll and socialize along nearly seven blocks of car-free space.

Cross streets will remain open to cars at select intersections, including 16th Street, 17th Street, 19th Street and the 1700 and 1800 blocks of Sansom Street.

Center City District examined survey responses after September's Open Streets installment.

According to Center City District, nearly 90 percent of businesses along the closure route reported an increase in foot traffic to their storefronts. The average increase in traffic across respondents was 86 percent, though some retailers cited increases as high as 300 percent above their typical Sunday.

"The idea of Open Streets: West Walnut began with a hypothesis: streets filled with people drive more business than streets filled with cars," Prema Katari Gupta, President and CEO of Center City District, said. "September’s four-week pilot program proved just that, while also creating an extension of public space for pedestrians to use how they wanted, whether chasing giant bubbles with their kids, relaxing in lawn chairs or dining outside with friends."

The pedestrian-only thoroughfares will act as an extension of public space, with Rittenhouse Square’s 18th and Walnut entrance being a direct link to the park. Streets will be used as walkways, allowing retailers to expand outdoors. Some plan to offer exclusive discounts, in-store entertainment or special incentives as part of Open Streets: West Walnut. Food and beverages will be sold exclusively at restaurants along the route, with many expanding their tables onto the sidewalk. Open containers of alcohol will not be permitted, and takeout food will be at the discretion of the restaurants.

CCD will program ambient entertainment, including acoustic musicians and holiday carolers.

Along the 1800 block of Walnut Street, a kid-friendly zone will feature sidewalk chalk, bubbles, games and toys, as well as weekly story time events with Santa Claus.

Seating pods will be set up in the streets, including an area on South 18th Street where passersby can watch holiday movies.

Philadelphia Eagles games will be broadcast live from the same location at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

There will be no supplemental vendors on the street; visitors are encouraged to support the businesses located on the closed streets and surrounding areas.

Learn more about Open Streets online here.