How is @openplansnyc Turning School Streets into Outdoor Classrooms for Students?
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
05/06/26
•0m
About
Comments
Transcript
Featured In
In this clip (watch here), Sabina Sethi Unni from Open Plans defines a school street as a DOT program enabling schools to close adjacent streets to car traffic during school hours, enhancing school safety. This initiative, rooted in urban planning, can range from simple pick-up and drop-off closures to creating spaces for recess and gym. The aim is to improve road safety and overall student safety by managing traffic around schools.
This is the kind of innovative teaching environment and instructional leadership thinking that drives real school improvement, strengthens family partnerships, and builds school culture from the ground up. Whether you're a principal, teacher, instructional coach, or caregiver, this conversation will inspire you to think differently about the spaces where students learn, move, and thrive.
📩 Want to bring a School Street to your school? Contact Sabina at sabina@openplans.org
Ready to unlock more innovative teaching strategies that empower educators and drive real school change? Subscribe and explore the full channel.
Watch, reflect, and share Part 1 & Part 2 of our @schoolutionspodcast S5E36 interview.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 What is a School Street?
0:12 Pick-Up & Drop-Off Safety
0:22 Recess & Gym on the Street
0:35 Outdoor Learning & Science Fairs
0:48 Community Programming & Halloween Parades
1:02 School Streets as a Hub for Student & Family Life
📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in.
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
📌 Subscribe for more tools for empowered educators, teacher mentors, school counselors, instructional leaders, and anyone committed to thriving students and school change.
#Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBased #ClassroomReadyStrategies #SchoolStreets #OpenPlans #StudentEngagement #ActiveLearning #EquityInEducation #SchoolCulture #InnovativeTeaching #WholeChild #OutdoorLearning #FamilyPartnerships #InstructionalLeadership #SchoolImprovement #EmpoweredEducators #ProKidMindset #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #InclusiveClassrooms #TeacherCoaching #EducationTransformation #ThrivingStudents #SchoolLeadership #ParentInvolvement #InspiringStudents #TeacherImpact #ProfessionalDevelopment #NYCSchools #UrbanEducation
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Previous Episode
In Part 1 of this S5E36 two-part @schoolutionspodcast conversation, urban planner and organizer Sabina Sethi Unni from @openplansnyc breaks down New York City's School Streets program. It's a DOT initiative that closes car traffic in front of schools during school hours to create outdoor space for kids who need it most. Consider the possibilities...what if the street outside your school could become a gym, a science fair, or a Halloween parade all before 3 PM?
We discuss:
- What School Streets actually looks like (hint: it's active learning in action)
- How schools apply and who is eligible
- Why student engagement and classroom behavior improve when kids have space to move
- The #1 barrier for under-resourced schools and how Open Plans removes it
- Why equity in education and culturally responsive teaching are baked into their outreach model
- How parent involvement and family partnerships make or break the program
- What school leadership and principal strategies can do to champion this today
- Why community engagement is non-negotiable in education transformation
📩 Want to bring a School Street to your school? Reach out to Sabina directly: sabina@openplans.org
Some resources mentioned:
- School Streets program with Open Plans
- Hackney, UK (suburb of London): Open streets research program
- Paris School Streets program
- School Streets report
CHAPTERS:
0:00 — Introduction & Sabina's Background
1:45 — Research That Drives the Work (Hackney, UK)
3:00 — How Street Design Became a Lever of Power
5:00 — From Intern to Full-Time: The Equity Research That Started It All
7:15 — How Schools Apply & Who Is Eligible
8:45 — Prioritizing Low-Income Communities of Color
9:45 — The Real Barriers: Staffing, PTAs & Stretched Schools
10:55 — How Open Plans Removes Barriers for Schools
12:30 — What a School Street Actually Looks & Feels Like
13:45 — Flexible Hours: Schools Choose What Works for Them
14:30 — How Involved Is Open Plans After Approval?
15:30 — Leadership Turnover as a Hidden Barrier
16:30 — Lightning Round: Best Quotes, Myths & Big Dreams
18:30 — The Danger of Skipping Community Engagement
19:30 — Key Takeaways & Part 2 Preview
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.
📧 🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content.
📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in.
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE!
#schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #curiositydriven #evidencebasedstrategies #classroomreadystrategies#SchoolStreets #EquityInEducation #StudentEngagement
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Next Episode
In part 2 of my S5E36 @schoolutionspodcast conversation with Sabina Sethi Unni from @openplansnyc breaks down how urban redevelopment can truly impact a school community. Sabina shares specific strategies for urban design, like a co-created toolkit and a relational outreach approach, showing a before and after in community engagement. This architecture video highlights the Clarkson Street project, proposing new installations to foster a better environment.
💫Make sure to watch Part 1 and learn more about applying by reaching out to Sabina at sabina@openplans.org
📚 Some Episode Mentions:
- School Streets program with Open Plans
- Clarkson School Street Project
- New York Edge
- The Project for Public Spaces
- Transportation Alternatives
- Paris School Streets program
- Pratt Institute / International Placemaking Week
CHAPTERS
0:00 — Introduction: Streets as the Most Joyful Place in the Neighborhood
1:30 — What Is a School Street? Definition & What It Looks Like
4:00 — How Schools Apply & Eligibility Requirements
6:30 — Equity First: Why Low-Income Communities Are Prioritized
9:00 — The Biggest Barriers: Staffing, Admin Burden & Leadership Turnover
11:30 — Co-Creating the Toolkit with Transportation Alternatives
14:00 — From Cold Outreach to Relational Organizing
16:30 — The Clarkson Street Story: A National Model in the Making
20:00 — NYC's First-Ever Permanent Swing Gate on a Public Street
23:00 — Mayor Mamdani's Opt-Out Proposal & What It Could Mean
26:00 — If Every Street Became a School Street: Where to Start
29:00 — The Vision for Scale & What Paris Can Teach NYC
31:00 — How to Get Involved, Apply, or Support the Movement
🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content.
📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in.
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE!
Next week's episode: Xochitl Bentley teaches us about different storytelling stances and how they connect to climate stewardship. Xochitl offers a masterclass in culturally responsive teaching, inclusive classrooms, and sparking student motivation through narrative and identity.
#schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #curiositydriven #evidencebasedstrategies #classroomreadystrategies
#SchoolStreets #UrbanPlanning #EquityInEducation #StudentSuccess #WholeChild #SchoolCulture #InstructionalLeadership #TeacherCoaching #ActiveLearning #OutdoorLearning #FamilyPartnerships #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #ProKidMindset #SchoolImprovement #EmpoweredEducators #InclusiveClassrooms #SchoolusionsPodcast #TeacherSupport #PrincipalStrategies #CommunitySchools
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted