School Streets: Inside NYC's Movement to Reclaim Urban Spaces
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
05/04/26
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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
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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
This May, @schoolutionspodcast is putting student voices front and center because real student success starts with listening. We spotlight how teachers can tune in to children's voices and experiences, including their streets, stories, leadership, and language.
👟 Sabina Sethi Unni opens the month with her powerful work through Open Plans NYC and the School Streets program. She is transforming unsafe streets in front of New York City schools into open play spaces that honor the whole child.
📖 Xochitl Bentley dives into 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.
🌱 Rachael Thrash talks about co-creating schools with students and developing student leaders. This is a must-listen for anyone passionate about active learning, student participation, and equity in education.
📚 Beth Skelton and Tan Huynh close out the month with their new book on working with experienced multilinguals and their integrated literacy framework. Beth and Tan offer essentials for anyone committed to anti-bias teaching, inclusivity, and thriving students who are also language learners.
These conversations are rooted in inspiring students and educators, and in the belief that educational transformation happens when we center student voice, build family partnerships, and support teachers.
Join us this May. We can't wait to see you. 💙
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CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro: May's theme: centering children's voices
0:12 Sabina Sethi Unni: School Streets & safe play spaces
0:25 Xochitl Bentley: storytelling stances & climate stewardship
0:36 Rachael Thrash: co-creating schools & student leadership
0:47 Beth Skelton & Tan Huynh: experienced multilinguals & integrated literacy
0:58 Join us this May!
#Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBased #ClassroomReadyStrategies #ClassroomBelonging #StudentEngagement #StudentMotivation #ActiveLearning #InspiringStudents #EffectiveTeaching #InstructionalCoaching #TeacherSupport #ProfessionalDevelopment #SchoolLeadership #SchoolCulture #FamilyPartnerships #HomeSchoolConnection #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #EquityInEducation #InclusiveClassrooms #AntiBiasTeaching #WholeChild #StudentSuccess #EmpoweredEducators #EducationTransformation #TeacherImpact #NewTeachers #StudentVoice #StudentLeadership #MultilingualLearners #TeachersOfYouTube #EducationPodcast #ProKidMindset #SchoolImprovement
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 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.
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