The list of prohibitions for the use of public spaces grows—this time to the seemingly innocuous and park-perfect activity of sitting.
"Sitting on the walls is now banned in Rittenhouse Square," according to an article by Julia Terruso.
"The Department of Parks and Recreation authorized the new rule and the signs' installation in conjunction with police and the Friends of Rittenhouse Square group," adds Terruso.
A statement on the decision from the Department of Parks and Recreation put the onus for the decision on "a recent uptick in vandalism on the historic balustrades" and a desire to "protect the structural integrity of these iconic park features."
"The Friends of Rittenhouse Square have argued that the 3-foot-high walls, which often draw large groups of people, promote drug use," writes Terruso.
Regardless of those explanations, it wasn't easy for Terruso to find people in Rittenhouse Square sitting on the walls, excoriating the new signs that prohibit sitting.
Corey Griffith, of South Philadelphia is quoted in the article expressing his feelings about the prohibition. "Sitting in Rittenhouse Square is Rittenhouse Square," he said. "I saw that sign, and I was like [expletive] that sign. It's preposterous."
FULL STORY: After loitering complaints, city bans wall sitting in Rittenhouse Square
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research