Photos from the naked bike ride; car-free Sundays near Rittenhouse; summer heat returns

And while we’re on the subject of safety on the streets, the Center City District recently announced the resumption of the “Open Streets” program. Starting September 8, there will be a restriction on car traffic in a seven-block area on four Sundays.

“I hope that Open Streets in the Center City District will reinvigorate the idea of ​​pedestrian and retail-oriented uses of public spaces,” said Jon Geeting, one of several urban planners who created Open Streets PHL. Read more …

Thousands of cyclists, in varying states of undress, saddled up on their bikes at 5 p.m. Saturday for a 12-mile ride through downtown to Drexel Hill. The outing was part of the Naked Bike Ride, which emphasized creative body painting and body positivity and aimed to raise awareness of road safety, a theme that has been simmering all summer.

BP’s Nick Kariuki has spoken to ride participants and supporters about why they ride, and Solmaira Valerio has taken photos for Billy Penn (she did that last year too), some of which your HR department might not like. Who knows?!? There’s only one way to find out for sure.

SUMMARY: What else happened?

$ = behind a paywall

• Philadelphia received federal funding to research the concept of “cool roofs” as a way to address climate change. (WHY)