“We are delighted that Mayor Street has offered to share his deep experience and acknowledged expertise in urban politics and policy with our students,” Hart said. “His participation will add another dimension to a political science department that has been nationally recognized for providing students with rigorous public service internships and opportunities for hands-on learning in community service.

“We also welcome him as a former teacher who knows the classroom and as a neighbor who understands the strength and diversity of our students and faculty, the uniqueness of our urban mission, and the intellectual and social vibrancy of our campus.”

A 1975 graduate of Temple’s Beasley School of Law, the mayor has long lived within walking distance of the university’s Main Campus in North Philadelphia. His son Ahkeem is a Temple undergraduate; another son, Leteef, earned a master’s degree in education from Temple; and his daughter Rashida Ng teaches in the architecture program at the university’s Tyler School of Art.

“I am looking forward to getting back to a classroom,” Mayor Street said, noting that prior to entering public service as a member of City Council, he had taught in a private school and at the Opportunities Industrial Center, established near Temple in the 1960s by the late Rev. Leon H. Sullivan. “Although I have deliberately avoided making comprehensive plans for life after leaving the mayor’s office, I am excited about the opportunity to teach and learn from Temple students,” said Street.

As an adjunct professor of political science, Mayor Street will teach two sections of a course whose topics will include the challenges of improving and funding public schools; the development of such major capital projects as stadiums and convention centers; public support for the arts, tourism, and recreational facilities; the city’s role in assisting private businesses and developers in locating and financing capital projects; and the design and execution of comprehensive programs to reduce inner-city blight and transform commercial districts and residential neighborhoods. The course also will cover structural features of local government with a focus on Philadelphia.

In addition to teaching two classes in the political science department, Mayor Street will be available to meet with and speak to undergraduate and graduate students and faculty in other departments. He also will assist the university in attracting prominent speakers and supporting forums on issues relating to urban public policy.