Phoenix to honor 'Sesame Street' co-creator with ceremonial street sign

Phoenix plans to honor Joan Ganz Cooney, the Arizona-born co-creator of Sesame Street, with a ceremonial street sign, extending the city’s tradition of recognizing people whose work has had a lasting cultural impact. Cooney’s connection to Arizona and her role in building one of the most influential children’s programs in television history make the tribute notable for both local and national audiences.

The sign would be a ceremonial installation, not a change to an official street name or address. Phoenix uses these signs to recognize people, organizations and landmarks with cultural or community significance, placing them alongside existing street signage at selected intersections. The city has also used ceremonial street signs in recent years to honor other well-known Arizona figures and community institutions.

Cooney co-founded Children’s Television Workshop in 1968, later renamed Sesame Workshop, and served as its president and chief executive officer until 1990, according to Sesame Workshop. The organization says Sesame Street debuted in 1969 and became the first preschool program to blend education and entertainment with a multicultural cast. Phoenix Public Library has also highlighted Cooney as “Arizona’s own” in programming tied to Sesame Street.

A tribute tied to Phoenix’s ceremonial-sign program

Phoenix’s ceremonial street sign program is designed to supplement existing street name signs rather than rename streets. City procedure documents say the signs are intended for people, organizations or events with significant cultural, historical or community value. Ceremonial street signs have been used for local and regional honorees, including the Wallace and Ladmo Way sign unveiled in Phoenix in 2025.

The city has not publicly detailed the exact intersection, unveiling date or participating officials for the Cooney tribute in the material reviewed. Those details were not immediately available. Even so, the planned sign aligns with a broader pattern in Phoenix of marking figures who are closely identified with Arizona history and civic life.

For Phoenix, the recognition also offers another public reminder of Cooney’s ties to the state. ASU has previously noted that she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, and city library programming has pointed to her Arizona roots while celebrating the legacy of Sesame Street. The ceremonial sign would place that connection into the city’s streetscape in a visible way.