URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK FOR THE PARKWAY
Philadelphia, PA
Urban Partners participated on a team retained by the Center City District to develop an urban design framwork for Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Parkway is home to many of the City’s premier cultural and civic institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum, the Franklin Institute, The Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Free Library of Philadelphia. However, due to the width of the roadway and its significant
vehicular traffic, the large and unprogrammed open spaces and the lack of other pedestrian amenities, the Parkway had remained largely devoid of pedestrian activity.
Urban Partners’ role in this project involved an assessment of potential residential and commercial uses that might occur on or near the Parkway to complement area institutions and bring greater life to the area. We also assessed parking needs related to existing and potential Parkway uses and explored the impact of large Parkway events onthe Parkway’s institutional uses. Additionally, we prepared a full economic impact analysis of the existing Parkway uses to highlight their significant contribution to the greater Philadelphia economy.
