PHILADELPHIA— Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR), the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, & Sustainability (OTIS), and international design firm, Design Workshop, today announced the launch of the Reimagine the Benjamin Franklin Parkway planning effort. The process, in partnership with the Parkway Council, will last 12-18 months and will include working with the community on creating a world-class public realm plan for people-centric, permanent changes to dramatically improve the appeal, use, traffic safety, functionality, and beauty of the Parkway. In October 2021, Design Workshop was selected from 18 internationally renowned design teams to lead the project to design a more welcoming, pedestrian-friendly Parkway.

The public will be invited to provide feedback during each of four major phases and milestones. All phases of the planning process will include a combination of in-person and digital engagement opportunities. The purpose of the first engagement campaign taking place this summer is to share information about the project, and hear from the community about its vision for the Parkway.

How to get involved

• Take the first survey. 
  
  The public is encouraged to complete a survey, which launches today and will be open through August 15, 2022. The survey, available in 10 languages, will collect information about how the public uses the Parkway, and what improvements they would like along the mile of park and public roads that connect Logan Square with the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

• Visit The Oval XP on Saturday, June 18, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 
  
  Visitors to The Oval XP are invited to take part in an interactive design and planning event led by the Design Workshop. On Saturday, June 18 the public is invited to take part in inclusive activities designed to encourage people to share their preferences for the future of the Parkway: from transportation to amenities, programming, and attractions.

• Find us at Welcome America.
  
  For those who missed us at The Oval XP, visitors to Wawa Welcome America’s July 4th concert on the Parkway can find the design team back to meet the public and gather feedback on the future of the Parkway.

• Attend a public program at The Barnes Foundation 
  
  On the evening of June 21, the public is invited to attend a lecture and panel discussion with design and planning experts about the Parkway and other similar projects around the world that seek to develop sustainable, desirable, and inclusive cities. Philippe Chiamberetta, whose firm PCA Stream led the work to reimagine Paris’s Champs-Élysées, will speak and a panel of local and national public realm experts will follow. Members of the public can attend in person or participate via livestream. RSVP here.

• Ambassador Program 
  
  Throughout the process, local Ambassadors will gather resident feedback through canvassing door-to-door, community conversations, phone calls, and other activities.

• Stay connected through the project website.

In addition, the Design Workshop team will engage directly with nearby neighbors, stakeholders, those who do not currently visit the Parkway, program providers, and operations and maintenance teams who care for the Parkway for all its many public uses.

“Philadelphians are at the center of the work to create a vibrant and dynamic design for our iconic Benjamin Franklin Parkway,” said Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell. “We want to hear from residents and visitors as we make the Parkway more green, accessible, and inclusive. As we kick off the Oval XP on June 18th come let us know what you think.”

“The City is committed to creating a more people-centered and vibrant Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and that means revisiting how we balance traffic calming, circulation, and access to Center City on this ceremonial mile,” said Mike Carroll, Deputy Managing Director for Transportation. “Residents, institutions, neighbors, and commuters are all important stakeholders with considerable knowledge to share about how we create a safer, more welcoming Parkway.”

“We are thrilled to launch the Reimagine the Parkway planning process alongside Oval XP and the Greater and Greener Conference. Emerging out of the pandemic and other tragic events, these complementary programs allow us to contribute to the positive momentum they are creating by bringing the citizens of Philadelphia and experts from across the world together to celebrate valuable public spaces such as the Parkway, hear each other’s vision for these spaces and, more importantly, simply have fun!” said Emily McCoy, Principal at Design Workshop.

The first phase of the Parkway public engagement launch coincides with the 2022 Greater & Greener Conference, which focuses on how urban parks can be planned to meet the challenges facing 21st century cities and will be held in Philadelphia from June 18-22. A planning workshop session on June 21st, featuring Design Workshop, French architecture firm PCA Stream, and a diverse group of panelists, will be scheduled for conference participants to attend. 

“This project represents the next stage in a decade-long journey to right the balance between ‘park’ and ‘parkway,’” said Matt Rader, President, Parkway Council. “It will provide all Philadelphians the opportunity to take a fresh look at this iconic mile of our City. The Parkway Council and its members are proud to partner with the City and Design Workshop on this effort to make the Parkway a great urban park for all and look forward to working with residents and the City to build capacity to implement this plan.”

Working closely with PPR and OTIS and in partnership with the Parkway Council, the Reimagine the Parkway planning team led by Design Workshop is supported by the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University. The project is made possible by a grant from the William Penn Foundation.

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About Reimagine the Parkway planning effort 

New green spaces 

• Created the Winter Street Greenway, currently in progress, which includes a new playscape, play equipment, dog run, and site amenities;

• Constructed Maja Park to create additional opportunities for passive recreation through new walkways, seating areas, performance plaza and installation of the iconic Maja sculpture by artist Gerhard Marcks to enliven the previously underutilized Southern side of the Parkway in front of Park Towne Place Residences in partnership with The Association for Public Art (aPA) and Aimco;

• Upgraded the playground with a new sprayground and improved the fields and perimeter of Von Colln Field.

New traffic calming measures

• Added soft rumbles, which are raised rumble strips that discourage speeding.

• Improved pavement markings to create more buffered areas that people should not drive, ride, or walk within;

• Added more directional indications like arrows and messaging painted directly onto the road surface;

• Installed flexible delineator posts at key locations which help keep users in their lanes and help to slow excessive speeding and erratic lane changes;

• Added more conflict pavement markings indicating where one can expect cars and bikes crossing paths; and

• Increased the number of pedestrian crosswalks indicating the best locations for pedestrians to navigate around and over the Oval and Circle.

New programs and activations

• Oval+ Pop Up Activations: Six week summer activations at the Eakins Oval attracted over 700,000 visitors in the first seven years (2013 – 2019).

• The 2019 season at The Oval+ featured expanded public amenities and programming along the Parkway’s outer lanes via themed blocks informed by resident feedback and inspired by adjacent cultural institutions. More than 40% of visitors to the seasonal pop up said they wanted to see more family related activities at The Oval and along the Parkway.

• In April 2021, with support from the William Penn Foundation, The Mayor’s Fund for Philadelphia, PPR, and OTIS posted a request for proposals seeking qualified professional firms specializing in urban park design and/or landscape architecture and engineering to develop a world class public realm plan to realize permanent improvements to the Parkway.

• In October 2021, The City selected the Design Workshop’s team of international public realm experts to lead an 18 month design and planning process to produce a transportation and design plan to develop a more vibrant, pedestrian-friendly Parkway.

• This month, the Oval XP returns to the Parkway, a free, summer-long public activation with free concerts, games, and art for residents and visitors of all ages. Learn more at www.ovalPHL.org.

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Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) advances the prosperity of the city and the progress of its people through intentional and sustained stewardship of nearly 10,200 acres of public land and waterways as well as through hundreds of safe, stimulating recreation, environmental and cultural centers. PPR promotes the well-being and growth of the city’s residents by connecting them to the natural world around them, to each other and to fun, physical and social opportunities. PPR is responsible for the upkeep of historically significant Philadelphia events and specialty venues, and works collaboratively with communities and organizations in leading capital projects and the introduction of inventive programming. To learn more about Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, visit us at www.phila.gov/parksandrec, and follow @philaparkandrec on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

The Office of Infrastructure, Sustainability and Transportation (OTIS) drives change through Philadelphia’s transportation and infrastructure systems. OTIS works to improve mobility, safety, and access for all who use the City’s streets and roadways. OTIS also works with local and national organizations to advance the City’s interests. Through policies and programs, OTIS provides cost-effective, quality services with a focus on residents. To learn more about the Office of Infrastructure, Sustainability and Transportation (OTIS), visit us at www.phila.gov/otis  and follow @phillyOTIS on Twitter, and @philaotis on Instagram and Facebook.

Design Workshop Founded in 1969, Design Workshop is an internationally renowned design firm specializing in landscape architecture, urban planning and strategic services with eight studios in the U.S. and projects spanning the globe. Our work focuses on the intersection of art, community, environment and economics to increase social equity and create places of meaning and resonance. For additional information visit us at www.designworkshop.com and follow @designworkshop on LinkedIn and Instagram.

The Parkway Council is a coalition of cultural and educational institutions, residences, and businesses along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Council works to accelerate the transformation of the Parkway into a great urban park filled with exceptional institutions, inviting gardens, active public spaces, and dynamic programming that welcomes and engages everyone. To learn more, visit www.parkwaycouncil.org and follow @pkwycouncilphl on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.