ALUMNI PROFILE
Reconnecting Philadelphia to the Delaware River Waterfront
O
ver the past decade, Philadelphians have
Corporation reconstituted into the DRWC and
been able to experience several major new
expanded its focus on additional riverfront areas,
parks along the Delaware River, including
amounting to six miles of waterfront from Port
innovative spaces for recreation, the arts, dining, and
Richmond to South Philadelphia. “Every proposal
entertainment. These projects have been developed
had to pack so much into it that we couldn’t get any
by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
real momentum,” says Forkin. “By expanding that
(DRWC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
jurisdiction, it gave us a good start to think larger, more
overseen by Joe Forkin ’95. Forkin has spent nearly
diverse ideas, and to spread out the improvements.” By refocusing on smaller sites within those six miles, the DRWC created several waterfront park areas each with its unique character. Forkin explains, “In 2011, we built the Race Street Pier, which was the first public park that was built on the waterfront in over 15 years.” Other successful projects followed including the expanded Penn’s Landing Winterfest (beginning in 2013), Spruce Street Harbor Park (2014), and Cherry Street Pier (2017), in addition to several trails. The DRWC works closely with government entities, including the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as local communities that the projects are based in. Forkin reflects on his education at Holy Family MARIA YOUNG
ABOVE: Joe Forkin '95 speaks to CNN Travel at the Cherry Street Pier.
student became essential to his career. “I had a great experience at Holy Family,” he recalls. “I think of
organization, the Penn’s Landing Corporation, and
education as strategic thinking and decision making.
has served as President of DRWC since 2017.
For me, English and communications were a passion of mine, and critical thinking—how do you make
the DRWC in 1997 as Vice President, Operations
good, sound decisions, how do you receive data and
and Development. The Penn’s Landing Corporation
quickly convert that into a decision point that leads
concentrated on developing the two-mile area of
to success—was the experience I had.”
the Philadelphia waterfront that is well-known
FA L L 2 0 2 1
how the communications skills he developed as a
25 years working at DRWC and its predecessor
Forkin joined the predecessor organization for
26
University as an English major and points out
“The whole job is communications,” Forkin says
to Philadelphians. However, the area proved to
of his position as President of the DRWC. “Whether
be too small to house all the ambitious ideas that
you are speaking to an elected official like the Mayor
the organization had. In 2009, Penn's Landing
or a Senator or in a church basement to a community
