Reconnecting Communities: Vine Street Corridor

RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES

VINE STREET CORRIDOR

CPLN 7600 Urban Design Capstone Studio Spring 2023

STUDIO BACKGROUND

WHO WE ARE

RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES PILOT PROGRAM

Our studio prompt takes inspiration from the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, which is a federal program that strives to reconnect communities previously cut off from economic opportunities due to transportation infrastructure.

Philadelphia is one of 45 cities that have been awarded planning and capital construction grants through this program. Through this studio, we had the opportunity to meet with people who provided insight into the process and philosophy behind it.

Source: Mark Henniger, Imagic Digital

STUDIO TIMELINE

THE CORRIDOR PLAN

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

VINE STREET

Image: Jacques Gréber (1919); Fairmount Parkway Association (1907); Historical Society of Pennsylvania (1936)

Source: Thomas Holme, “A Portraiture of the City of Philadelphia” (1962)

As early as 1682, William Penn and Thomas Holme envision Vine Street as a 50-foot right-of-way and the city’s northern boundary.

Source: Historical Society of Pennsylvania (1936); Aero Service Corp (1924)

In 1918, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway officially opens to traffic on the west side, and eight years later, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge is completed on the east side.

Source: Fred R. Twers (1951); Office of the City Representative (1961)

In 1951, the Vine Street roadway is expanded to ten lanes, and by 1960, the first section of the Vine Street Expressway opens from the Schuylkill Expressway to 17th Street.

Source: Robert Halvey (1973); @segregation_by_design

In 1966, plans for Vine Street Expressway expansion are unveiled, receiving community backlash. Ultimately, a modified version of the highway is constructed, saving the Holy Redeemer Church.

WHO LIVES HERE TODAY?

Source: 2010 - 2020 US Decennial Census

POPULATION & RACE

Population along the Corridor has seen an increase in the past ten years, but demographic share has remained largely the same.

19,099 commute in

272 work here

4,804 commute out

INFLOW / OUTFLOW

Despite the high volume of movement in and out of the Corridor, most people who work near Vine Street do not live in the area.

EMPLOYMENT DESTINATIONS

61.8% of residents are employed outside of the Vine Street Corridor area.

Source: 2019 OnTheMap

Residents of Corridor

Job Destination (Within Corridor)

Job Destination (Outside Corridor)

POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT SITES

There are many opportunities adjacent to the Vine Street Expressway to redevelop existing parking lots and consolidate existing building uses.

Parking lots

Vacant buildings

Existing building uses that could be relocated

Permitted/under construction developments

There is a disproportionate impact of poverty along certain areas of the Corridor, such as Chinatown.

NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY

The Corridor is home to multiple unique neighborhoods that are supported by associations and community groups that are pivotal in shaping the identity of the area.

Source: Rachel Warriner - whyy.org

Source: Curbed Philly

THE FUTURE OF THE VINE STREET EXPRESSWAY

As the City plans for new ways to reconnect neighborhoods like Chinatown that have been impacted by the Expressway, our studio has the opportunity to envision a radically different Vine Street Corridor and propose thought-provoking alternatives beyond what is possible through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program.

Source: Pennoni

THE VISION HIGHWAY TO BOULEVARD

STRATEGIES & GOALS

Restored grid connections

Community-driven public-private partnerships

Enhanced cultural artery

Contextual and interactive experiences

Comfortable multimodal streetscapes

Celebration of cultural and historical diversity

Resilient and accessible community health

EXISTING CONDITIONS

The map above shows the study area for the Corridor Plan, stretching from Hamilton Street to Cherry Street and from the Schuylkill River to the Delaware River.

MASTERPLAN

The Highway to Boulevard vision for the Corridor mends the rift created by the Expressway by recentering open space and development onto Vine Street and improving multimodal connections.

BUILDING THE PLAN

How did we get here?

EXISTING CONDITIONS

We first identified existing park, street, and development constraints surrounding the Vine Street Expressway.

NEW STREETS & BLOCKS

The next step was to reconnect the grid and provide a new boulevard in the footprint of the former Expressway.

NEW OPEN SPACE

New plazas and parks are layered on top of the restored grid and are distributed along the Corridor.

NEW BUILDINGS

Finally, new buildings are brought onto the new development areas, resulting in a radically different Vine Street Corridor.

THE SYSTEMS

1. STREET NETWORK

2. MULTIMODAL NETWORK

3. GREEN NETWORK

STREET NETWORK

Restores lost grid connections and redistributes traffic throughout the Corridor, reducing the need for the existing high-capacity Expressway

PEDESTRIAN CONDITIONS

The existing conditions around the Vine Street Expressway are very unwelcome to pedestrians who often have to navigate busy intersections and dark underpasses.

Source: Public Realm Studio

Source: Public Realm Studio

Source: Public Realm Studio

HIGH-INJURY NETWORK

Thirteen roads within the Corridor are part of the High-Injury Network (the 12% of Philadelphia’s roads where 80% of traffic deaths and serious injuries occur).

DAILY TRAFFIC VOLUME

Large traffic volumes that flow through the Corridor are some of the main contributors to these unsafe conditions.

EXISTING CITY GRID

Philadelphia has a strong grid network of streets, but the Expressway interrupts many of the north-south connections.

Existing City Grid

VINE STREET/CALLOWHILL STREET CORRIDOR

The Highway to Boulevard proposal restores the grid through a new Vine Street/ Callowhill Street connector and distributes traffic through other east-west connections.

New Corridor Secondary Streets

VINE STREET SECTION - BEFORE

The current Expressway creates a large chasm in the urban fabric, and this division is further exacerbated by the wide frontage roads.

Former Expressway

VINE STREET SECTION - AFTER

With a significantly narrowed roadway, the Corridor can gain an entire new block of publicly-owned land that can spur economic development and provide opportunities to create affordable housing.

New Development Block

VINE STREET SECTION - AFTER

The proposed plan also takes advantage of the depressed area by introducing a new underground trolley and parking garage.

VINE STREET SECTION - AFTER

The new roadway will consist of two travel lanes and a bike lane in each direction, providing space for pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and drivers to create a multimodal corridor.

WEST TRAFFIC DISTRIBUTION

Split Vine Street off of I-76 to reduce crossing distances for pedestrians and increase north-south access

Roundabout to simplify complex intersection at 21st Street and Vine Street

Modify I-76 interchange between Vine Street and JFK Boulevard to distribute traffic volumes into Center City

EAST TRAFFIC DISTRIBUTION

Redesign of I-95 on/off-ramps at Callowhill Street

Realign Benjamin Franklin Bridge access points to Vine, Race, 5th, and 6th Streets and egress points at 4th, 5th, and 6th Streets

Roundabout at 6th Street and Callowhill to absorb traffic from the Bridge and I-95

Use existing grid connections to distribute traffic volumes within Center City and Delaware Avenue/South Christopher Columbus Boulevard to access the I-95 interchanges within 1.5 miles to the north and south

MULTIMODAL NETWORK

Encourages a shift away from cars towards transit by enhancing mobility along the Corridor through rail, bus, and bike networks

2505001000

RAIL NETWORK - EXISTING

The existing rail network concentrates along Market Street and Broad Street with limited east-west rail connections.

Rail Lines

Stations

5-Minute Walkshed

RAIL NETWORK - PROPOSED

New trolley routes will fill in these some of theses gaps, continuing Philadelphia’s long and unique history of trolley lines.

2505001000 N

The first route will connect over to West Philadelphia north of Market Street and up to Girard Avenue, linking up to an existing trolley route.

Route #1

RAIL NETWORK - PROPOSED

The second route will provide new connections northwest to Strawberry Mansion and south to the Navy Yard.

Route #2

2505001000 N

The third route will run along Delaware Avenue/Columbus Boulevard, serving different waterfront destinations.

Route #3

RAIL NETWORK - REGIONAL

The existing regional rail network covers a lot of Philadelphia, but there are still gaps in coverage, especially in South Philadelphia, away from the BSL.

Market-Frankford Line (MFL)

Broad Street Line (BSL)

Trolley Lines

Regional Rail Lines

PATCO Line

WESTPHILADELPHIA

RAIL NETWORK - REGIONAL

The new trolley line will fill in some of those gaps while also linking back into existing routes.

Market-Frankford Line (MFL)

Broad Street Line (BSL)

Trolley Lines

Regional Rail Lines

PATCO Line

BUS NETWORK - EXISTING

Many Philadelphians rely on the bus network for their daily commutes, but east-west routes are lacking within the Corridor.

BUS NETWORK - PROPOSED

With the removal of the Expressway, the only east-west routes that run along Vine Street will have disrupted service at 20th Street and at the I-95 interchange.

2505001000

BUS NETWORK - PROPOSED

The new bus network proposes two routes within the corridor to remedy those existing route deviations and provide additional bus coverage.

Vine St Corridor Line

Vine St Circulator

2505001000

BIKE NETWORK - EXISTING

The existing bike network is scattered and provides few separated bike facilities.

Existing Sharrow

Existing Separated

Existing Conventional

Existing Paint Buffered

2505001000 0

BIKE NETWORK - PROPOSED

New separated bike lanes will be provided along Vine Street, as well as other new east-west bike facilities.

New Sharrow

Existing Sharrow

Existing Separated

New Separated

Existing Conventional

Existing Paint Buffered

GREEN NETWORK

Provides new destinations along the Corridor with enhanced pedestrian connections between them

GREEN NETWORK - EXISTING

Some areas along the Corridor, including Chinatown, have less access to park space.

Greater than a 5-minute walk to parks

GREEN NETWORK - PROPOSED

The proposed green network focuses on filling in those gaps and creating a comprehensive network of green space across the Corridor.

GREEN NETWORK - PROPOSED

Formal parks will create nodes of green space, which will be connected together by major green streets with enhanced stormwater management.

New Parks & Major Green Streets

GREEN NETWORK - PROPOSED

Resilient green grid connections will strengthen the network, largely along north-south streets, with smaller connections through pedestrian walkways.

New Parks & Major Green Streets

Resilient Green Grid Connections

CORRIDOR BY THE NUMBERS

DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES RESIDENTIAL

16,700

TOTAL UNITS

2,830,000 RETAIL SF

6,100

AFFORDABLE UNITS

5,550,000 OFFICE SF

44 PARK ACRES

8,300

PUBLIC PARKING SPACES

4 MUSEUMS

62 ART GALLERIES / STUDIO SPACES

10

COMMUNITY CENTERS

2 SCHOOLS

DIVIDING THE CORRIDOR

CULTURAL DISTRICTS

Our studio identified five key cultural districts along the Corridor, based on land use, density, architectural character, and community landmarks.

PARKWAY CHINATOWN FRANKLIN EAST ARTS NORTH

CULTURAL DISTRICTS

However, the boundaries of these districts are blended and blurred with features of each district connecting to and interacting with each other.

INDIVIDUAL AREA PLANS

Like puzzle pieces, we split the five districts into smaller area plans that deal with neighborhood-scale development and interventions.

MUSEUM SOUTH

INDIVIDUAL AREA PLANS

INDIVIDUAL AREA PLANS

MUSEUM SOUTH COMMUNITY PLAN

Changhao (Chauncy) Li

Museum South, which covers 2.4 million ft², is situated on the west side of the entrance to our CORRIDOR.

TIMELINE

Benjamin Franklin Pkwy officially opened in 1918 as one of the region’s first major thoroughfares. The construction of Vine St Expressway in the 1960s played a key role in the growth of Philadelphia. However, the presence of the Vine St Expressway tunnel made walking between Center City and the Museum Area difficult.

1682

1951

In the early 2000s, the tunnel began experiencing recurring flooding incidents during heavy rain, with the most severe occurring in 2011 and 2021. Despite these challenges, the Vine St Expressway remains an essential transportation artery, and efforts are ongoing to address the flooding issues and ensure its continued safe operation.

1918

1960

William Penn and Thomas Holme envision Vine Street as a 50-foot right-of-way and the citys northern boundary

The Fairmount Parkway, known today as the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, officially opens to traffic.

The first section of the Vine Street Expressway opens from the Schuylkill Expressway to 17th Street.

The Vine Street roadway is expanded to ten lanes, in anticipation of the expressway linking the Schuylkill Expressway to I-95.

The remnants of Hurricane Ida in 2021 caused historic flooding in the Philadelphia region.

2021

TRAFFIC

• Today, Benjamin Franklin Pkwy and Vine St are two of the busiest streets in the region, with a high volume of daily traffic. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Traffic Volume Maps, Benjamin Franklin Pkwy has an average daily trip count of 16,000, while Vine St sees around 133,000 daily trips.

• In addition to these major thoroughfares, the nearby I-76 highway also sees a significant volume of daily traffic, with an average daily trip count of 135,000. These roads play a crucial role in connecting Philadelphia with other parts of the region, as well as supporting local commerce and transportation needs.

Amtrak Station City Hall

Philadelphia Museum of Art Vine

Benjamin Franklin Pkwy

WHO’S AROUND

The site is situated south of Center City and west of University City, making it an attractive location for community development.

WHO’S AROUND

Source: opendataphilly.org

Source: opendataphilly.org

Looking towards the future, the development of mixed-use apartments on the site could be a key draw for both the residential areas to the north and the waterfront communities, providing much-needed housing options and contributing to the overall livability and vitality of the area.

THE PLAN

RE-ENGAGE

Human-Scale Motorized Vehicle Network

ECOLOGICAL

Rain Garden Corridors Leading to the Riverwalk

DEVELOPMENT

Vibrant Riverfront Residential Area with Green and Active Spaces

FRAMEWORK

RE-ENGAGE

NEIGHBORHOOD REDEVELOPMENT

• Under the corridor project, it is crucial to improve the pedestrian-friendliness of the Museum Area and Center City. To achieve this, filling in the I-676 tunnel and redeveloping the street-level community is essential. This effort not only helps to improve the area’s flood resilience but also changes the street environment and experience in Museum South.

EFFICIENT NETWORK

• Under the corridor project, the new transportation infrastructure prioritizes pedestrian-friendliness and ecological resilience over traffic capacity compared to the previous tunnel. Therefore, strategies are being implemented to improve traffic efficiency, such as converting two-way streets to one-way streets

• In addition, a new roundabout is being designed on the east side of the area to converge traffic, improving the flow of vehicles while also creating a safer environment for pedestrians and bicyclists.

CALDER GARDENS

RE-ENGAGE

EFFICIENT

New museum dedicated to the work of sculptor Alexander Calder.

Pavilion and Bridge re-engage the museum area and corridor

The Roundabout will connect traffic from Vine St and Ben Franklin Parkway

PUBLIC TRANSIT CENTER

• Under the corridor project, the underground trolley system will be brought to the surface at 21st Street via a street-level transit building. Additionally, the trolley rapid traffic line and bus transit network from 22nd to 20th Streets will be improved to reduce traffic congestion, enhance urban accessibility, lower tailpipe emissions and air pollution, protect the city environment and residents’ health, and promote social equity.

T

B B

B B B B

T Bus Station Trolley Station Trolley Line

B

RECREATION

Comfortable atmosphere & Wellequipped facilities

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Trolley & Bus Rapid Transit Network

ECOLOGICAL

CONNECTING

• To improve ecological resilience and enhance the community environment, Museum South will be connected by a green corridor along Winter St, 21st St, and Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. Additionally, there will be an open plaza in front of Calder Garden for community residents and visitors to enjoy.

• These green spaces will help to reduce stormwater runoff. The open plaza will also serve as a gathering space for community events, enhancing the vibrancy and social cohesion of the area.

TRAILHEAD

Supports Riverwalk

WALKABLE

The pedestrian network leads to the Riverwalk

SEPARATING CYCLING AND VEHICLES

• In addition, the green corridor will include bike lanes that will not only enhance bicycle safety, but also reduce stormwater runoff. The sustainable and safe bike network will enhance Philadelphia’s low-carbon transportation experience and promote a healthier and more active lifestyle for all residents.

Bike Line

SAFETY

Bike Lane Separated from the vehicle road by a rain garden.

SUSTAINABILITY

Corridor with rain garden.

DEVELOPMENT

COMMERCIAL

• The community will feature a Retail & Entertainment complex spanning 172,000 square feet. The environment of the community will be engaging, walkable, inclusive, and vibrant, creating a welcoming and lively atmosphere for residents and visitors alike.

• This development will not only create new economic opportunities for the area but also enhance the overall vibrancy and sense of community in Museum South.

PARKING

• The newly developed parking facilities will include 600 spaces, including public parking and street parking. These parking options will help to improve accessibility and convenience for residents and visitors, while also reducing the reliance on private vehicles and promoting sustainable transportation options.

RESIDENTIAL

The newly developed apartment complex will feature 480 units, including 50 affordable housing units. This development will not only create new housing opportunities for residents but also promote affordability and social equity in Museum South.

The corridor project aims to create a more sustainable, walkable, and inclusive community that benefits all residents. By prioritizing green infrastructure, sustainable transportation, and community engagement, the project seeks to promote economic opportunities, reduce housing insecurity, and create a more vibrant and resilient community. With a mix of market-rate and affordable housing options, as well as new retail and entertainment opportunities, the project aims to create a more diverse and accessible community that reflects the needs and aspirations of all residents.

TRAILHEAD SECTION

• Corridor Entrance

• Traffic Diversion

• Accessible

• Engaging

• Inviting

Sidewalk and Open space

Bike Lane

Vehicle Lane

Green Space

NEIGHBORHOOD SECTION

• Sustainable • Engaging

• Walkable • Inclusive • Vibrant

Sidewalk and Open space

Bike Lane

Vehicle Lane

Green Space

LOGAN FAIR AND SQUARE

A LOGAN SQUARE ENJOYED BY EVERYONE

Jie Li and Yan Wang

LOGAN CIRCLE & RACE ST

NOW

Monumental + auto-driven

Around Logan Circle are primarily institutional uses. Large spaces for automobiles have fragmented the blocks for development and activities, and makes the environment more hostile to pedestrians.

THREE BIG IDEAS

#1 Solve Circulation

#2 Make Space#3 Make Community

by reinforcing the grid enjoyed by everyone housing, commerce, and more

#1 SOLVE CIRCULATION

CURRENT

Problematic intersection once Vine St Expressway brought to the grade

The current circulation system prioritizes automobile traffic, fragmenting blocks and creating difficult intersections.

USE THE GRID

Spread tra c into city grid

We devised a traffic circle to diffuse traffic into the grid, effectively stopping automobile traffic of the Parkway at 21st St

Vine

PUBLIC SPACE RECLAIMED

Unchanged

Circular creative crossing

Civic

Improved crossing

Commercial

Public space

Green space

Bike Path

Running Path

Vine St

Vine

Race Cherry

PUBLIC SPACE DEVELOPED

Unchanged

Circular creative crossing

Civic

Improved crossing

Commercial

Public space

Green space

Bike Path

Running Path

Vine St

#2 MAKE SPACE

SOUTHEAST OF LOGAN SQUARE

Running path

City Hall

Residential development

Bike path

Public space

Sculpture

REMAKE LOGAN

3. “Bubble” programming4. Voilà

Lawn

Shops Sport

REMAKE LOGAN

Bubbles

Ecological

Bubbles

FamilyOriented

Bubbles

REMAKE LOGAN

Water

Public space

Green space

Bike Path

Running Path

Family-Oriented “Bubbles”

Commercial Service “Bubbles”

Ecological “Bubbles”

Trolley Entrance

SOUTHWEST LOGAN SQUARE

Family-oriented programs

Logan Square statue & pond

Skate park

Storm management

Race Street

NORTHEAST LOGAN SQUARE

Commercial Pavilions Public space

#3 MAKE COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Parcels reclaimed from the circulation reshuffle provide opportunities for commercial and residential development

Already proposed Our proposal

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Commercial spaces in proximity to City Hall and alongside nice public space will be an economic driver

~300k sf Commercial

~300k sf Flex

~750 Parking spaces

ADDED HOUSING

1,720 housing units are added to Philadelphia’s housing stock, in which 30% can be for affordable housing

~1,720 units

BROAD & VINE REIMAGINING DOWNTOWN LIVING

Helen Lea and Kylee Pierce

The Broad & Vine site is an area of transition between Logan Square and the Convention Center district.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

There are many anchors and institutions within the neighborhood, covering a range of different uses for different ages.

ANCHORS & INSTITUTIONS

Community College of Philadelphia

School District of Philadelphia

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

Friends Center

VINE ST

HAMILTON ST

CHERRY ST

BROAD ST 18TH ST

Fountain View Senior Living

WHO LIVES HERE?

WHO LIVES HERE?

Total Population: 4,782

LIVING ALONE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

54%

$73,970

37%

$49,127

The area south of Vine Street includes many highrise buildings, matching the core Center City density, as well as some mid-rise buildings and scattered parking lots.

BROADSTREET

EXISTING TYPOLOGIES - SOUTH OF VINE

VINESTREET

VINESTREET BROADSTREET

North of Vine Street includes more midrise buildings and the on- and off-ramps to the Expressway. Overall, the site lacks a cohesive neighborhood identity, which poses a unique opportunity to reimagine what downtown living could look like for Philadelphia.

EXISTING TYPOLOGIES - NORTH OF VINE

BROAD

ARTS ON BROAD STREET

Arts Venue VINE ST N

This project aims to take advantage of the existing arts and culture in the city and extend the Avenue of the Arts north of Market Street, with PAFA as a main arts anchor institution.

There are several opportunity sites within the neighborhood, which can be split into publiclyowned and privately-owned.

Publicly-owned parcels include areas where the expressway is currently located and a parking garage owned by PennDOT.

Privately-owned parcels are underutilized sites that could be redeveloped as a result of development on the publiclyowned sites.

OPPORTUNITY SITES

HAMILTON ST

BROAD ST

18TH ST

Together, the publicly and privately-owned parcels result in a large contiguous area of potential redevelopment that can redefine the neighborhood and create a new identity for it.

OPPORTUNITY SITES

Contiguous Opportunity Sites

HAMILTON ST

CHERRY ST

BROAD ST

18TH ST

STATE STREET, CHICAGO

Based on this analysis, we started to develop an idea of what the Broad and Vine area has the potential to become. Along with the need for housing, community development, and multimodal connections, this is the first point along the corridor as we move east where the potential of Vine Street as a high-volume commercial corridor can be realized.

Looking at precedents like State Street in Chicago, we thought about how to bring arts, transportation, and community into one cohesive plan, leading us to our guiding vision.

Image: Chicago Loop Alliance

CONCEPT & GOALS

Broad + Vine is an intergenerational community that bridges across income and age to foster connections from people to people and from people to place.

GOALS

Affordability Accessibility Health Sustainability Arts & Culture

Use the abundance of public land to create development that caters to a wider range of household types and incomes.

Use transit and walkable street typologies to promote connectivity within and beyond the Broad and Vine neighborhood.

Minimize environmental health disparities, such as the historic impact of the Vine Street Expressway on pollution, traffic safety, and flooding.

Develop resilient environmental, economic, and social systems that support the neighborhood today and carry it through the long-term.

Rebrand the area and connect it to other cultural hubs of Philly, such as Logan Square, Chinatown, and Avenue of the Arts, to create a vibrant destination.

SITE PLAN

Developable area

This plan features high value infill, new park space, and enhanced walkability, all coming together to create a neighborhood that caters to a wide range of Philadelphians.

Logan Square

Rail Park

Pennsylvania Convention Center

ZONES

This area begins the transition from the institutional character of Logan Square and the museum district into a high-density commercial corridor.

TRANSITION

Mixed-use buildings

ZONES

Apartments

Wood Street Park

This second zone is where most of the publicly owned land is located, and thus is a hotspot for new housing. There are a variety of typologies, which helps blend into the existing urban fabric and pedestrian walkways connect the blocks from north to south.

RESIDENTIAL CORE

Rowhouses

Apartments

Trolley Station

Mixed-use

Mixed-use

Apartments

Neighborhood-serving retail

Residential courtyards

Cafes

ZONES

The final zone focuses on transitioning from a quieter residential core to the important Broad Street frontage on the east side of the area. Building on the anchor of PAFA in the southeast, this is where most of the arts and culture uses are located. A new museum at Broad and Vine provides a “stepping stone” from the rich culture of Chinatown to the major museums of Logan Square and the parkway.

Logan Square

Rail Park

Pennsylvania Convention Center

ARTS CAMPUS Museum

PAFA Campus Extensions and “Plaza in the Round”

Artist Live-Work and outdoor gallery

PAFA

Mixed-use Student housing

Trolley Station

Flex-use stage

360-degree screens

Built-in seating

HOUSING TYPOLOGIES

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL ARTIST STUDIO

Because the neighborhood has a range of scales, several housing typologies are used to complement these existing scales and architectural character.

PROGRAMMING & DENSITY

BROADSTREET

Higher densities and mixed uses concentrate along Vine Street, with a new museum to anchor the Broad & Vine intersection.

SITE SECTION

Building densities ramp up to Vine Street and then step back down as you move north and south to complement existing building heights.

MOBILITY HIERARCHY

Boulevard

Secondary Multimodal Service

Neighborhood

Pedestrian

The Mobility Hierarchy includes five levels of streets that have different widths and lane configurations to provide appropriate space for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders.

Logan Square

Rail Park

Pennsylvania Convention Center

BOULEVARD

For the high-capacity boulevard of Vine Street, a new underground trolley line will work together with bus routes and bike lanes above it to create a multimodal network. The new trolley station will provide an opportunity for neighborhood branding that indicates a sense of arrival.

SECONDARY MULTIMODAL

Secondary multimodal streets accommodate bus, bikes, and personal cars while providing a pleasant experience for pedestrians with wide sidewalks and increased greenery.

SERVICE

Service streets provide loading access for the new buildings with a more pleasant pedestrian experience than a typical service alley.

20’

Flexible Sidewalk/ Loading Zone

12’ 8’ 12’ Roadway 20’

Flexible Sidewalk/ Loading Zone

NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighborhood streets are typically a smaller scale with multiple rowhouses and provide a more intimate setting for residents.

PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY

Pedestrian walkways occur between buildings and increase north-south connectivity, bringing back a Philadelphia scale into the new large development blocks.

40’

Pedestrian Walkway

GREEN SPACE NETWORK

Green Space

Trolley/Subway Stop

Pedestrian Connections

The green space network is an important part of making Broad and Vine accessible, healthy, and sustainable. The small courtyards and plazas connect to the assets of Logan Square and the Rail Park on either side of the neighborhood.

LOGAN SQUARE

RAIL PARK

WOOD STREET PARK

Pennsylvania Convention Center

WOOD STREET PARK

The new Wood Street park is the keystone of the green network in the Broad and Vine Area. It is located where these onand off-ramps exist today, but with the removal of the Vine Street Expressway, they will no longer be needed.

WOOD STREET PARK

The northern half of the ramps site can be redesigned into a neighborhood park, as there are buildings on all four sides of the block.

To support intergenerational living, the park features flexible outdoor spaces that can be used as classrooms for school field trips or arts performances, recreation space, or venues for community gatherings. The park also utilizes the depressed landform to serve as a detention basin for stormwater runoff.

Amphitheater

Boardwalk

Outdoor classroom

Stage

Flex-use Lawn

TANNER SPRINGS PARK, PORTLAND

Tanner Springs Park in Portland can serve as a precedent for this design, as it handles significant grade change in creative ways and allows space for recreation and stormwater management.

Image: gardenvisit.com

Image: Portland Parks Foundation

STORM WATER MANAGEMENT

Each of the new parks, plazas, and courtyards would be designed to maximize permeability through landscape beds and permeable pavers. Each of these spaces acts like a sponge, diverting some of the runoff that flows towards Vine Street.

Permeable Area

Logan Square

Rail Park

Pennsylvania Convention Center

DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES

The Broad and Vine plan proposes a significant amount new housing, representing a 75% increase compared to the current housing stock.

2,325

The plan provides a large number of affordable units as well, to ensure that people of all incomes have access to these new amenities and transit connections.

965

680

680

DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES

The new housing is supported by new commercial, arts, and park spaces. This helps the area meet the goal of economic sustainability. Since a lot of these new spaces are on public land, there is also the opportunity to creates equitable access to office space for small businesses, startups, and artists.

TOTAL SF

RETAIL SF

TOTAL ACREAGE

OFFICE SF

870,000

390,000

860,000

ECONOMIC IMPACT ESTIMATES

TOTAL = 4,860 NEW JOBS

Based on a net square foot per worker formula, the site will be able to accommodate almost 5,000 new jobs. This creates the potential for more people to live and work in the area, and overall creates a great economic stimulus for Center City.

3,440 OFFICE JOBS*

A place for people to thrive...

...full of new opportunities...

...celebrating the arts

RESHAPING THE RAIL PARK

Makayla Davis

LOCATION

Centrally located along the Vine Street Corridor, the Rail Park neighborhood stretches from Noble Street in the north to Arch Street in the south and from Broad Street on the west side to 11th Street on the east side.

Source: High Line Network

KEY ANCHORS

Source: Hoang An Tran, Visit Philadelphia

Source: Tutor Perini Affiliates

The neighborhood surrounding the Rail Park has a range of community anchors that bring a lively cultural presence to visitors and existing residents alike. With key institutions like Asian Arts Initiative and the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the area’s existing assets create a prime opportunity to enhance its cultural presence.

WHY REDESIGN THE RAIL PARK?

Historically, Chinatown has faced adversities as a result of the imposition of unchecked development in an around the neighborhood, driving displacement. Today, the neighborhood still faces these challenges, as it remains physically divided, and the proposed 76ers arena threatens the existing population. Given the historical presence of this area along the corridor, this project presents a great opportunity to reimagine the way that development like the Rail Park can serve the existing population while bringing in new visitors.

KEY ISSUES TO ADDRESS

Neighborhood Continuity

Accessibility

Parking Lots

Taking the neighborhood’s location, cultural assets, and history into account, this proposal focuses on neighborhood continuity, asset accessibility, and programming the undeveloped spaces that are currently used as parking lots.

GOALS & STRATEGIES

Increase accessibility

Create community conscious development

Bridge Center City north of Vine

This project’s design strategies are centered around shifting the Rail Park into a more useable, accessible space. In order to better serve the Chinatown community, this project creates community conscious development that extends the Center City district further north.

Blend Arts & Culture Corridor with Chinatown

North - South Connections

Mixed Use Hubs and Programmed

Outdoor Space

By pulling visitors into programmed spaces further north, the Vine Street can evolve into a continuous connector that makes the neighborhood feel pedestrian-friendly.

Reshaping the Rail Park aims to unify the neighborhood’s identities by bridging uses north and south of Vine and building more accessible, pedestrian-oriented neighborhood amenities that serve both visitors and the existing community.

SITE PLAN & PRECEDENTS

The site plan removes the undeveloped portion of the Rail Park viaduct and opens up the southern part for programmable park space, effectively scaling down the Rail Park. The plan blends a range of scales for each element, creating hubs for commercial and mixed use spaces and designed outdoor spaces. Traffic is intentionally slowed at key locations and shifted to “shared streets” to create a pedestrianfriendly neighborhoods that connects to the underground trolley line.

Seasonal Park Programming (Source: Dilworth Park, OLIN)

Doyers Seasonal Street

(Source: NYC DOT)

East Market Philadelphia (Source: East Market)

Broadway Seasonal Street (Source: NYC DOT)

Bell Street Park Shared Streets (Source: NACTO)

MASSING

VINEST

New Constructions

A range of building uses and typologies amass together to form a continuous neighborhood.

Rehabilitated Buildings

Existing Buildings

SITE PLAN NORTH

North of Vine focuses on drawing visitors into the Rail Park and transforming existing buildings. There are distinct areas of programmed activity and pocketed private space in the northern housing complex.

The Rail Park features design details that repurpose elements of the pre-existing rail line. It includes more accessible stairways, a “stramp,” and an elevator for physical accessibility.

Housing Complex

Mixed Use

Gas Station

Rail Park

Performance Venue

Mixed Use

Parking Deck

Slowed Traffic

Play Pavilion (Source: Univ of Michigan)

Glass elevator (Source: Vaumm Architecture & Urbanism)

Robson Square (Source: The Universal Design Project)

RAIL PARK SECTION

Park planters

(Source: ML Design)

At grade, the Rail Park is a solid structure with pedestrian and shared streets that penetrate on the east-west streets. Above grade, the elevated Rail Park features interactive planters with seating and an open park design that can be programmed into an event space

NORTH HOUSING COMPLEX SECTION

The housing complex at the northern edge of the site features distinct zones of programming. Privatized by the surrounding residential and mixed use development, the interior plaza creates a micro-development for local residents and a view of the Rail Park on the northern side.

Overall, the neighborhood interventions include about 4 acres of park space, 5,000 residential units (2,000 affordable units), 160,000 sq. ft. of commercial office space, and 330,000 sq. ft. of commercial space.

SITE PLAN SOUTH

South of Vine focuses on shared streets and activating space on the northern edge of Center City. The design redevelops the pre-existing parking lots in a style that responds to Center City development. Implementing mixed use in these spaces, a shared street jogs just south of Vine Street to connect the new development to the green spaces. Vine Street on the block between 11th and 12th Streets features different pavers and a street tattoo to intentionally slow traffic and pull visitors into the Rail Park.

Mixed

Slowed Traffic

STREET TYPOLOGIES CIRCULATION

This diagram represents the range of street typologies that pedestrians and vehicles can move throughout at grade.

Slowed traffic zones

Boulevard

Secondary multimodal

Service

Shared streets

Pedestrian only

This circulation diagram shows the multiplicity of scales that pedestrians can move through, overlaid with the overall strategy to connect to the sites on either side of the neighborhood.

Circulation strategy

Greenway

Shared streets

VINE STREET SECTION

This section shows how the proposed trolley runs underground in the former highway’s tunnel, creating another mode of transit through the corridor. At grade, Vine Street is padded with mixed use development -- a hotel on the southern side and the Chinese Christian Church, relocated slightly west to accommodate the new Rail Park development. Further from Vine Street is the pocketed shared street that creates east-west connections throughout the entire site.

PARKING

This diagram shows the locations of planned parking underground and within structures.

This diagram of the mixed use building typology shows the parking deck wedged in the rear of the structure with residential units in the front and commercial/office space on the lower level.

Convention Center

Vine Street becomes a more open and accessible hub, bridging Center City, Chinatown, and the Arts & Culture Corridor to the neighborhood.

RECONNECT: CHINATOWN

IMAGINING A CONNECTED CHINATOWN

David Wangkyu Kim and Diyi Zhang

Source: Unsplash

Source: Unsplash

INTRODUCING CHINATOWN

A vibrant neighborhood located within the extents of Center City. The neighborhood acts as cultural hub for many residents throughout Philadelphia.

Source: Rachel Warriner | WHYY.ORG

Located north of Center City, adjacent to the neighborhoods of Callowhill and Old City.

A HISTORY OF DISCONNECTION

Chinatown throughout the history of the city has faced many challenges as Philadelphia grew and densified; the community was often underrepresented in large scale city inter ventions.

CHINATOWN POPULATION

Population remains largely the same from 2010 to 2020, with the majority of residents being of Asian descent.

Source: 2020: Decennial Census

THE VINE STREET DIVIDE

The current expressway acts as a dangerous crossing as well as a physical barrier that separates Chinatown into two.

City-wide demand for housing and aging population creates a unique environment due to lack of physical space to develop.

Chinatown remains as one of

areas along the corridor that has higher levels of poverty.

Source: 2021: American Community Survey

AGING IN PLACE RESIDENTS

The neighborhood is home to a large aging population, and its evidence can be seen through multiple senior-focused residential developments.

Source: Whyy.org | WRT | Pennrose

THE PLAN

PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS FOR CHINATOWN

OUR GOALS

Source: Unsplash

SITE PROGRAM

CHINATOWN-NORTH SQUARE

HOLY REDEEMER + RIDGE AVE RE-DESIGN

CHINATOWN

GATEWAY PLAZA

CHINATOWN

ALLEY REDESIGN

SITE PROGRAM

CHINATOWN-NORTH SQUARE

AFFORDABLE HOUSING + MIXEDUSE RESIDENCES

CHINATOWN

GATEWAY PLAZA

CHINATOWN

ALLEY REDESIGN

SITE PLAN

Our series of interventions hopes to create new neighborhood and cultural nodes that take advantage of the new space left by the former expressway.

Spaces are designed with Chinatown residents in mind, providing programmed space for both Old and Young.

North Chinatown sees an influx of new residential and commercial mixed-use to address increased access along Callowhill Street.

SITE PLAN - CHINATOWN NORTH

With the removal of the expressway, Callowhill Street becomes an opportunity for improved, community focused developments.

Connections across Vine Boulevard are strengthened with sequences of public spaces and commercial mixed use.

ARTS-CULTURAL CHARTER SCHOOL

Mixed block of school + residential Rail viaduct is removed

RESIDENTIAL TOWERS/ PLAZA

Mixed use space with internal community spaces

RIDGE AVE RE-DESIGN

Pedestrian only street; connects to New Holy Redeemer Plaza

SITE PROGRAM - CHINATOWN NORTH

Chinatown-North Square is designed as an anchor and gateway to Chinatown from the North.

THE NORTH VINE CROSSING

The blocks located directly North of Vine Street sees density in the form of commercial frontages, as well as mixed-use residential programs.

Mixed

Holy

CHINATOWN NORTH SQUARE

Chinatown-North Square is designed as an anchor and gateway to Chinatown when approaching from the North seeing higher density mixed use towers with community-based ground level programming.

SITE SECTION - CHINATOWN NORTH

Most high rise interventions are matched to the scale of the existing Crane building, with ample space for flexible programs within the block.

CHINATOWN NORTH - REDEEMER PLAZA & AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Addressing the chronic need for housing in the city, the new interventions seek to densify existing affordable housing on site and introduce public spaces for residents.

SITE 3D AXON - CHINATOWN NORTH

VineStreet

SITE PLAN - CHINATOWN SOUTH

With an already established vibrant mix of restaurants and markets, the focus was to find locations that could amplify Chinatowns history and culture.

Winter Street is removed to extend the existing parcels to make room to develop Chinatown-focused programs along Vine Street.

ARTS-CULTURAL CHARTER SCHOOL

Mixed block of school + residential Rail viaduct is removed

ALLEY DEVELOPMENTS/ MIXED USE

Mixed use space with internal community spaces

COMMUNITY/ CULTURE SPACE

Pedestrian only-connects to proposed Holy Redeemer Plaza

SITE PROGRAM - CHINATOWN SOUTH

Chinatown South sees interventions to strengthen way-finding and public space access.

SITE 3D AXON - CHINATOWN SOUTH

CHINATOWN SOUTH - GATEWAY BLOCKS

The blocks directly south of Vine Boulevard are re-imagined into culturally dense public spaces and community facilities.

Gateway Plaza Gateway Complex

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS ALONG THE CORRIDOR

The blocks directly south of Vine Boulevard are re-imagined into culturally dense public spaces and community facilities.

The new Peace Plaza serves as the main gateway from the new Vine Boulevard, preserving important murals and providing public spaces.

CHINATOWN SOUTH - RE-THINKING ALLEY SPACE

Underutilized alley spaces throughout Chinatown South serve as opportunities for intimate scale interventions to improve the public realm of Chinatown.

CHINATOWN SOUTH - RE-THINKING ALLEY SPACE

The new Chinatown Alleyways offer more opportunities for businesses and housing alike, creating comfortable human scale streetscapes for visitors and residents alike.

CHINATOWN SOUTH - A PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY

Plaza spaces within provide access for load and unloading, but are flexible for community-based programming.

CHINATOWN SOUTH - A PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY

Materiality and design are matched with the fabric and scale of Philadelphia and existing Chinatown to make for a vibrant, cultural aesthetic.

SITE SECTION - CHINATOWN SOUTH

Chinatown South sees the interventions match the existing height and scale of buildings within the neighborhood. Spaces are opened up as alleys are re-imagined into pedestrian spaces.

SITE SECTION - CHINATOWN NORTH, VINE ST, AND SOUTH

The overall scale of interventions can be seen here increasing from south to north to gradually match the scale of North Square.

SITE SECTION - CHINATOWN NORTH, VINE ST, AND SOUTH

Cutting through the center of Chinatown North, along N. 10th Street, the Ridge Avenue walk can be seen opening up the blocks for pedestrian circulation.

The approach to design and materiality is informed by a deep appreciation for the existing fabric and scale of Philadelphia and Chinatown.

SITE 3D AXON

We recognize the importance of preserving the historic character of the area while also providing a fresh and contemporary aesthetic that reflects the vibrant cultural identity of the community.

CHINATOWN EASTWARD HAVEN TO RECONNECT, RETHINK, AND REDEFINE

Zihan (Joann) Zhao

EXISTING CONDITION

This site locates between 9th Street and 6th Street, bordering Philadelphia’s Chinatown on the west and Philadelphia’s eastern gateway - Benjamin Franklin Bridge. With so many resources surrounding it, This site should be a transition that connects Chinatown to the Old City and Delaware Riverfront. However, the connection is now broken because this area is where the highway lifted to connect to I95 and Benjamin Franklin Bridge. In other words, this neighborhood should be the busiest section of the entire Vine Street Expressway. After we remove the expressway, what does a new Chinatown eastern haven need if there’s no expressway?

Vine St. Expy

After we remove the expressway...

Over 45% of the lands within the study area have the potential to rebuild a new Chinatown TOD community.

Parcel Activated Buildings to Be Rethought

Original Green Space

After integrating the three public transit lines, there will be five stations in total, and 4 of them will have the potential to build new transit hubs.

The new pedestrian trails will connect all the public transit hubs and be covered by their service area.

Parcel Activated

BSL PATCO Trolley Transit Hubs Reconnected Pedestrian Trails

Scheme generation

A. Integrate Public Transportation

Trolley’s impact on the Streetscape

Transit Hubs

Preserved Buildings

New Buildings

NEW URBAN CONTEXT CREATED BY THE NEW TRANSIT SYSTEM

The new trolley rails above ground can also create a new streetscape.

The “Stitch”

New Vehicular Lanes

Transit Hubs

Traffic Calming Design

THE “STITCH”

By re-planning the traffic system and appropriately increasing the traffic calming design, “sew up” the previously broken community connections.

B. Integrate Motor Transportation Scheme generation

Scheme generation

C. Biking and Walking Experience

Service Area for surrounding community

Transit Hubs

Continuous Pedestrian Corridor

CONNECT BLOCKS AND EXTEND

TO

SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

Creating a continuous walking experience can greatly enhance the development value of the surrounding parcels.

Office Retail Transportation Residence Cultural

COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS -

CORE RESIDENTIAL AREAS - OTHER

FACILITIES

Continuous trails bring continuous commercial potential and attract more people to live nearby. Besides, the trail can also extend to the Chinatown north plaza on the west and the independence National Historical Park.

D. Dense up the area! Scheme generation

The new developments will bring about 6 acres of continuous new open green space to the community, which is equivalent to a new Franklin Square.

Bikers in Chinatown: Food Delivery!

Festival Event Space

Community Scale: Bike & Walk

Bike Lane

Pedestrian-friendly Street

Open Spaces/ Green Walks

On a community scale, the new bike and walk system will give Chinatown people more access to the central open space - the new Franklin Square.

Vine St.

Callowhill St.

Race St.

Benjamin Franklin Bridge

980

New Public Parking Spaces

Street Parking + Parking Building

City & Regional Scale:

Private Vehicle/ Park & Ride

Vehicular Lane

Traffic Calming Design

Parking Building

Street Parking

To Center City

After re-planning, we integrated many original undeveloped parking spaces into the centralized parking building of the commercial complex on the first floor.

To The Riverside and I95

Railway Track + Landscape Design

Trolley: Tourism Potential

City & Regional Scale:

Public Transit

Trolley/Subway/PATCO Station

Transit Hub

2 Minute Walking Range

The service area of the 3 new transit hubs can almost cover the site.

VineSt.

Community Linear Park

9thSt.

Housing Typology in Core Residential Area

8thSt.

PART 1: Core residential area

Affordable Housing

Row Houses

Youth Apartments

Core Residential Area: A Convivial New Chinatown

Surrounding the existing residential fabric of the area and the new transit hubs, we hope to create a culturally rich and diverse community. It will attract more young people to Chinatown in the future.

Trolley Rail Park Retail Street

Transit Hub

Sunken Plaza

NEWTROLLEY

Section A-A: Transit Hubs PATCO

FRANKLIN SQUARE BSLSUBWAY

The trolley trails can form an interesting community landscape as well as bring vitality to business and tourism.

Activated residential auxiliary space

PedestrianizedWillowSt.

8thSt.

Parking + Public Transit New Twin Office Buildings

VineSt.

7thSt.

New Round House: African American Arts Gallery

New Proposal: Pedestrianize Willow Street

PART 2: Transition Area

Willow street is a narrow street on the north of this site. Most of the space on either side of Willow Street now consists of vacant or parking lots. As a motor vehicle street, Willow Street does not bear the traffic it should have. Therefore, we transformed Willow Street into a continuous walking trail connecting Chinatown’s north plaza and Delaware Riverside.

Willow St.

Section B-B: New Green Open Spaces Interacting with The New Transit System

The new developments make Franklin Square accessible in all directions. It will not be surrounded by the highway walls, but will expand to the surrounding communities.

PART 3: New Square, New Gateway

New Programming for a new Franklin Square

New Shopping Center/ Urban Complex

New Community Fields/ Courts

Rental Studios

New Statue Plaza

Farmers’ Market

New Chinese Lantern Festival Event Space

Extra Sports Courts & Fields

Section C-C: Pedestrianized Willow St. & New Trolley Lane on The Callowhill St.

The monumental landscape design reshaped the original Bolt of Lightning sculpture, making this sculpture and the entire Chinatown TOD design a future landmark for Philadelphia.

This TOD design not only considers how to increase the value, increase the density, of the land, but also emphasizes how to create a warm, active, and sustainable community of residential, office, and commercial throughout the transportation system of various scales.

OLD CITY BUSINESS CORRIDOR

MIXED-USE COMMUNITY

Yuchen Wang

SITE ANALYSIS

LOCATION, HISTORY, ZONING, TRAFFIC

LOCATION

• The site is located on the east side of our corridor, surrounded by Willow St on the north, Race St on the South, N 6th St on the west, and N 2nd St to the east.

• The area includes the old city, which is crossed by the Delaware Expressway and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

HISTORY

• From the Delaware River up toward Walnut and 3rd Streets, the city’s wholesale food hub was well into the mid-20th century when the food distribution center was built in South Philadelphia.

• As a neighborhood close to the bridge, it was once an important commercial district.

• The figure shows a clear grid layout for the neighborhoods near the docks, which consist of large warehouses.

The Central Delaware Waterfront in the 1920s

ZONING

• The expressway cut the site, and there have some low-quality commercials with a large area of vacant space and parking lots on the north side of the Expy Besides, there are also two warehouses and the building density is very low. About the south side of the Expy, where is the old city community, almost all of the buildings here is for residential and the construction density is higher than the north side of the Expy.

TRAFFIC

• The huge traffic flow provides a great potential for the development.

STRATEGIES AND DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL, TRANSPORTATION, BUILDING LAYOUT, OPEN SPACE

REMOVAL OF EXPRESSWAY

DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL

• With the Expy’s removal, a large amount of vacant space is available for development. The building density along both sides of the highway is low and the development potential is high. About the Old City, with its good quality and high density of buildings, is mainly used as a preservation area.

STRATEGIES

CREATE EFFICIENT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

ROAD PLAN

• The Callowhill St from a one-way street to a two-way street, and add a traffic circle on the south side to help organize traffic better.

• The main exit and entrance of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge at 6 St were combined. The combined entrance and exit direct traffic coming off the bridge to the traffic circle on the north side, which slows down traffic to the grid.

CREATE EFFICIENT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

• Infill a large number of underground garages.

• Add on-street parking between Old Town and the boulevard.

CREATE EFFICIENT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

The trolley line runs from east to west along the river and crosses the site along Callowhill St, then connects south to Race St, and crosses the site from west to east along Race St.

CREATE EFFICIENT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

STREET LAYOUT

CREATE A MIXED-USE COMMUNITY CORRIDOR LAYOUT

Raising the building height to increase the floor area ratio and adding multi-purpose buildings to make the site more functional.

CREATE A MIXED-USE COMMUNITY INFILL STRATEGIES

Commercial development along the street, with office towers placed above the podium. Add apartments behind the complex.

CREATE A MIXED-USE COMMUNITY SECTION

The community will be a dynamic center of activity, providing modern workspaces that cater to diverse businesses. The integration of apartment buildings within the office block will offer convenient housing options for the workforce, creating a live-workplay environment that promotes community interaction and inclusivity.

CREATE A MIXED-USE COMMUNIT Y CONNECTIVITY OF GREEN SPACES

The park within the redevelopment plan will be a green loop, offering a much-needed respite from the urban environment.

CREATE A MIXED-USE COMMUNITY GREEN BELT

The pedestrian system in the green loop connects the old city to the corridor and links the whole district to the Delaware Riverfront.

The facilities here include the community service center, small gallery, mini-market, and small construction providing rest space.

ENGAGING COMMUNITIES

CALLOWHILL BOULEVARD

Source: Ho Chi Minh City Innovation District , Sasaki

ENGAGING COMMUNITIES

GREEN BELT

Source: Ho Chi Minh City Innovation District, Sasaki

AERIAL VIEW

ADAPTIVE INDUSTRIAL ECOSYSTEM

Eliza Nobles

Source: Mark Henninger/Imagic Digital

SITE CONTEXT

LOCATION

The site includes I-95, Callowhill Street, Race Street, Christopher Columbus Boulevard, and the Delaware Waterfront.

INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT

The area of focus includes important cultural resources and connections to nearby neighborhoods with historical and artistic initiatives including Old City, South Philly, Northern Liberties, and Camden.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT:

STORM SURGE

• Increasing potential for riverine flooding and storm surge

• Water quality is a critical consideration

• Sea level in the Delaware Bay will rise an additional two to five feet

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT: COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW

• The area is served by the combined sewer area, which means runoff during rain events leads to the release of unfiltered sewage into the river

• Climate change will lead to more extreme storm events

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT: HEAT AND AIR QUALITY

• Heat is an increasing health risk in urban areas

• The site’s proximity to the I-95 highway increases exposures to air pollution and heat for visitors and inhabitants

• Temperature-sensitive vehicle pollutants like ozone will become an even greater health concern with climate change

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT: INEFFICIENT USE OF LAND

• The I-95 highway and Vine Street ramps take up a significant amount of space on the site, limiting the available land for other uses and contributing to the fragmentation of the urban fabric.

PROPOSAL

GOALS

1. Transform the stagnant waterfront into a bustling destination for humans, flora, and fauna

2. Create a sustainable and resilient shoreline that protects the city from environmental shocks

3. Establish an immersive and interconnected node where visitors can walk, cycle, and glide across the region

4. Support a symbiotic and adaptive ecosystem that can thrive in a changing environment

5. Inspire visitors to learn about urban ecology and environmental stewardship through a living laboratory

Mixed-Use Artist

Living and Galleries

Ferry Stop and Waterfront Monument

Bus, Trolley, and Ferry Transit Center

Mixed-Use Residential

Mixed-Use Residential

Ferry Line

Bus and Trolley Route

Transit Stops

Onshore and Offshore Climate Interventions

New Green Pier Leads to Ferry and Eco Sights

Experimental Aquatic Research Landscape

Vacant Spaces Become Usable GSI

Expanded Highway Buffer Shields Noise Pollution and Air Pollution

RE-IMAGINING I-95

Current Road Conditions

Callowhill Street

CALLOWHILL TRANSIT SECTION

As I-95 becomes more compact, the highway lanes elevate to reveal a safer and more open crossing typology over Callowhill Street.

FLOATING WATERFRONT LABORATORY

BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS