'Penn Center Transit Gateway' Planned Near Philly's City Hall

Public realm and urban design improvements are planned for a "languishing" pedestrian mall located near Philadelphia's City Hall.

1 minute read

June 25, 2021, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


An empty pedestrian plaza is shown in front of Philadelphia City Hall.

The effort to rehab pedestrian space around Philadelphia's City Hall continues. | Mariusz S. Jurgielewicz / Shutterstock

Ryan Briggs reports that Philadelphia city officials are planning an $8.7 million overhaul of the Penn Center pedestrian mall, just across from City Hall.

"The ambitious redesign, known as the 'Penn Center Transit Gateway,' will bring transit improvements to the City Hall transit concourse as well upgraded lighting, new planters, benches, and more to the underused open space between the office complex’s towers," according to Briggs.

"The plan also includes funding for enhanced bike lanes and traffic calming improvements in addition to new planters along nearby Market Street and JFK Boulevard, between 15th and 20th streets, designed to bring more foot traffic through to Penn Center," ads Briggs.

The Center City District is partnering with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) on the project.

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