The People's Vision For Philadelphia's Waterfront

Participatory planning in Philadelphia creates a new vision for the city's Delaware River waterfront.

1 minute read

October 29, 2007, 12:00 PM PDT

By Nate Berg


"For Philadelphia government, this was radical:"

"Design a vision for the Delaware River waterfront by actually asking people who live along the river what they would like to see."

"On Nov. 14, Penn Praxis will officially unveil the results at a public forum at the Convention Center."

"It's a vision, not a plan set in stone."

"But this 'We the People' approach has produced a view of the future that is radically different from what exists or is proposed for the riverfront from South Philadelphia to Port Richmond."

"There are no vast, gated communities."

"There are no big-box stores blocking the view."

"There are no acres of blacktop."

"There are no casinos."

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 in The Philadelphia Inquirer

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Traffic and old buildings in Manhattan, New York City.

USDOT Could Pull Federal Funding for New York

The federal government gave the state until May 21 to end new York City’s congestion pricing program or risk losing federal funding and project approvals.

15 seconds ago - Smart Cities Dive

Connecticut Capitol Building

Connecticut Just Cause Eviction Bill Dies in State House

The bill would have protected tenants from unfair evictions by requiring landlords to provide a reason for ending a lease.

1 hour ago - The Connecticut Mirror

Red SF Muni ticketing machine.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time

A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

May 21 - San Francisco Examiner