Another Modernist Plaza Reimagined

Philadelphia's Dilworth Plaza is another modernist civic construction that didn't live up to the architect's utopian ideals. A new design aims to create a more park-like atmosphere and improve transit access.

1 minute read

March 3, 2009, 5:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur


"The mid-1970s design of Dilworth Plaza by Vincent Kling was a pompous, overblown and hugely expensive affair.

The plaza was conceived as a way to free Philadelphia's magnificent City Hall from a noose of urban clutter, but Kling turned it into a vanity platform for admiring his adjacent high-rises - the Municipal Services Building, Centre Square and the late One Meridian Plaza. It wasn't for nothing that Philadelphia's civic heart was dubbed "The Klingdom."

We didn't know it then, but the plaza was Philadelphia's Big Dig. First proposed by Mayor Richardson Dilworth in the late '50s, construction didn't get under way until the late '60s. The project, which extended the concourse to City Hall, dragged on eight years and ran millions over budget.

The consensus today, after a mere 30 years of use, is that the indulgent granite composition is a colossal failure. Though the plaza succeeded in giving us a clear view of City Hall's richly sculpted facade, it never became a place where anyone wanted to linger."

Friday, February 27, 2009 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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Street with parking protected bike lane and parked cars in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance

The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

July 8 - Willamette Week

Aerial view of Spokane, Washington with river in foreground.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package

Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

July 8 - The Spokesman-Review

Close-up on black and white "Bike Lane Ends" sign with bike logo.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane

The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.

July 8 - Houston Public Media

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA