After decades of promises of improvements along the Delaware River In Philadelphia with little to show for it, recent "small but powerful" public improvements are remaking the city's waterfront into a "welcoming, fun place to hang out."
"The Nutter administration has just checked off two more items on its waterfront to-do list: FringeArts' seductive new culture hub at Race Street, which officially debuts its restaurant today, and the lush Washington Avenue Green, a reclaimed pier that opened as a park in late August," reports Inga Saffron. "Meanwhile, Spruce Street Harbor Park, a pop-up beer garden and boardwalk combo, proved so popular this summer that its rainbow-colored hammocks were worn to shreds and had to be replaced."
Saffron notes that the waterfront still has a long way to go to deliver larger projects, such as a proposed I-95 cap park between Downtown and Penn's Landing. Yet she writes, "give Nutter a hand for doing something no recent mayor has tried: sticking with the plan. Rather than concoct distracting side deals with developers, in the style of former Mayors Ed Rendell and John Street, Nutter has allowed planners and the Delaware River Waterfront Corp. to set the pace."
FULL STORY: Changing Skyline: A new wave on the Delaware waterfront

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

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
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The President’s proposed budget could cut key resources for active transportation, public transit, and road safety programs.

Dairy Queen and Rural Third Places
Dozens of Dairy Queen restaurants across Texas are closing, taking a critical community space with them.
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