Saving Philadelphia's Waterfront

Successful urban waterfronts come in a variety of forms, but only those with good connections to their downtowns are able to support intense commercial activity.

1 minute read

November 22, 2002, 7:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


This week concludes an execellent series of articles in the Philadelphia Inquirerthis addressing the revitalization of Penn's Landing: "Despite all its ambitious goals over the last 30 years, Philadelphia has done less with its waterfront than most major American cities... In the last 20 years, while Philadelphia was running through four developers and four plans for Penn's Landing, two other places - Louisville, Ky., and North Jersey's Hudson River towns - were doggedly pursuing unique visions for their riverfronts and creating dynamic public spaces. Philadelphia can learn a lot from both waterfronts." The series concluded on Sunday, November 20, 2002, with a wrap-up of the stories and recent developments as a result of the coverage.

Thanks to Planner's Network

Thursday, November 21, 2002 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

Get top-rated, practical training

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.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

Tree-lined street with large old trees and full parking lane and one-way driving lane in Spain.

Research: More Complex Streets Are Safer

Streets that offer more perceived obstacles and distractions can force drivers to slow down and drive more carefully.

1 hour ago - State Smart Transportation Initiative

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

May 2 - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

May 2 - KSL

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.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO