Plan on the Plaza
One Pennsylvania Plaza at 17th & JFK isn't dead yet despite a soft real estate market and no primary tenant. In fact it is expected to be completed before the fall of 2007.
Route 202 project complete
As the last ramp was opened mass transit was on the minds of local officials.
Wharf Rat
I couldn't agree more with this edition of CitySpace. Build great public spaces and the development will come from that. Don't expect developers to create these spaces. From Rittenhouse Square to the mall in Washington. Development follows the definition of the public space.
Restoring a building to its first mission
Project HOME expands its role and takes on converting the 11 story Italian renaissance tower into apartments for the working poor.
This summer it began to convert the tower into modestly priced studio apartments for what demographers call the working poor - the people who keep the shops, restaurants and hotels humming. The renovation, which is being overseen by Kramer/Marks Architects of Fort Washington, will restore many of the Warburton Hotel's charming historic details, including its triple-arched entry and leaded-glass windows.
Penn's Pandering
The Street Administration has hinted it wants to decide on a developer and plan for Penn's Landing before the election, relegating the most valuable real estate in Philadelphia to a pawn in the political process. Even worse are the grandiose plans for the site that ignore what Philadelphians want to see there.
Although having read about the Founder's Square concept from the Brandywine Group I feel at least they get the concept that Penn's Landing should be a public space.
11th and Locust to get more residences
The Former Western Union Building at 1th & Locust has been purchased by a partnership that intends to convert the formidable building into a mixed-use residential and commercial complex. The transformation would heal the dead 1000 and 1100 blocks of Locust.
They can be done well
Editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer highlighting a couple of cases where parking garages are actually done well.
In a press release the Philadelphia Planning Commission announces it will evaluate parking policies and regulations in Center City. The study will develop parking policies and regulations that could include revisions to zoning, tax changes, parking rate controls, guidelines for valet, improved information systems, and even remote parking (park & ride).
I would love to see a study of exactly how many parking spaces there are and what is considered to be needed.
Bell's new home grand, but falls short of its goal
The Liberty Bell received a new home today. I already miss the old one. Its transparent edges making it possible to visit the bell at any time. To see the bell and Independence hall in one shot at anytime was something special. Often when friends visited they would remark that they didn't think they'd be able to see the bell at whatever hour we happened by. And even the low-tech presentation by the park personnel was just great. Low key, sober, and immensely powerful.
Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/05/2003 | Bob Toll's housing developments lure buyers, irk locals
Toll said. The popular notion of "smart growth," or clustering homes, to curb so-called suburban sprawl is a code phrase for "no growth,"
The traffic commute? Hey, it could be worse
We now have an idea of just how much worse the region's traffic would be if one million people did not hop on a bus or train every morning. The answer: Without mass transit, your commute would be about one-third longer overall.
Rush Hour travelers in Philadelphia spent 44 hours stuck in traffic in 2001, up 2 hours from the previous year. Nationally, Philadelphia's rush hour congestion was just below the national average.