Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability recently began their search for an urban design team to re-design and change the function of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The city is seeking proposals that will permanently reimagine the parkway’s safety, use, and appeal, featuring pedestrian-centric improvements.
“The Benjamin Franklin Parkway is Philadelphia’s grand boulevard, an incredible cultural epicenter that has the opportunity to become a vibrant, bustling public space for all Philadelphians,” Kathryn Ott Lovell, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation commissioner, said. “The way we choose the team best suited to carry out this work will be as bold and spectacular as the parkway itself. We are inviting Philadelphia residents to join us in dreaming big about how we engage with this incredible mile-long corridor of parks, public art, and cultural institutions.”
The city is looking specifically for diverse teams with experience addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion in public space and public realm design. Each team will be asked to provide qualifications.
Applications will be narrowed down with the top teams receiving an invitation to phase one of the design process. In June, public presentations will be held, with participating teams receiving an honorarium for their involvement.