The official launch of the Reimagine the Benjamin Franklin Parkway planning effort was announced Tuesday, June 14 by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR), the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, & Sustainability (OTIS), and international design firm, Design Workshop.
Phase 1 of the planning effort includes a survey that is open to the public. It is a continuation from last year’s effort, which asked the community which design team would be chosen to redesign the Ben Franklin Parkway. In October 2021, Design Workshop was selected to lead the project to redesign the Parkway to create a more welcoming space for pedestrians and cyclists.
Take the first survey as a part of the planning effort!
There will be four phases and milestones that the public will be invited to participate in throughout the 18 month long project. We will update you as the phases change.
The four phases includes
- Phase 1: project launch and discovery. The goals will include connecting with the community, refining the goals and vision, and reviewing existing conditions.
- Phase 2 : creating plan strategies for transportation, infrastructure, and the economic plan.
- Phase 3 :developing a preferred plan for transportation, infrastructure, and an economic plan.
- Phase 4:finalizing the preferred plan.
Throughout summer 2022, the first engagement campaign will share information about the redesigning of the parkway project and allow the community to have input on the design and vision. The planning effort will focus on the area between Logan Square and Eakins Oval.
The first survey of the planning effort for phase 1 will be open from now until the end of August 2022. Its purpose is to gather how the Parkway is used publicly and what improvements are needed, which includes improvements of roads that connect Logan Square and the Art Museum steps.
The survey asks the community about how they use the parkway whether it’s visiting for recreation or just passing through to get to another place, how often a person will visit or pass through, the ranking of amenities that are wished to be seen, and more.
The survey is available in ten languages and can be requested in paper format by emailing reimaginetheparkway@gmail.com. Make sure you take the survey and let the Reimage of the Parkway know the improvements the community wants!
Upcoming Events:
- The public will be invited to participate in an interactive design as well as a planning event at The Oval XP on June 18, 2022, 10am-2pm. Community members and visitors will be able to share their preferences for the parkway which include future transportation, amenities, programming, and attractions.
- The next feedback collection from the design team will be at the Wawa Welcome America’s July 4th Concert on the Parkway. Party on the Parkway will begin at 12pm July 4, 2022 at the Logan Square entrance.
- The Barnes Foundation has also invited the public to attend a panel discussion with design and planning experts to discuss the Parkway and other similar projects that are able to develop sustainable, desirable, and inclusive cities. The event will have participants come in person at the Barnes or live-stream. It will be in the evening on June 21, 2022 and you can RSVP here.