More bikes and pedestrians, fewer cars: A $100M rethink of Philly’s historical district

A group of Philadelphia-based organizations, led by Independence Historical Trust, has crafted a broad vision for the city’s historical area that calls for more walkable and bike-friendly streets, new plazas, additional green spaces, and easier navigation to cultivate a sense of cohesiveness they say is lacking.

The Historical Philadelphia Vision Framework plan aims to create ways for people to “wayfind” easy-to-follow, less car-centric routes through Independence National Historical Park, Old City, and other historic or local neighborhoods.

Better “pathways” would let tourists and residents know they are in an area branded as “historical Philadelphia.” New plazas, signs, public art, apps with digital tours, expanded sidewalks, mid-block crossings, live music, and additional seating would enhance the experience.

Planners identified six key locations: a new Tamanend Square Plaza set to be built at Second and Market, Dock Street, Commerce Street, Franklin Square, the WHYY / National Constitution Center area, and Market Street from Fifth to Third.

For example, Dock Street would resemble a European-style plaza with easy connection to multiple historic sites.

“It is by design a bold plan well-aligned with the richness of these historical assets,” said Bill Marrazzo, chair of Independence Historical Trust, a nonprofit that raises funds for Independence National Historical Park.

The yearslong effort to create the plan also involved representatives from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, Old City District, Independence Visitor Center, Philadelphia Preservation Alliance, Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp., and National Park Service.

The branded “historical Philadelphia” would be bordered by I-676 to the north, the Delaware River to the east, Walnut Street to the south, and Sixth Street to the west. Overall, the plan would integrate 50 historical sites and institutions, nine miles of pedestrian- and bike-friendly streets, 35 upgraded intersections, 21 acres of new space for “programs and placemaking,” and 3.2 miles of “curated pathways.”

» READ MORE: Planned new plaza and bike lanes for Market Street get boost from $2.7M in grants

Local roads would be less daunting after reduced traffic lanes, speed bumps, and mid-street crossings are installed. The roads would connect seamlessly with Chinatown, Callowhill, and other adjacent neighborhoods.

The plan was assembled by Philly-based FCA.

Marrazzo, also CEO and president of WHYY, Philadelphia’s public radio station, said together the projects would total “inside of $100 million.” However, some of the major projects, such as the planned Tamanend Square and a revamp of Market Street, already have funding. Marrazzo said he is confident money won’t be an issue. Although there is no timetable, some of the projects should be finished by 2026, the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.

The plan would obviously need buy-in from the city. The group has coordinated with Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS). However, for now, officials at OTIS say they are focused on a planned upgrade of Market Street.

» READ MORE: A Much-Needed Makeover How Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park is getting ready for America’s 250th birthday.

Marrazzo said he understands the criticisms of Philly’s main historical area where tourists can find it confusing or daunting to wend their way among the city’s rich number of historic buildings and sites, while trying to find safe, easy places to cross.

He said his group envisions an app, “totems,” and possibly even holograms to lead people through the district without mimicking efforts in other cities, such as Boston’s Freedom Trail. There is currently an official map of Philly’s historic district with 24 stops.

“No one wants to replicate what works well for Boston,” Marrazzo said. “What we need to do here is something even more advanced.”

» READ MORE: Boston’s Freedom Trail is annoyingly great. Could Philly do the same by 2026?

A key goal of the plan is to create a shared vision for the area while incorporating the voices of various races and cultures.

“It’s exciting,” said Job Itzkowitz, executive director of Old City District. He said the 100-page framework was a collaborative effort, with an agreement of stressing pedestrians over cars.

“There’s a lot about wayfinding and lighting, and really integrating the area,” Itzkowitz said.

The plan calls for designating “green streets” that would allow pedestrians to cross from one end of the district to another more easily.

Ultimately, someone would be able to walk from Franklin Square to the new park being built over I-95 with much reduced traffic. Second, Sixth, Race, Market, and Chestnut Streets would all become primary green streets.

The planned Chinatown Stitch also factors into the puzzle. It would cap the sunken Vine Street Expressway from 10th to 13th Streets and knit together Chinatown and the area known as Chinatown North, creating another easy pedestrian path just blocks from the historic area.

Historical Philadelphia would also take advantage of proximity to Race Street and Cherry Street Piers, as well as the 12-acre park currently being built over I-95 between Walnut and Chestnut Streets.

“It’s a very good plan,” said John Chin, executive director of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. “It enhances the pedestrians’ experience in walking from one zone to another. They will have a complete positive experience all the way from Front Street to the Convention Center.”

Second and Market / Tamanend Plaza

The already planned Tamanend Plaza is set for Second and Market Streets, including a “road diet” to accommodate new bike lanes. The statue depicting Chief Tamanend now at Front and Market would be moved to the new plaza and serve as its centerpiece in honor of the Lenni-Lenape, the Indigenous inhabitants of Philadelphia. The plaza would have pedestrian seating, a bikeway on both sides of Market, a new SEPTA station headhouse, and enhancements to Christ Church Park. The plaza is part of a larger project that calls for the transformation of Market Street in Old City by 2026.

Dock Street Plaza

Planners say Dock Street is underutilized and could serve as a gateway to Old City and Independence National Historical Park. They envision transforming Dock Street with an “inlaid stone cycling strip,” pedestrian seating, a canopy of festival lighting, a pop-up market zone, and mural art in the wedge of road between Positano Coast by Aldo Lamberti, Zahav, and Ritz 5. Planners say Dock Street provides a unique cobblestoned link to City Tavern, the Museum of the American Revolution, Welcome Park, the Merchant Exchange Building, and Bell Garden. Dock Street would lure artists, musicians, and historical programming one block from the I-95 park cap currently under construction.

Commerce Street to Carpenters Hall

Commerce Street, an unmarked brick alley, is mostly unused but could provide a near traffic-free path from Independence Visitors’ Center to historic Carpenters Hall, where the first Continental Congress was held in 1774. A speed bump mid-block on Fifth Street would connect Independence Visitor Center and Commerce Street. Plans call for another mid-block crossing on Fourth Street to Franklin Court. Fourth Street would get a bike lane, an area for “historical interpretation,” and signs branding it as part of historical Philadelphia. The “Commerce Pathway” would help connect people to Christ Church Burial Ground, Commodore Uriah Phillips Levy Park, and the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center.

Franklin Square

The park near the base of the Ben Franklin Bridge will get a boost from a long-closed PATCO station and headhouse expected to open by the end of the year at Seventh and Race as a stop for inbound trains from South Jersey. Plans call for a road diet and bike lane on Race Street, pop-up cafes, new signs, and possible mixed-use development. Planners are working with Historic Philadelphia Inc., which operates the park, to make the area a focal point that connects to the Chinatown and Callowhill neighborhoods. A separate study has suggested ways to reconfigure traffic patterns around the Vine Street Expressway and Ben Franklin Bridge entrance.

WHYY / National Constitution Center

This stretch of Sixth Street is notable for uninviting blank building facades and a three-lane, one-way road. Planners envision reducing the width of Sixth Street and installing a pedestrian crossing between the existing WHYY and National Constitution Center plazas. They foresee a livelier area with an expanded sidewalk, a pedestrian zone, a special event plaza with seating, and a bike lane. Movable chairs and other seating would be used during concerts, movies, or other events. Planners see the new plaza as a way to connect nearby Franklin Square to Independence National Historical Park.

Market Street Streetscape

The city already has a planned Market Street Old City Improvement Project that calls for enhancements from Sixth to Second Streets, including sidewalk-level bike lanes, concrete bus boarding bump-outs, and left-turn lanes. Construction should start this year and be complete by April 2026. The Historical Philadelphia Vision Framework would concentrate on “Middle Market” between Fifth and Third Streets, which is lined with non-historic, urban renewal-era office buildings, as well as the National Museum of Jewish American History. It envisions an “open air market” feel with areas designated for temporary market stalls and street vendors that would serve as an “incubator” for nontraditional or disadvantaged entrepreneurs.