KieranTimberlake has been selected as part of an internationally experienced team including Cooper Robertson & Partners, master planners; OLIN, landscape architects; and HR&A Advisors, to develop the Master Plan for the Central Delaware Waterfront. The focus area extends from Allegheny Avenue on the north to Oregon Avenue on the south, and from the Delaware River on the east to Interstate-95 on the west. With the aim of transforming the Central Delaware River waterfront into a vibrant destination for recreational, cultural, and commercial activities for the residents and visitors of Philadelphia, the master plan will address land use; utilities and infrastructure investment; street plans; provisions for public transit; pedestrian and bicycle trail alignment, neighborhood connections, and related facilities; public access to the river's edge; and urban design guidelines. The team also includes several subconsultants in the fields of transportation, traffic engineering, planning and zoning law, ecology and historic preservation in order to address various elements of the plan.

"The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation's selection of a Master Plan Team is another big step forward in transforming the Central Delaware into a world class waterfront," said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. "Development of our waterfront is a priority for the entire city and I am particularly excited that citizens have had an unprecedented opportunity to play a role in this major project for the future of Philadelphia. Beginning with the Civic Vision for the Central Delaware developed by Penn Praxis and continuing with the establishment of the DRWC and the selection of the Master Plan team, waterfront development in Philadelphia is open, transparent, and is moving forward quickly."

Proposed north-south section through stair

Built in the mid-1970s as an urban renewal project, Dilworth Plaza sits above multiple levels of transit infrastructure, linking regional rail lines to city subways, trolleys and buses. Comprising 2.8 acres at the intersection of Philadelphia's major art and cultural districts, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the Avenue of the Arts, it has the potential to be a stimulating gathering place in the heart of the city. Yet its multiple level changes, vacant arcades, and confusing passageways deter rather than attract citizens, creating more of an obstacle than a place worthy of lingering.

A proposed redesign, undertaken by the Center City District and created in partnership with KieranTimberlake, OLIN, and Urban Engineers, Inc., outlines strategies to transform Dilworth Plaza into a welcoming gateway and orientation to Philadelphia's extensive network of transit lines, and a vibrant public space on par with other revered town squares in Philadelphia.

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