Penn's Landing Research Paper

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A waterfront area located in Philadelphia, known as Penn’s Landing, has become a central area of redevelopment over many decades. What used to be trees and shrubs has transformed into an area of hotels, museums, restaurants, casinos, stadiums, and much more. This 35-acre site has so much to offer and has become an important area of public space for anyone to visit and enjoy. Penn’s Landing is a public space that benefits the public by containing a mixture of residential life, entertainment, and retail that is supported by a long history of creation and redevelopment.
Imagine docking your boat on the Philadelphia Waterfront and being completely surrounded by trees and greenery with little to no human life for miles. William Penn discovered …show more content…

Robert Geddes was from the architectural and planning firm Geddes, Brecher, Qualls and Cunningham. They envisioned an $85 million, two-phased development over fifteen years to be created that would celebrate the history of Philadelphia. In 1956, the city purchased piers to place along the waterfront with the intention of raising them to create a landfill that would be 300 to 400 feet into the river stretching from the base of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Geddes believed that, “the most distinct feature of the site is its direct and extensive identification with the River” (McGovern 302). He wanted people to be able to harbor sightsee and enjoy all the vantage points of the river. This plan also included 2,150 vehicle parking spots and a boat basin that would include historical ships such as the ship named Welcome, used by William Penn when he founded Penn’s Landing. Unfortunately, this plan fell through and a new Penn’s Landing Corporation was created, with a new plan called the Penn’s Landing project. The Geddes plan had to be updated because the space at Penn’s Landing was primarily being used for museums and historical ships. The new plan included creating an exciting and vital waterfront activity center that also included historical landmarks and attractions to make it an even more popular destination for residents and visitors. The new plan under the firm of Murphy, Levy and Wurman would leave the …show more content…

The Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing is one of the most well known spots in the city. At this area, people can attend outdoor festivals and concerts while enjoying food and music. It also offers a panoramic view of the Philadelphia skyline, Delaware River, and Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Spruce Street Harbor Park is also very popular, especially for teenagers. They have Hammock Park, which is located around the Columbus Monument. The monument was completed in 1992 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage. They have hammocks and fountains hung throughout the area, with lighting by more than 300-meter-long LED tube lights (“Delaware River Waterfront”). It is a beautiful sight during the day and night. They also have an outdoor roller skating rink, which transforms into an ice skating rink in the winter, which gives people something fun, different, and affordable to do. Firework shows are also something entertaining that goes on at Penn’s Landing. The Camden and Philadelphia waterfronts come together to create a marvelous show on New Year’s Eve and Fourth of July weekend. In 2010 a study was conducted by Urban Partners that said, “New Years Eve fireworks directly motivated visitors to come to Philadelphia, and these visitors utilized an estimated 1,720 hotel rooms and expended nearly $1.25 million beyond what would have occurred in the absence of the Fireworks program” (Corcoran 42). The

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