Philly RFQ: I-95 Runs Through It

The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation seeks qualifications to plan an open space connection between Center City and its waterfront. I-95, which runs parallel to the Delaware River inside the city, currently cuts off waterfront access.

1 minute read

February 13, 2013, 6:00 AM PST

By boramici


The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) has put out a request for qualifications for teams of engineers, planners and designers to create preliminary designs for an 8-acre park to be built over a portion of I-95 in Philadelphia. The park would provide a walkable and bikable connection between a prospective waterfront redevelopment area, Penn's Landing, and Philadelphia's historic Old City.

Penn's Landing is currently an outdoor concert and festival destination without other uses to attract visitors.

The DRWC requires that preliminary design proposals study market demand on the waterfront. Its masterplan calls for a mix of uses, including retail and mid-rise residential.

Light rail planning to connect the waterfront to Center City is also part of the project.

Examples of successful urban transformations of a similar scope include Providence's rerouting of I-95 out of the city, the Embarcadero's conversion from an elevated freeway to a six-lane boulevard in San Francisco and Dallas's construction of a 5.2 acre park over the Woodall Rodgers Freeway.

Monday, February 11, 2013 in Next City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation