The "civic vision" for the Delaware riverfront area, created three years ago, took a step forward toward implementation.
At the Philadelphia City Planning Commission meeting Tuesday, the plan was accepted as a mode to transform the urban landscape along the Delaware River's waterfront.
"It will be extremely beneficial to the city," said Harris Steinberg, executive director of Penn Praxis of Penn's School of Design.
Many organizations contributed to the civic vision with Penn Praxis as the "producer," Steinberg said.
The waterfront is proposed to extend for seven miles - from Oregon to Allegheny avenues and from the Delaware River to I-95.
Including more than 1,100 acres, the plan calls for an array of facilities ranging from a 100-foot wide path cradling the river to native vegetation that will enhance its surrounding ecology.
With sustainability in mind, the vision proposes to create urban growth that extends to shore of Philadelphia.
"The hallmark of the work has been the civic-engagement process," according to the Web site for Plan Philly, a news-gathering organization affiliated with Penn Praxis.
The principles that serve as the basis for the vision include reconnecting the city to the river's edge, designing with nature and striking the right balance, the Web site said.
Steinberg said he was thrilled to see that his work is bound to materialize after many years of effort.
On May 19, the commission will vote on certain details concerning how to execute the vision, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
"Its location along one of the world's most great working rivers, its proximity to the strong Center City Philadelphia real estate market, its vibrant neighborhoods to the west of 1-95 and the stunning sweep of history along its shores place the central Delaware among the most important development areas in the region today," according to the Web site.
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