Top Story
ULI’s Statement Following Derek Chauvin’s Conviction for the Murder of George Floyd
In response to the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, ULI made the following statement
The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) has worked diligently to implement the Master Plan of the Central Delaware, since its adoption in 2011. While the Master Plan made recommendations for development typologies and public access across the waterfront, it did not make a detailed examination of the types of development specifically appropriate on finger piers. The Master Plan broadly identified sustainability as a key goal but was unable to get into detail about resiliency best practices and the role these finger piers can play regarding rising sea levels and increasingly frequent and strong precipitation events and storms.
The DRWC asked Advisory Services to provide recommendations and best practices for the development of the finger piers and incentivizing resilient development.
Read the report
Watch the panel deliver their recommendations
Photo By ULI
The panel was led by chair Uwe Brandes, professor at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. and included panelists Elinor Bacon, president, E.R. Bacon Development, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Lynette Cardoch, director, Moffatt & Nichol, Miami, Florida; Raymond Gastil, director, Remaking Cities Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Tyrone Rachal, president, Red Rock Global Capital Partners, Atlanta, Georgia; Michael Rodriguez, lead economist, The MITRE Corporation, McLean, Virginia; Michael Samuelian, founding director, Urban Technology Hub at Cornell Tech, New York, New York; and Dawveed Scully, associate director and senior urban designer, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago, Illinois. ULI staff Kelsey Steffen and Leah Sheppard supported the panel.
Date: April 19-22, 2021
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Sponsor: Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Subject Area: Resilient Waterfront Development and Activation
Panel Chair: Uwe Brandes, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Background
DRWC has worked diligently to implement the Master Plan of the Central Delaware, since it’s adoption in 2011. The organization opened and programs six new public spaces, both permanent pier parks such as Race Street and Cherry Street Piers, and seasonal destinations like Spruce Street Harbor Park. They have also constructed approximately one mile of the permanent Delaware River Trail, with an additional continuous two miles slated to open in Fall 2021. Additionally, DRWC has partnered with private developers on parcels it controls, including Festival Pier and Penn’s Landing. Finally, the organization has continued its planning efforts, building on the Master Plan with its Waterfront Transit Study and Waterfront Arts plan.
While the Master Plan made recommendations for development typologies and public access across the waterfront, it did not make a detailed examination of the types of development specifically appropriate on finger piers. The Master Plan broadly identified sustainability as a key goal but was unable to get into detail about resiliency best practices and the role these finger piers can play regarding rising sea levels and increasingly frequent and strong precipitation events and storms. As sea level rises, coastal hazards build and create new degrees of flood vulnerability that communities will have to address. Flooding can cause property damage and health risks for neighborhoods.
Study Area
The study area is just over ½ mile of the Delaware River waterfront, located between Washington Avenue and Pier 70 Blvd. The study area includes a range of recent development proposals of a variety of scales, for both finger piers and the adjacent upland parcels. Because of this mix of ownership, pier condition, and adjacent development proposals, this study area is a microcosm of the full six miles of waterfront governed by the Master Plan for the Central Delaware.
Questions for the Panel
Key Recommendations
Don’t have an account? Sign up for a ULI guest account.