Completed as part of an externship with James Corner Field Operations
March 2025
4 days
This project is an approximately one-week investigation into the question, “what would a revitalized Market Street corridor look like?” Headed by the Philadelphia office of James Corner Field Operations, this externship project allowed me to spend a week on speculative research and documentation of existing conditions on the under-invested Market Street corridor, reimagining it as a linear garden.
This part of Market has an incredible history, yet recent years have introduced problems of vacancy and low productivity. The street is dominated by cars. This project addresses these problems by using Market to reconnect city hall with Philadelphia’s main tourist attraction by reducing private traffic and limiting transit to bus lanes. Pedestrian pathways and takeover of three car lanes allows businesses sidewalk space for outdoor dining and a vibrant pathway to accomodate heavy foot traffic.
The planting scheme is intended to read as the story of Philadelphia, from the Atlantic Coastal Plain to the Piedmont, spanning the entire city limits. The planting near Independence Hall would open the mall into a field of grasses and rushes, with planting gradually increasing in height over five blocks to eleventh street where the intersection would be shaded by tall, manicured street trees. The height of the planting would then decrease to reveal city hall, as rendered on the right.
This project prioritized existing street conditions and character, also integrating a lighting scheme to make Market safer and reference the former character of this wonderful street.