PlanPhilly has a low-down list of Delaware River developments in queue. Most of them on the list have been around for five years or more but it's still fun to dream...some cool pics too:

http://www.planphilly.com/node/1704

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The idealistic are no longer concerned with influencing public opinion and creating a free world of responsible and ethical social choices, but rather imposing opinion through legislation, mandating these ethics, and outlawing choice in what the loudest sample finds offensive.

Ban the Bans. It's a slippery slope between Idealism and Fascism.

Great link. I would be suprised if any of them got built at this point though, well at least in the next few years, maybe after the credit crunch and housing market problems go away.

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"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." —George Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 13, 2001

Most of them are, well...crap. Sure, towers look "cool" from far away, but what about the spaces between them? Is it worth creating a second skyline if we end up with a mishmash of glass boxes on pedestals? I don't mean to be Debbie Downer, but is this really something to get excited about in your city?

So far this looks like a missed opportunity to nuture a real neighborhood along the river.

Just something to think about.

I don't know, Debbie. Sure it looks a little more suburban than Center City but what else is there to nutrure. I'd understand if there was a neighborhood on the river but it's just a wasteland of abandoned warehouses, collapsed docks and a strip club or two.

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The idealistic are no longer concerned with influencing public opinion and creating a free world of responsible and ethical social choices, but rather imposing opinion through legislation, mandating these ethics, and outlawing choice in what the loudest sample finds offensive.

Ban the Bans. It's a slippery slope between Idealism and Fascism.

Lower-rise mixed-use buildings and townhomes mixed with renovated industrial structures...narrower streets with better ped crossings and more trees...there is always something to nurture in an urban environment. The land is still pretty damn valuable, although on speculation...lowering the height (and therefore parking requirements) would spread some of the development furteher up river and in to other areas of the city.

Being from DC, you should know that, for example, the changes happening in SE would not be as widespread if the height limits were relaxed.

I agree, I guess I've been in Philly too long and often take the "any development is good development" attitude knowing full well how many extremely valuable chunks of land are sitting vacant or as parking lots (Market East, Broad and South, Broad and Washington).

I think it would be great to work towards a SE DC style re-development, which uses existing street patterns (for the most part) and street level retail and entertainment. It's true DC has height restrictions that cause development to spread out rather than up, but as long as there's a walkable grid and life on the sidewalk it can work with high-rises too.

You're absoutley right though, none of these developments have taken the pedestrian into consideration. The SE DC redevelopment is actually becoming more pedestrian friendly than before. It used to be much more suburban (and extremely dangerous), and it was far more car oriented.

I like adding height to the city and extending the skyline, and a few of the designs I find pretty dam cool, but you're right, they should be paying more attention to what's going on on the street rather than just creating a cluster of unorganized skyscrapers on the waterfront. I think with a little more planning and organization for that area we'd not only wind up with a better end-result, but the developers involved would be less likely too pull out.

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The idealistic are no longer concerned with influencing public opinion and creating a free world of responsible and ethical social choices, but rather imposing opinion through legislation, mandating these ethics, and outlawing choice in what the loudest sample finds offensive.

Ban the Bans. It's a slippery slope between Idealism and Fascism.

Being tall doesn't preclude engaging the pedestrian at street level. I bet that many of these proposals (which, with the exception of Bridgman's View, are dead or suspended anyway) have ground-floor retail included. I agree that above ground parking is generally ugly and should be discouraged, but these towers are right on the riverfront, and in some cases on piers, so underground parking probably can't be done

I think a lot of development in that area is contingent on the Casino, which I would think would generate the need for more hotel, retail, and entertainment space. These proposals seem to be focused more on residential space.

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The idealistic are no longer concerned with influencing public opinion and creating a free world of responsible and ethical social choices, but rather imposing opinion through legislation, mandating these ethics, and outlawing choice in what the loudest sample finds offensive.

Ban the Bans. It's a slippery slope between Idealism and Fascism.

True, being tall doesn't preclude engaging the pedestrian at street level...but most of these projects are exceptions, and the garage podiums are a big part of that. One solution is to "wrap" them...

Why must we always try and create intimacy in all of these large scale projects?


We have a vast city already laid out for "intimacy"....it's obvious that we could filll that up first.


I'll take development over "no development"


and if you attach too many strings
you get "no development"


It's like being the fat kid at the dance and getting picky.


It's all well and good for the urban design team to invision a pedestrian nirvana..

but how many times have they promised that yet it doesn't happen.


The scale and scope and width and length really hurts Del Ave's chances at this...


and there's tons and acres of city that just needs some paint and a broom if your looking for intimacy.

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It's too tall..! it ruins the feel of the city..! It casts massive shadows..! It's an architectural nightmare..! We should stand together and fight this monstrosity that threatens our homes..! ...but amazingly no one tore down the Eiffel Tower.

or.. why we shouldn't always listen to "neighborhood groups" and critics.