Over the past two decades, the emergence of public/private partnerships has transformed the economic model for designing, building, and managing public spaces, large and small, in cities across the country. Join the team at Center City District (a business improvement district) for an extensive tour of four uniquely different parks that CCD renovated and now manages in the heart of Philadelphia, and a discussion about the role of public/private partnerships and the business of park design and management.
The tour will start at Dilworth Park, a world-class civic space located at the center of a major transit hub and adjacent to the national historic landmark, City Hall. Next, we’ll take a quick stroll down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to visit Cret Park, host to Alexander Calder and Henry Moore sculptures, to discuss the challenges of year-round landscape management and the resources required to keep spaces beautiful in the urban environment. Just a five-minute walk away is Sister Cities Park, where we’ll talk about how effective design strategies transformed a neglected space into one of the nation’s leading multi-generational parks, and a favorite destination for families with children, school and daycare groups, seniors, local workers and visitors to nearby cultural institutions. We’ll conclude at John Collins Park, Philadelphia’s cherished pocket park located in the heart of Center City, to discuss creative and meaningful strategies for park programming and revenue generation, ensuring long-term sustainable care of a public space landmark.
