Enhancing the Ben Franklin Parkway

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Projects: Philadelphia Civic Initiatives
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Enhancing the Ben Franklin Parkway

The Benjamin Franklin Parkway was designed by French urban planner Jacques Gréber in the early 1900s to emulate the Champs-Élysées in Paris, and it has become one of Philadelphia’s proudest accomplishments.

Starting in 2001, The Pew Charitable Trusts joined with the city of Philadelphia, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the William Penn Foundation, and cultural and civic organizations to make the Parkway more attractive, convenient, and friendly for walking, bicycling, and other uses. The 11-year transformation included streetscape improvements throughout; new lighting, sculptures, and other enhancements to Logan Square; restoration of the Rodin Museum grounds and courtyard garden; and an entirely new Sister Cities Park.

Today, the pastoral, tree-lined boulevard, which connects City Hall to the vast greenery of Fairmount Park, is home to many of the region’s most important cultural institutions; hosts popular festivals, races, and other mass gatherings; and serves as an appealing destination for residents and visitors alike.

View a gallery of before and after photos of a renewed Benjamin Franklin Parkway and its attractions.

A Parkway for the People

A view of the Philadelphia Museum of Art from a refurbished Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Enhancements included reducing car traffic to one lane in some areas, adding parking spaces and a bicycle lane, widening the center islands at intersections, and repaving curbs and sidewalks.
B. Krist for Visit Philadelphia
Before: Logan Circle had very little grass remaining.
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Before: Uneven paving stones and sidewalks were conspicuous on Logan Circle.
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
After: Swann Memorial Fountain, sculpted by Alexander Calder in 1924, remains the centerpiece of the refurbished Logan Circle.
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
After: Logan Square’s neatly manicured lawns and landscaping.
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
After: Logan Square’s lush landscaping welcomes visitors and residents alike.
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Before: The Rodin Museum’s plaza and the main entryway into the courtyard.
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Before: The Rodin Museum’s walkways, prior to renovation.
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
A major rejuvenation of the entire block surrounding the Rodin Museum took place. The work included the upgrading of the paved entry plaza upon which Auguste Rodin's “The Thinker” sits and the restoration of the main entryway into the courtyard, known as the Meudon Gate.
Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
After: The Rodin Museum’s renovated exterior was completed in 2011. Improvements included new lighting, accessible garden paths, benches, and a variety of plantings.
Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
After: The walkway at the Rodin Museum, following enhancements that included a newly paved and lighted entry plaza.
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Before: Sister Cities Plaza, first dedicated in 1976, just east of Logan Circle and directly across from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
Center City District
After: Restoration of Sister Cities Park, completed in 2012, added new landscaping, an indoor-outdoor cafe, a fountain commemorating Philadelphia’s sister cities, and a children’s discovery garden and boat pond.
The Pew Charitable Trusts
A jogger is sheltered by trees along the revitalized Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The Pew Charitable Trusts
The verdant and reborn Logan Circle, nestled between the lanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
B. Krist for Visit Philadelphia