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Monthly Event

Unlocking the Benjamin Franklin Parkway's Potential as a Great Urban Park

When

Thursday, December 14, 2023

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Where

Zoom. To register, click HERE.

What

Building on the ideas of 2013's More Park, Less Way plan, the current planning process for the Parkway seeks to unlock the Parkway's potential as a great urban park for all by removing excess pavement, connecting fragmented green spaces, and layering on new landscaping and amenities. Emily McCoy and Kurt Culbertson of Design Workshop, the planning firm leading the effort, and Nick Anderson of the Parkway Council will present the key recommendations and design plans emerging out of this process. They will also discuss possible economic and management models that will be crucial to the long-term success of one of Philadelphia's greatest public spaces.

Previous DAG Monthly Events

Archived | 2023-11-02

Fireside Chat with Anne Fadullon

Archived | 2023-10-19

A Conversation about 76 Place with David Adelman and Jordan Goldstein

Archived | 2023-08-24

Cultural Preservation in Public Space: The FDR Park Southeast Asian Market

Presenter

Emily McCoy

Emily McCoy is a landscape architect, educator, and ecologist, who approaches every project as an opportunity to celebrate the intersection of natural and cultural narratives of place through design. She is a principal at Design Workshop and has served as the project manager for the Parkway planning process. Her projects include the US Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC; Shield Ranch, Austin, Texas; Bartam’s Mile, Philadelphia, PA; and Shoemaker Green, Philadelphia, PA. 

Kurt Culbertson

Throughout his forty-year career, Kurt Culbertson has been a recognized thought leader in the landscape architecture, land planning, and urban design disciplines. He is Chairman Emeritus at Design Workshop and has served as the partner in charge for the Parkway planning process. In 2016, Culbertson was awarded the American Society of Landscape Architects Medal, the highest honor in the profession. He is past chair of the ASLA Council of Fellows and the Cultural Landscape Foundation, as well as a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners Council of Fellows. 

Nick Anderson

Nick Anderson is the executive director of the Parkway Council, a nonprofit organization newly focused on accelerating the Parkway's transformation into a great urban park for all. Prior to his leadership at the Parkway Council, Anderson spent over a decade at The Architectural League in New York, where he served as its managing director in addition to other roles.