Philadelphia will soon be getting its own version of New Yorkâs popular High Line park as construction on the first phase of The Rail Park will begin by the end of the current calendar year.
The project will transform the tracks of the old Reading Railroad into a 25,000-sf linear park. The park will have green space, lighting, walking paths, and benches and cost $10.3 million to build.
The park is expected to spur new development in the surrounding areas in the same way economic development has sprung up along the High Line. The first phase of the transformation will focus on improvements in the 1200 block of Noble Street and the viaduct bridges up to Callowhill Street. This phase is expected to be completed by early 2018.
When completed, The Rail Park will stretch for three miles across 10 neighborhoods and 50 city blocks. It will run underground and overhead and be divided into three separate sections: the Viaduct, the Cut, and the Tunnel. The first phase is where the Viaduct meets the Cut. Construction will work outward and onward from there, according to the parkâs official website. When completed, the park will connect Fairmount Park to Center City.
Phase one is almost completely funded thanks to a $3.5 million grant from the state. More funds still need to be secured before construction begins, but officials are confident the project will meet its requirements before 2017.
Â
 Rendering courtesy of The Rail Park
Â
Rendering courtesy of The Rail Park
Â
Rendering courtesy of The Rail Park
Â
Rendering courtesy of The Rail Park
Â
Rendering courtesy of The Rail Park
Related Stories
Urban Planning | Jan 24, 2018
Vision Zero comes to Austin: An outside perspective
Aside from the roads being wider and the lack of infrastructure for bikes and pedestrians, there seemed to be some deeper unpredictability in the movement of people, vehicles, bikes, and buses.
Urban Planning | Jan 10, 2018
Keys to the city: Urban planning and our climate future
Corporate interests large and small are already focused on what the impact of climate change means to their business.
Urban Planning | Jan 2, 2018
The ethics of urbanization
While we focus on designing organized and supportive architecture, much of urbanization is created through informal settlements.
Urban Planning | Dec 5, 2017
A call for urban intensification
Rather than focus on urban âdensification"Â perhaps we should consider urban âintensification.â
Urban Planning | Dec 4, 2017
Sports âdistrictsâ are popping up all over America
In downtown Minneapolis, the cityâs decision about where to build the new U.S. Bank Stadium coincided with an adjacent five-block redevelopment project.
Urban Planning | Dec 4, 2017
Can you spark an urban renaissance?
Thoughtful design, architecture, and planning can accelerate and even create an urban renaissance.
Urban Planning | Nov 20, 2017
Creating safer streets: Solutions for high-crash locations
While there has been an emphasis on improving safety along corridors, it is equally important to focus on identifying potential safety issues at intersections.
Urban Planning | Nov 16, 2017
Business groups present a new vision of Downtown Houston as that cityâs unavoidable hub
The plan, which took 18 months to complete, emphasizes the centrality of downtown to the metroâs eight counties.
Architects | Oct 30, 2017
City 2050: What will your city look like in 2050?
What do we think the future will look like 30 years or so from now? And what will City: 2050 be like?
Great Solutions | Oct 17, 2017
Loop NYC would reclaim 24 miles of park space from Manhattanâs street grid
A new proposal leverages driverless cars to free up almost all of Manhattanâs Park Avenue and Broadway for pedestrian paths.