The goal of the improvement plan for Philadelphia’s City Hall Courtyard is to reclaim usable space that will support the activation of the Courtyard through programs and events, and also reflect the history of the site as the center of William Penn’s plan for the City.
The City Hall Courtyard is a crossroads and a pathway, allowing pedestrians to circulate along the North-South and East-West axes of Broad St. and Market St. The existing Courtyard serves as a passive sitting and resting place, and a quiet destination for lunch in the spring, summer, and fall. Given the dramatic enclosure of City Hall on all sides, and its location at the terminus of the Parkway, it is also a destination for tourists, wedding photos, and entertainers. Less frequently, the Courtyard is used for special events, such as tree lighting and holiday programming in the winter. Throughout the year it is used by organizations, including the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, as a special events space.
Compared to the original, utilitarian layout of the Courtyard, the present-day condition has lost its sense of uniformity, and has a limited potential for activation. By strategically reclaiming spaces within the Courtyard, not only can we regain a surface for programs and events, but we can also create a platform for educational and cultural activities, while maintaining the Courtyard’s important function as a crossroads of downtown civic life.
