MW20-Old City Vision Plan in Action

2026 marks America’s 250th birthday. To get ready, Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood, home to the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in the nation and the church where George Washington and Ben Franklin worshipped, began a visioning process. The result, Vision2026, sets goals for optimal private development and defines the elements of a high-quality public realm. Goals include fostering civic life through great places, reoccupying vacant buildings, protecting neighborhood-serving retail, better connecting to nearby neighborhoods, and encouraging car-free travel as peoples’ first choice. Implementation is already underway, via changes in zoning and parking policy as well as physical improvements, such as raised bike lanes on Market Street and new and reimagined parks. If your city has historic districts, this could help shape your game plan.