PHILADELPHIA, PA — In the heart of South Philadelphia sits Marconi Plaza, one of the city’s largest public open spaces. Split in half by Broad Street, this expansive park has a rich history dating back to its creation in 1913. Now, after more than a century, the Plaza is set to undergo significant improvements following an extensive community engagement process.
Originally designed by renowned landscape architects, the Olmsted Brothers, Marconi Plaza was once the gateway to the Sesquicentennial Exposition in 1926. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the United States, this world’s fair transformed the area and extended Broad Street south of Marconi, connecting the street grid with the fair held at FDR Park.
Today, Marconi Plaza is a mixed-use park offering grassy areas, athletic fields, play areas, and shaded plazas. Despite past enhancements, local residents have voiced concerns about safety and maintenance, prompting Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to develop a comprehensive plan for its future.
The Marconi Plaza plan is the outcome of collaborative efforts between Parks & Rec, the design team Land Collective, and the local community. Beginning in April 2022, a series of workshops allowed park users and neighbors to express their thoughts about the park and share ideas for its future. These sessions helped identify what people loved about Marconi, as well as areas needing improvement.
The resulting design goals were clear: create a revitalized park, improve accessibility, establish a civic core and active edge, and make it a welcoming place for all.
To achieve these objectives, the plan proposes three phases of improvement.
Phase one focuses on upgrading essential infrastructure and park elements. This includes improving lighting, pruning and planting trees, repaving and realigning paths for better accessibility, adding benches, and conducting a traffic study for safer pedestrian crossing at Broad Street.
Phase two aims to enhance existing active and play spaces around the park’s edge, known as the “active perimeter.” This involves renovating playgrounds, installing outdoor fitness equipment, reseeding lawns for sport use, and building a shed for the Friends group.
The third phase proposes activating the park’s under-utilized elevated middle section to serve as a civic space within the park. This “park within the park” could feature passive play areas like chess or bocce, native and pollinator-friendly plantings, an open space in the Central Plaza for events or vendors, and small structures for social play such as chess tables, a bocce court, and a lending library.
With the plan now in place, Parks & Rec is gearing up to bring these improvements to fruition, promising a new era for Marconi Plaza. As South Philadelphia prepares to embrace these changes, the community can look forward to a revitalized park that not only honors its rich history but also meets the evolving needs of its residents. The park’s transformation will undoubtedly fortify its status as a treasured public space, ensuring it remains a vibrant and welcoming place for all who visit.
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