30TH STREET STATION AREA STUDY. POLICY PAPER

As the area containing the single largest development site in Center City Philadelphia, the 30th Street Station area is experiencing an extraordinary amount of private interest and public attention regarding its long-range development potential. Both the City Planning Commission and AMTRAK have conducted studies to assess the Station itself and the area's capacity for generating and supporting major commercial development over its air rights properties. Originally, the major objective of the Commission's study was to prepare a phased development plan that would attract developers' interest in the area; later, the study was redirected towards establishing guidelines for developing the station area within the contest of broader City goals. Three consulting teams assisted the Commission in this study 1) Urban Engineers, Inc.--regarding site conditions, utility requirements, railroad operations, and air rights development costs; 2) Brainerd O. Taylor--regarding transportation analysis, traffic circulation, parking, and pedestrian movements; and 3) Urban Partners--regarding urban design and development. This policy paper provides a general description of the study area; describes a possible long-range development program for the air rights parcels, representing a 20-year build-out period; identifies obstacles to development; addresses possible measures to improve conditions in the immediate station area and to overcome the obstacles to railroad yard development. The final chapter summarizes the recommendations of the study. The study calls for a strong partnership of public and private interests to assure that proper zoning and City Plan modifications are adopted and that development takes place in a manner consistent with guidelines reported herein.

• Corporate Authors:

  Philadelphia City Planning Commission

  City Hall Annex, 13th Floor
  Philadelphia, PA  United States  19107

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Publication Date: 1986-8

Media Info

• Pagination: 37 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: City planning; Economic development; Governments; Private enterprise; Railroads
• Identifier Terms: Urban Mass Transportation Act
• Uncontrolled Terms: Air rights; Commercial development
• Geographic Terms: Philadelphia (Pennsylvania)
• Old TRIS Terms: Umta section 8; Umta section 9
• Subject Areas: Economics; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00471438
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-PA-09-0116-86-3
• Contract Numbers: UMTA-PA-09-0116
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 31 1987 12:00AM