Ben Franklin Parkway considered Great Street of 2013 [photos]

    The American Planning Association announced on Friday that the Benjamin Franklin Parkway is one of 10 Great Streets in the U.S. for 2013.

    The APA called the Parkway a “cultural mecca” for its museums, design and Philadelphia’s commitment to investing in the improvement of the space.

    In recent years, the city has renovated Logan Circle, re-made Sister Cities Park, and upgraded the landscape along the parkway. By 2014, a total of $23 million will have been invested in improvements on the parkway.

    “Benjamin Franklin Parkway is an iconic boulevard, on the scale of the Champs-Élysées in Paris,” said Paul Farmer, APA CEO in a statement to Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. “The Parkway, where some of the country’s most celebrated institutions are found, completely changed the face of Philadelphia by giving the densely compact city breathing room.”

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    Streets in Milford, Del., Pensacola Fla., and Jim Thorpe, Pa. were also chosen. For more info on the Great Streets, Great Places, or Great Neighborhoods visit the American Planning Association.

     

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