Celebrating a century of Philly’s iconic Parkway — and looking down the road

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A view of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel. (Katie Colaneri/WHYY, file)

A view of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel. (Katie Colaneri/WHYY, file)

Fourteen months of commemorative events along the Ben Franklin Parkway are underway to mark the thoroughfare’s 100th anniversary.

NewsWorks Tonight host Dave Heller takes a look at the past and the future of the Parkway with Philadelphia Inquirer architectural critic Inga Saffron.

The Ben Franklin Parkway was pitched as a beautification project emulating the Champs-Élysées, but Saffron explains that the fixture has been held back by the lack of a cohesive vision and a design that is not pedestrian-friendly.

You can listen to the full conversation above.

 

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