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October 17-23, 2002 cityspace Philly By Numbers
Investing in our numbered streets will pay off. There are two ways to think about cities: as a collection of destinations or as a collection of streets. The suburbs, that place where streets only get cars from one destination to another, has made us think of cities mostly as a collection of destinations. But thriving cities have always been more about great streets -- places of character and identity along which destinations have their front doors. Here in Philadelphia, at least in the center, we are an east-west/river-to-river kind of town. The "tree" streets dominate our understanding (and, not coincidentally, the development patterns) of the city. If the city streetscape is defined as a "fabric," with threads in both directions, then our obsession with the likes of Market, Chestnut and Walnut ignores the other half -- those lonely north-south numbered streets that actually do more of the heavy lifting of urban work and link so many neighborhoods to the center. By investing our numbered streets with more importance, we can guide development to integrate the neighborhoods with the center and create a richer mosaic of urban life. All numbered streets are not equally important. That doesn't even happen in New York, the superpower of numbered streets. We should be selective. And, given our narrow streets and their "one-wayness," we might think of these streets as couplets. Moving east to west, here are my picks: Second/Third streets: These two might already be our most vibrant pair. Old City is dominated by their active life of galleries, stores and residences. They convincingly march south through Independence Park and Society Hill, bringing us to Head House Square, South Street, Queen Village and Pennsport -- all healthy urban neighborhoods. At Second and Washington is the Mummers Museum, arrived at, as every Philadelphian knows, by sauntering down "Two Street" after the parade. Going north, the industrial "demilitarized zone" above Callowhill is still a problem, but just beyond lies Northern Liberties and a full-of-promise Fishtown.
Fifth/Sixth streets: The connection to Independence Mall, though not spectacular, is still a proper start. The opportunity to connect Franklin Square to Washington Square is real if we can come up with a good idea for Franklin Square. The heart of Northern Liberties lies to the north, Society Hill and South Street to the south. Below South Street, Bella Vista has taken off as a new quasi-Center City neighborhood.
Ninth/10th streets: This one appears to be a natural: from Chinatown, which can grow north above Vine, through the Chinatown Gate, all the way to the Italian Market and Washington Avenue in the south, and more Bella Vista in between.
12th/13th streets: If the previous one was a natural, this one is a wannabe. The Convention Center is an obvious anchor, even if its hulky presence is problematic. Both streets are showing signs of life below Market, though it quickly dissolves below South Street. Repair that and it's clear sailing way down into South Philadelphia. Immediately north of the Convention Center is an urban frontier waiting for something. The payoff, long term, is the stable Yorktown neighborhood beyond and Temple University beyond that. This one is worth some serious attention.
15th/16th streets: A solid core all the way from Lombard to Race. The resurrection of the area around Love Park, helped by the new Phoenix Apartments (former INA, former Cigna, former City offices) is a good sign. Hahnemann University Hospital could restore its good name by undertaking some serious initiatives to become a proper urban neighbor (see Pennsylvania Hospital for how it can be done). The area immediately below South Street is in decay and needs help.
18th/19th streets: Another square-to-square connection. In a city founded with a plan for four squares, why wouldn't we concentrate on a loop that connects them? To the north lies the entrance to the Parkway, the library and a much-improved Spring Garden neighborhood. To the south, thanks in part to Graduate Hospital, the residential neighborhoods are getting stronger.
21st/22nd streets: This one is potentially good but without real highs and lows, which tends to keep it below the radar. Ending at Girard College and going through the heart of thriving Fairmount, these streets are a little overburdened by through-traffic in Center City and south, particularly 22nd Street. The crossing at Market Street is weak and needs more development. To the south, the Grays Ferry (SoSo) and Point Breeze neighborhoods have been showing signs of life and beyond that, deep in South Philadelphia, is Girard Estates, a consistently strong place. The really great cities of the world have really great streets in every which direction. Intersections, the lifeblood of urban vitality, are numerous and frequent. Our glass is half full, consistent with our "not-quite-ready-for-primetime" attitude (pronounced "addytood" when the glass is noticeably less than half full). Compared with most American cities, our street network is actually good -- dense, active and diverse. What we lack is a perception, and policy to back it up, about the value of these numbered streets. We have a mindset that sees Center City as just some diamond-studded belt around the waist of an overweight has-been. By altering our perceptions and then our development patterns, we can transform that flawed vision instead into the central motif of an Amish quilt, whose colors and patterns extend all the way to the edge, unifying the whole. Alan Greenberger is a local architect and member of the Design Advocacy Group. 
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