AutoCAD, SketchUp, Rhino, Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

Submitted as part of the Thomas Jefferson University Market East Proposal

Group Project with James Schroeter

Across the United States and around the world, many urban corridors face the same conditions seen on Market East: disinvestment, fragmented public space, unsafe walking conditions, weak ecological performance, and a street hierarchy that gives too much priority to cars and too little to people. These are not isolated problems. They are common urban challenges that shape how residents move, gather, do business, and experience civic life.

Market East offers Philadelphia an opportunity to demonstrate another path. The corridor sits at the center of the city’s civic, cultural, and institutional life, yet today it functions far below its potential as public space. Rather than treating these constraints as signs of decline, this proposal treats them as opportunities for leadership, design innovation, and long-term public investment.

Our goal is not simply to beautify the corridor. It is to create a people-first public realm that is greener, safer, and more usable every day. By reclaiming space for pedestrians, improving transit and bicycle infrastructure, strengthening ecological performance, and creating a more welcoming and coherent streetscape, Market East can become a stronger connector between institutions, neighborhoods, and public destinations.

In that sense, this proposal is not only about one corridor in Philadelphia. It is about creating a replicable model for other cities facing similar conditions. Market East can show how thoughtful investment in the public realm can reshape urban life, strengthen community identity, and set a new standard for what major city streets can become.