Kensington & Allegheny Avenues Streetscape Design
Philadelphia, PA
Seeking to restore the intersection of Kensington and Allegheny Avenues, once the thriving “Heart of Kensington,” Impact Services Corporation hired Interface Studio and CityPlay to develop an innovative and implementable streetscape improvement plan for the now struggling commercial corridors and existing transit hub. Immediate action items complement long-term intervention strategies, yielding an incremental investment approach focused on the look and feel of each Avenue.
The design for Kensington Avenue highlights the main intersections with color and visible signage as breathing spaces along the canopied corridor, which lies in the shadow of elevated subway tracks. As focal points along Kensington, the string of celebrated intersections link the parks that anchor the commercial corridor while also helping pedestrians and motorists navigate the strip.
Allegheny Avenue is envisioned as a continuous linear park. Rows of plantings articulate lanes for foot-traffic and spaces for leisure along the generous sidewalks. Permeable paving along the median and parking lanes will create visible breaks in the wide street with the added benefit of improved stormwater management.
Since completion of the work, Impact Services Corporation has raised funds and brought many improvements to the area, including new murals, dramatic LED lighting of key structures, solar-powered trash cans, and targeted management of vacant lots in the area.
Client: Impact Services Corporation
Project Team: CityPlay, Inc.
