SOUTH WETLANDS PARK

OLIN’s open space vision for the 2012 Master Plan for the Central Delaware called for an extensive wetlands park on the derelict piers and silted in slips south of Washington Avenue. In 2019, OLIN led a team that developed a conceptual plan and preliminary documentation for the first phase of this wetlands park. South Wetlands Park will serve as a critical urban link between the residents of South Philadelphia and an ecologically robust Delaware River waterfront. It is an opportunity to engage adjacent neighborhoods in meaningful ways, to reinvigorate and protect an endangered habitat, and to create a space for residents to become stewards of their environment. OLIN’s vision is access to wild beauty for all: a place where Philadelphians can immerse themselves in the very ecology that sustains the planet and its inhabitants.

OLIN’s engagement strategy meets people where they are while seeking to educate the public about wetland ecology and build a community of stewards for the park. Early engagement events included an on-site “walkshop” with leaders of South Philadelphia RCOs, a pop-up event at the nearby big-box shopping center, and a Bioblitz that trained attendees in citizen science, documenting existing flora and fauna using iNaturalist. Data captured during the Bioblitz was combined with the results of our ecologist’s professional survey, and can be updated through iNaturalist as the park is established and the habitat grows more complex. In October 2024 we conducted another Bioblitz to update findings and re-engage members of the public after a pause in the project. At the same time, we have continued to update an interactive online 3D model of the proposed design that was developed to support digital engagement during the pandemic.

The design team is currently completing design development for the park, and will be applying for state and federal permits in the first quarter of 2025.

Location
Philadelphia, PA

Owner
Delaware River Waterfront Corporation

Status
In Progress

Key Team Members
Lucinda Sanders, Partner-in-Charge
Michael Miller, Project Manager
Andrew Dobshinsky, Associate, Engagement Lead
Kate Farquhar, Landscape Architect
Evan McNaught, Landscape Designer