The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philadelphia and Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) released “Resilience in Place Management,” a report summarizing a two-day workshop hosted by DRWC on May 1 and 2, 2023. National participants from Brooklyn Bridge Park, Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, Riverlife Pittsburgh, Buffalo Bayou Park, Boston Harbor Now, Downtown Norfolk Council convened in person and virtually to discuss best practices, lessons learned, and ideas for further exploration for managing public spaces through the lens of climate change and resilience.

Representatives from Philadelphia organizations including Fairmount Park Conservancy, University City District, Riverfront North Partnership, and Schuylkill River Development Corporation also contributed to the workshop.

Leading up to the workshop, participants were asked to consider the following questions:

• How do you effectively manage and activate public spaces in the face of evolving climate conditions?
• What are the unique challenges related to providing public space management services in areas featuring a large amount of resilient infrastructure?
• What strategies should be explored to institutionalize equity within operations, particularly from a workforce development perspective?

Once convened in-person and virtually in Philadelphia, three case studies were presented that corresponded to the questions above, each from a different waterfront place-based organization:

• Case Study 1: Presented by DRWC: Resetting and Managing Public Expectations about Recreational Space
• Case Study 2: Presented by Fairmount Park Conservancy: Reimagining Infrastructure in Public and Recreational Spaces
• Case Study 3: Presented by University City District: Green City Works—Building a Resilient Social Enterprise

Participants shared experiences from their own organizations and cities, and collaboratively, strategies were discussed to address climate change impacts on programming in the short-term and considerations for long-term feasibility. During the two-day workshop, participants also toured the waterfront piers and public spaces managed by DRWC and the site of a new public park that will be created through capping over a portion of interstate 95.

The Resilience in Place Management Workshop discussion surfaced several key issues about which participants expressed mutual concerns, frustrations, or interest in seeing more data. These include issues related to insurance and indemnity; upstream (river) threats for waterfront-based organizations; outdated zoning codes; and legislation to enable research and demonstration space. These topics for further discussion and exploration are included in the report.

In 2021, DRWC engaged with ULI for an Advisory Services Panel to examine its plans for managing and developing Philadelphia’s Delaware River Waterfront through a lens of climate change and resilience. The ULI Advisory Services Panel made recommendations to DRWC for addressing flooding risk, and repositioning land and infrastructure with resilient and sustainable investment. The Resilience in Place Management Workshop was an opportunity for DRWC to host like-minded organizations to share best practices, challenges, and firsthand experiences from their waterfronts.

“Climate change has impacted public space management and presents constant challenges. Being able to share experiences with other similar organizations to learn from each other was invaluable and provided openings for further collaboration. DRWC appreciates ULI’s continued support and interest in advancing these conversations,” said Karen Thompson, Director of Planning, Policy, and Engagement at DRWC, on the process and outcomes of the Workshop.

DRWC is a 501(c)(3) created in January 2009, exclusively for the benefit of the City of Philadelphia and its citizens. The fundamental purpose of DRWC is to design, develop, program and maintain public amenities such as permanent and seasonal parks, trails, and streetscape improvements to transform the waterfront into a vibrant destination for recreational, cultural, and commercial activities for the residents and visitors of Philadelphia as is consistent with the goals of the Master Plan for the Central Delaware. Daily programming throughout the entire year is changing the way Philadelphians see and converse about the waterfront, and is helping to create spaces and communities that connect residents and visitors to the waterfront.

To view the full report, visit philadelphia.uli.org.

ULI is grateful for the support of JP Morgan Chase for the Resilience in Place Management Workshop

Workshop Attendees:

Kathy Abbott, President and CEO, Boston Harbor Now, Boston, MA

Christopher Dougherty, Senior Planner and Project Manager, DRWC, Philadelphia, PA

Joseph A. Forkin, President, DRWC, Philadelphia, PA

Matthew Galluzzo, President and Chief Executive Officer, Riverlife, Pittsburgh, PA

Nate Hommel, Director of Planning and Design, University City District, Philadelphia, PA

Jackie Lai, Director of Parks and Attractions, DRWC, Philadelphia, PA

Rachel McCall, Vice President, Downtown Norfolk Council, Norfolk, VA

Stephanie Phillips, Executive Director, Riverfront North Partnership, Philadelphia, PA

Ian M. Rosenberg, Senior Vice President, Capital Projects and Planning, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Houston, TX

Jeffrey Sandgrund, Chief Operating Officer, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, NY

Allison Schapker, Chief Projects Officer, Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia, PA

Laurie Schwartz, President, Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD

Joseph Syrnick, President & CEO, Schuylkill River Development Corporation, Philadelphia, PA

Karen Thompson, Director of Planning, Policy, and Engagement, DRWC, Philadelphia, PA

Lavelle Young, Vice President, Operations, DRWC, Philadelphia, PA

Gavin White, Director of Planning and Projects, Riverlife, Pittsburgh, PA

Lizzie Woods, Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning and Real Estate Development, DRWC, Philadelphia, PA