University of Pennsylvania Penn Connects Vision PlanPhiladelphia, PA
University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann's inaugural goal was to "engage locally and globally," but the Schuylkill River and a rail corridor separate the university from Center City Philadelphia. With little room to grow, the university has long eyed 45 acres of riverfront to accommodate growth needs across many schools and sectors. Penn hired Sasaki to design a blueprint for growth over the next half century for multiple university areas – medicine, research, the arts – with the primary goal of reconnecting the university to the river and to Center City. But there were daunting obstacles: Irregular and triangular land configurations; lack of direct roadway access; and multiple working rail lines.
The scheme creates new sports, recreation and public spaces including an extension of Locust Walk, an iconic feature of the main Penn campus. Picking up on the themes of "engagement" and "connection," Sasaki conceived the "Bridges of Connectivity" which serve as the conceptual armature for organizing the major land uses and development zones proposed for the East Campus area: A "Living/Learning Bridge" reestablishes a strong Walnut Street axis and connects to Rittenhouse Square Center City; A "Sports/Recreation Bridge" proposes a dramatic new pedestrian-only cable-stay span and incorporates student life programs like a series of sports and recreation parks along the river adjacent to the existing stadium; A "Health Sciences/Cultural Bridge" at South Street and future "Research Bridge" accommodate health care and research endeavors that are critical for both the university's and city's growth. The plan celebrates East Campus's industrial history while establishing a real physical presence for Penn along the banks of the Schuylkill.
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