Bainbridge Street between 3rd and 5th Streets has shape-shifted over the past century, reflecting each generation's idea about what the city needed—a public market, a formal public park, or convenient parking to aid South Street's revitalization. Now, Friends of Bainbridge Green is looking both backwards and forwards. The group wants to bring back green spaces and gathering places back to Bainbridge. It also wants to use the blocks to support the city’s environmental sustainability.

The Collaborative worked with the Friends of Bainbridge Green to synthesize their ideas. Our recently completed conceptual design lays out plans to expand the existing traffic islands and modest seating areas into four plazas and change traffic circulation to favor pedestrians over cars (no more turnaround lane at Bainbridge and 4th to get to that available parking space quickly). What's more, the plan illustrates how underground stormwater detention/infiltration basins and rain gardens can be an integral part of the redesigned plazas.

In "New Vision for Public Space at Bainbridge Green," Jonathan Rubin, chair of Friends of Bainbridge Green, told Plan Philly’s Ashley Hahn, "I am most excited about the plaza spaces, providing common areas for fun programming... and a place for people to sit and talk...  neighbors to get to know each other... [and] a draw for visitors to Fabric Row."

The conceptual design will get a public reveal at the Bainbridge Green Festival on May 10.