Stand on the south side of Race Street between 7th and 8th streets. You are now standing in the midst of the former entertainment district that Franklin Square was once known for. Not long after Jane Jacobs observed the square, urban renewal clearance began in this area. In the late 1960s, the commercial buildings on this block were replaced by the Philadelphia Police Headquarters, an iconic modern building known informally as the Roundhouse, and its large parking lot to the rear. Although the headquarters was designed to have a main entrance facing Race Street, this is now closed, as you can see, and the only way in and out is through the parking lot, emphasizing the automobile orientation of the landscape created by urban renewal. The police department has been seeking to move to another location for many years, but any such relocation would involve expense and controversy.
Directly across the street from the police headquarters is another round modern building that was constructed as Metropolitan Hospital in the 1960s. It was closed in the late 1980s and turned into residential condominiums in the mid 2000s.
The public art visible in this urban renewal landscape on Race Street presents a provocative contrast. In front of the former main entrance of the police headquarters there is a conventional, highly representational statue of a policeman carrying a child to safety. Meanwhile, a modern, abstract metal sculpture adorns the lawn of the former hospital across the street. What messages do these artworks send?
You can see the initial plans for this area in the image from the 1962 urban renewal plan. What do these plans and the scene you are observing here suggest to you about the urban and architectural designs used in urban renewal? Do you think they are effective? Why or why not?
Image source: Independence Mall (Unit 4) Redevelopment Area Plan, 1962