Editing Bicentennial 1976 (section)

== Planning and Preparation ==

Philadelphia began planning for the Bicentennial in the 1960s, with civic leaders hoping to use the anniversary as catalyst for urban renewal. Initial plans were ambitious: a massive exposition, major construction along the Delaware waterfront, transportation improvements, and cultural programming that would draw tens of millions of visitors. The Philadelphia 1976 Bicentennial Corporation was established to coordinate planning. Federal funding was expected to support major projects. Organizers envisioned a world's fair that would rival the [[Centennial Exposition of 1876]], transforming Philadelphia's waterfront and establishing the city as a major tourist destination.<ref name="cohen">{{cite journal |last=Cohen |first=Lizabeth |title=A Consumers' Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America |journal=Journal of Consumer Research |year=2004 |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=236-239}}</ref>

The ambitious plans collided with 1970s reality. Federal funding proved less generous than hoped. Nixon administration officials were unenthusiastic about a celebration in a Democratic city. Community opposition blocked some projects; economic conditions limited others. The planned world's fair was scaled back, then abandoned. The centerpiece Penn's Landing development was reduced from original visions. By the time 1976 arrived, the Bicentennial in Philadelphia was a more modest celebration than planners had envisioned—still significant, but not the transformative event they had hoped for.<ref name="weigley"/>