Editing Five Public Squares (section)

== Penn's Vision ==

William Penn's inclusion of public squares in his city plan reflected both practical concerns and idealistic vision. Having witnessed the Great Fire of London in 1666, which destroyed much of the crowded medieval city, Penn sought to create urban spaces that would resist fire and promote health. Open squares would serve as firebreaks, preventing flames from spreading across entire neighborhoods. They would also provide fresh air and sunlight in a city that Penn hoped would remain spacious, with each house standing in the middle of its lot surrounded by gardens. The squares represented Penn's belief that public amenities should be accessible to all citizens, not reserved for the wealthy—a democratic impulse rooted in his Quaker faith.<ref name="bronner">{{cite book |last=Bronner |first=Edwin B. |title=William Penn's "Holy Experiment": The Founding of Pennsylvania, 1681-1701 |year=1962 |publisher=Temple University Publications |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

[[Thomas Holme]], Penn's surveyor, positioned the squares strategically within the grid. Centre Square occupied the intersection of Broad Street and High Street (now Market Street), marking the geometric and symbolic center of the city. Penn intended this square to eventually host important public buildings, though development proceeded slowly and the square remained largely open for its first two centuries. The four corner squares were distributed to ensure that residents throughout the city had convenient access to public open space. Each square measured approximately eight acres in Penn's original plan, though later development has altered their sizes and configurations.<ref name="reps">{{cite book |last=Reps |first=John W. |title=The Making of Urban America: A History of City Planning in the United States |year=1965 |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton, NJ}}</ref>