Editing Society Hill Restoration (section)

== Planning Approach ==

The Society Hill restoration combined several strategies that distinguished it from conventional urban renewal. The Dock Street market was relocated to new facilities in South Philadelphia, removing the commercial activity incompatible with residential use. Individual historic buildings were sold for rehabilitation rather than demolished, with deed restrictions requiring buyers to complete restoration according to approved standards. New construction on cleared sites was required to complement rather than compete with historic structures, with the modernist Society Hill Towers by I.M. Pei providing dramatic contrast while respecting neighborhood scale at ground level.<ref name="bacon"/>

The Redevelopment Authority's "certified" house program sold historic properties at nominal prices to buyers who agreed to restoration requirements. This approach leveraged private investment for public benefit, with homeowners providing the capital for restoration that government could not afford. The program attracted young professionals and others willing to invest "sweat equity" in deteriorated properties, creating a community invested in the neighborhood's success. This model of incentivized private restoration has since been adopted for historic neighborhoods throughout the country.<ref name="gallery"/>