Editing Bicentennial 1976 (section)

== Penn's Landing and Development ==

Penn's Landing, the waterfront development along the Delaware River, represented the Bicentennial's most lasting physical legacy. Named for William Penn's 1682 arrival, the site had been industrial waterfront until urban renewal cleared it for redevelopment. The Bicentennial accelerated construction of a public promenade, Great Plaza, and amphitheater for events. The International Sculpture Garden displayed works from participating nations. Penn's Landing was intended to be Philadelphia's front door—a welcoming waterfront that would attract visitors and residents alike.<ref name="gallery">{{cite book |last=Gallery |first=John Andrew |title=Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City |year=1994 |publisher=Foundation for Architecture |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

Penn's Landing's long-term success proved elusive. The site lacked direct connections to Center City; the Delaware Expressway (I-95) separated waterfront from downtown. Despite decades of additional planning and investment, Penn's Landing never achieved the vitality that organizers envisioned. It hosted events and attracted weekend visitors but did not become the thriving urban space that comparable waterfronts achieved in other cities. Recent developments, including the capping of I-95 with a park, represent continued efforts to realize Penn's Landing's potential—efforts still ongoing nearly five decades after the Bicentennial.<ref name="weigley"/>