The Final Master Plan

A final plan for the renovation of Dickinson Square Park is now available for download.  Actual construction is slated to begin in the Fall of 2011 and last through the Spring of 2012. 

By the Summer of 2012, the Park will have been completely renovated, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

The Master Plan was crafted by Deborah Cahill, the City of Philadelphia landscape architect the Department of Recreation, and the firm of Lager Raabe Skafte Landscape Architects, Inc.  Included are the choices for playground equipment, lighting, new trees, and optional add-ons. 

 DSP Master Plan Final 2011 (6.4 MB)

The planning process for the renovation of the Park began in 2008.  As a part of the process, a Master Plan was developed jointly between the Friends of Dickinson Square Park and Volunteers for the Community Design Collaborative.  The Master Plan represented a giant leap forward in providing an articulated vision, complete with itemized cost estimates, of the complete renovation of the Park. 

Dickinson Square Park has not seen any fundamental physical renovations in the previous 25 years.  The Friends have planted trees, shrubbery, and flowers, and have helped to keep the Park clean and pleasant, but significant swaths of pavement are in disrepair, the playground equipment is outdated, the electric lighting leaves much to be desired, and the trees and lawn areas have not been maintained.  

The Master Plan addresses all of these issues, but goes further in envisioning the Park in the context of a true public place, where not only children play and people walk their dogs (always on a leash), but where people gather for activities ranging from movies and concerts to workshops, and where neighbors gather to chat, catch up, stay connected, and truly be that rarest of animals: a vibrant urban community that's a great place to live.

Funding
Funding for the renovations came from a combined grant from the City of Philadelphia, the State of Pennsylvania, and additional help from Councilman Frank DiCiccio and Fairmount Park Commissioner Michael DiBerardinis. 

The Friends of Dickinson Square Park has no control over the funding, and we have not received (directly or indirectly) any funding related to this project. 

We have merely acted as informal advisors and liaison to the community.

This Master Plan represents the actual planning and budgeting that will make the complete renovation of the Park a reality.