Evolving Visions of Waterfront Development in Postindustrial Philadelphia: The Formative Role of Elite Ideologies

This article seeks to illuminate the role of elite ideologies in understanding how cities have sought to transform their waterfronts during the postindustrial era. A case study of Philadelphia's long-term efforts to develop Penn's Landing, a valuable thirty-five-acre site along the Delaware River at the eastern edge of Center City, reveals how shifting perspectives among mayors, their top advisors, and leading activists with respect to the proper scope of government and the appropriate source of political power have resulted in significant changes in the city's approach to waterfront planning and policy making.