Celebrating history and possibility on Market Street
As Philadelphia celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, one of the City’s founding streets is back in the spotlight.
2 min. read
Philadelphia’s Market Street has been something of a bellwether for the changing fortunes of the City itself. Although it served as the City’s central commercial corridor for much of Phildelphia’s history, in recent years the Market East neighborhood has struggled to attract and retain businesses, culminating in a failed proposal to build a sports arena.
Phillips, who is also principal at the Philadelphia firm Interface Studio Architects, leads a coalition of landlords, city officials, and real estate professionals that has activated vacant storefronts across the city since 2023. Last month, thanks to a $1.85 million grant from the City of Philadelphia, Philips and his team launched Meantime on Market, a temporary, eclectic collection of local retailers operating in a refreshed building on the 900 block of Market Street.
“Meantime is about creating the conditions for possibility,” says Phillips. “We’re testing ideas, supporting local talent, and strengthening connections across the city. At the same time, we’re bringing the vibrancy of Philly’s neighborhoods into the heart of the commercial core, putting what makes the city distinct on full display.”
Phillips has led multiple studios at Penn focused on Market East, and he’s not the only faculty member to explore the possibilities for revitalizing the neighborhood. In recent years, students in architecture, historic preservation, and city and regional planning have taken a deep dive into the area’s complex history and conditions.
While most of the activity at Meantime on Market is focused on Philadelphia’s present—from shopping and dining to making art and building community—the project also offers the opportunity for residents and visitors alike to get to know the City’s past better.
The storefront at 930 Market holds a visual history of the street going back to the founding of Philadelphia by William Penn in 1683, when he named it “High Street” following the British tradition for identifying the main commercial corridor. Open by appointment, the exhibition is the work of PennPraxis, the applied research, engagement, and practice arm at the Weitzman School.
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