The waterfront in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is a dynamic and evolving environment which plays a central role in the social, economic, and environmental fabric of the region and presents opportunities and challenges to communities both near and far to the water. DVRPC provides planning services that take this role into account through plans and studies that focus on public access, coastal hazards, transportation, environmental quality, community revitalization, and more.
A River Reconnected
Stretching from Morrisville to Marcus Hook, the coastal waterfront of Pennsylvania is a vast and dynamic system. Throughout this area, the level of public access to the waterfront varies tremendously from quiet and remote parks to urban trails visited by millions of people a year. A River Reconnected is a research study that describes in detail the historical trends, present-day projects, and future plans of this access. It also explores the barriers to access experienced throughout the region, highlights the benefits of improving and increasing access, and concludes with a series of recommendations that will help increase the quality and quantity of public access opportunities. In describing many specific details regarding public access to the Tidal Delaware, this report also serves to explore how waterfront access priorities have shifted in the past few decades toward increasing public access. Although significant obstacles remain, present-day political, planning, and development trends are increasingly aligned on the importance of public access and reconnecting the river to the communities along its banks.