What should happen to Market East?

Picture from hellophiladelphia.com

How to improve Market East has been a discussion point in recent months.  Plan Philly has a new discussion platform on its website and a thread on Market East reminded me of the debate going on.  Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic, Inga Saffron highlighted the troubles facing Market East in her article entitled "Changing Skyline: Putting Pizazz into Market East".  She writes:

 The city is just waking up to the seriousness of the street's decline. Market East is probably the slice of Philadelphia most urgently in need of redevelopment, apart from the Delaware waterfront. As developers like to say, it's the hole in the doughnut, the gap between the tourist anchors of the Convention Center and Independence Mall. Visitors are apparently so reluctant to shop the Gallery that convention planners regularly charter buses to King of Prussia mall.

Saffron is in a large company of people seeking change, but she disagrees with Councilman Frank Dicicco's
plan to allow unfettered signage.  Plan Philly describes Dicicco's plans:

Councilman DiCicco's Outdoor Advertising Bill 100013 takes away the city's ability to regulate signage and will allow massive outdoor advertising signs including LED digitals and rooftop billboards along Market Street between 7th and 13th Street.

I am not sure we want a Time's Square in Center City, but it will be interesting to see what changes happen. For further reading on plans for the Market East redevelopment see: 2009 Strategic Plan for Market East and Center City District's Planning for Growth on Market East