South Street Bridge

South Street Bridge, Philadelphia

Pont Nuef Bridge, Paris

by Emily Steinberg

After walking over the new South Street bridge on Sunday, I was left feeling underwhelmed and mad. The aesthetic differences between Philadelphia and Paris are clear in so many places, but perhaps no where as clear as in the design of our bridges. In Paris, the bridges are powerful, elegant connectors. Here, we get what resembles a new entry way to a suburban mall. The new South Street Bridge would be more at home in Houston, Texas. It has nothing to do with, nor responds to Philadelphia. What a sad and huge missed opportunity.