Once outright avoided because of its industrial contamination, waterfronts now represent some of the most valuable and sought-after real estate and public space opportunities in our cities.  William Penn knew the importance of waterfront land when he made the Delaware riverfront all common space, and later requiring public access to the river’s edge when the economic forces became too strong.  With the erection of I-95 along the Delaware, we officially lost our connection to Philadelphia’s original riverfront while park space along the Schuylkill River flourishes.  Different cities around the country have used different approaches to riverfront development, but the most successful ones have emphasized a balance of public space and private development.  Former Mayor John Street commissioned the most recent planning process for the central Delaware, which Mayor Nutter has helped realize by reconstituting the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation and focusing them on implementing the citizen-driven vision.