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Philadelphia asks students to develop ideas for very long, thin parks

The northeastern US city of Philadelphia has asked university students to develop ways to turn an abandoned network of 115-year old rail lines into a multifunctional park.

The task is part of this year’s "Better Philadelphia Challenge". Entrants are encouraged to see the 4.8km Rail Park Tunnel "as a series of interconnected neighborhood gathering spaces" that should focus on "health and wellness, arts and culture, and environmental and educational programming, as well as serving as a bicycle and pedestrian thoroughfare".

Submissions should focus on four main areas: access, mobility, safety and fun.

Philadelphia’s Centre for Architecture and Design says designs should "improve access to, transit through, lighting in and programming for the Rail Park Tunnel, making this covered section a useful, fun, and safe public space for all".

The competition is open to undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students in any field of study.

The centre says the most successful entries "tend to come from teams that include students from a range of majors, including architecture, urban planning, design, landscape architecture, business, political science".

The deadline for submissions is the 28 of October 2016.

Read more about the competition and enter here.

Image via Philadelphia’s Centre for Architecture and Design

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