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Design Teams Share Concepts For Ben Franklin Parkway's Bold Facelift

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia's iconic Ben Franklin Parkway is getting a facelift, one that will be bold and more pedestrian-friendly. The city has invited three internationally-renowned design teams to share their concepts.

CBS3 is giving you an exclusive look at their designs before they're presented at a public forum Wednesday night.

The idea is to make the parkway safer, more vibrant and inviting while improving access.

"We just need better ways to get in and around the parkway to get to the cultural institutions, but also just to get access to the public space. How do we really claim the parkway as a public space?" Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell said. "How do we make sure that there's amenities and attractions and experiences along the parkway that are going to invite people not just to drive down it, not just to step on it when they go to visit a museum, but to spend time on the parkway?"

The full design concepts will be made public Thursday morning.

The design team will be selected this fall.

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