ABSTRACT
Located on the southwestern quadrant of central Philadelphia, Rittenhouse Square, named after astronomer David Rittenhouse, was redesigned by Paul Cret in 1913. The diverse businesses and residences in the surrounding neighborhood include the Curtis Institute of Music, the Church of the Holy Trinity, several hotels, cafés and condominiums. The presence of condominiums, which have increased substantially since the mid-1990s, more than likely contribute the greatest activity to the square. Unlike civic squares in central business districts such as downtown Washington, DC, Rittenhouse Square remains active into the evenings and on the weekends. Both allowing and reinforcing these activities are zoning rules that allow for outdoor cafés and restaurants on and near the park (Huffman 2006: 108-109). Moreover, just as immediate surroundings are
important, so too are the more distant surroundings. People walk from neighborhoods southwest through Rittenhouse Square toward City Hall, the Penn Center and the business district along Market Street.
