Client: City of Philadelphia, PennDOT

The Chinatown Stitch Market Stall is a pilot project of the Philadelphia Chinatown Stitch Project—a proposed cap park that reconnects Philadelphia’s Chinatown, which was divided by the construction of the I-676 highway.

The pilot project is designed to meet the community’s top priority for a market space ahead of the permanent cap park, which will take years to complete. These stalls function as urban furniture on regular days and seamlessly transform into market structures during festivals. Their modular design allows for various layouts, supporting diverse programming such as outdoor libraries, markets, movie nights, exhibitions, playscapes, and more. As an experimental pilot, the stalls invite community participation in redefining how public space is used, while exploring revenue generation opportunities for the future park. Most importantly, they serve as a powerful tool for promoting equitable development, potentially slowing displacement and gentrification.

YH LAB is leading the pilot project, guiding the process from visionary planning and urban element design to site selection, funding acquisition, and permit preparation, as well as collaborating with fabricators for construction and developing operational and maintenance plans for the Market Stalls. WSP is the primary consultant for the Chinatown Stitch Project.