Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects’ urban planning study for South George Street in York City
York, Pennsylvania has a downtown population of roughly 45,000 people, with many of these residents and other visitors using South George Street as a major corridor heading into the city.
Given South George Street’s high-traffic popularity, it makes sense to build out a revitalization plan. With the help of key partners and stakeholders, that’s exactly what we at Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects are doing.
Permission to thrive
Harper Kvasnovsky, Associate and Architectural Designer at Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects, has her hands in M&D’s South George Street urban planning study.
Kvasnovsky has identified numerous street and infrastructure improvement opportunities, including streetscape projects, development/renovation opportunities, and pedestrian and bicycle access priorities.
“I did a similar project for Penn Street on a slightly smaller scale on the western side of the city,” she notes. “In both cases, it’s been rewarding. It’s one of those projects where you’re talking to the community and you’re hearing firsthand what could really make a difference.”
Currently at the tail end of the analysis stage where the team is identifying big ideas, M&D has heard from myriad stakeholders who have acknowledged their interest in being involved in this project. We’ve held upwards of 30 stakeholder meetings with York City, government organizations, anchor institutions, residents, and nonprofits like Crispus Attucks, plus supporters like York County Community Foundation and Powder Mill Foundation. This has given us the opportunity to gather diverse perspectives for the 1.1-mile stretch of South George St. from the York Hospital to Continental Square.
That’s not to mention the youth insights we’ve collected—in the 2025 summertime Architecture, Planning & Design Program for high school students in collaboration with Crispus Attucks York, we received crucial perspectives on this project from local high schoolers themselves.
Our goal for the South George Street physical vision planning study? Identify specific recommendations for improvement projects/initiatives, who can head up each effort, and where funding could come from.
See below for photos of the existing South George Street corridor:
So far, Kvasnovsky said the sentiment around the vision plan has been almost entirely positive, which helps the community get past the inevitable obstacles for this kind of vision.
“Money is always part of the equation. We do have a lot of support from nonprofits and other groups that will hopefully fill those gaps,” she says. “And when you’re dealing with that many people, there’s going to be differing opinions, so we’ll ultimately have to compromise on some things.”
What’s important, though, is that South George Street in York City serves people in ways they want and need, pushing the major downtown corridor into the future with respect.
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Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects is working hard and collaborating with the community on an urban planning study for South George Street in York City.