Changing Skyline: City must take broad view when considering boathouse proposal

The lush, sinuous banks of the Schuylkill between Boathouse Row and the Falls Bridge are one of Philadelphia's glory spots, the landscape equivalent of a great architectural ensemble. It's a treasure that deserves kid-glove care, and yet over the last two decades, the precious parkland has been a victim of almost serial abuse. Historic boathouses have been left to crumble. Second-rate newcomers have been plopped onto the scenic riverfront as casually as fast-food joints on a highway strip.