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Philadelphia Planning & Policy Issues

Philadelphia Planning & Policy Issues. Exercise 1 for Prof. David Phillips, PLAN-605 TEAM—C: Chris David - Matthew Longacher - Jason Espie - Harry Hilton. Philadelphia. Land area: 135.1 square miles. Population: 1.5 million Population (metro area): 5 million . Philadelphia Key Issues.

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Philadelphia Planning & Policy Issues

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  1. PhiladelphiaPlanning & Policy Issues Exercise 1 for Prof. David Phillips, PLAN-605 TEAM—C: Chris David - Matthew Longacher - Jason Espie - Harry Hilton

  2. Philadelphia Land area: 135.1 square miles Population: 1.5 million Population (metro area): 5 million

  3. PhiladelphiaKey Issues

  4. PhiladelphiaLand Use: Conditions Despite population growth of less than 10% from 1970 to 2000: • 46% increase in residential development • 43% increase in nonresidential development • 34% loss of Agricultural Land Leading to: • Neighborhood deterioration • Environmental degradation • Lack of Open Space Resulting in: SPRAWLING PHILADELPHIA

  5. PhiladelphiaLand Use: Development Conditions Development in 1970 Sprawling Development Patterns Development in 1990

  6. PhiladelphiaLand Use: Response The Public Agrees: Something Must Be Done

  7. PhiladelphiaLand Use: Initiatives • Restore river front as vegetated self-sustaining ecosystem • Link the river to new development within the city and neighborhoods • Build new riverfront neighborhoods Flight or Fight • Concentrate development and infrastructure in older areas • Cut taxes within the city to draw businesses back • Target changes in state policy towards urban revitalization Philadelphia Green • Limit development to designated growth areas • Promote traditional neighborhood development in the suburbs • Encourage infill development • Preserve regional open space • Build community through community gardens, horticultural education, etc. • Revitalize parks and public spaces • Turn vacant urban land into beautiful green space

  8. PhiladelphiaTransportation: Multi-modal Emphasis Freight Transportation • Planning for the continued success of the region as a port of entry • Commuter Services • Work with employers and employees to promote efficient travel Philadelphia Regional Port Authority • Air Travel • Philadelphia International Airport and several smaller airports serve the area Bicycle/Pedestrian • Planning for increased safety and expanded options

  9. PhiladelphiaTransportation: Commuter Information • Facts • More than one half of commutes within the metro area are suburb-to-suburb (57.4%) • More than 40% of African-American and Hispanic populations within the City of Philadelphia lack access to automobiles • Challenges • The proportion of commuters driving alone increased during the 1990s while those utilizing public transportation decreased • The Philadelphia Metro Area is an EPA nonattainment area for both ozone and particulate matter (DVRPC efforts to address)

  10. SEPTA Facts • Fifth largest system in the U.S. (service area of 2200 mi2 and annual ridership of nearly 300 million) • Multi-modal (bus, subway, high speed rail, trackless trolley, regional rail) • Connections to transit systems in New Jersey and Delaware PhiladelphiaTransportation: Public Transit • Funding Crisis • Extreme budget shortfall • Additional funds allocated by governor in January 2005 • Fare hike also expected – resulting fares would be the nation’s highest

  11. PhiladelphiaTransportation: Freight • Current Status • Port of Philadelphia consists of seven marine cargo facilities within the city served by numerous rail lines • In combination with facilities in Camden, New Jersey, one of the world’s busiest freshwater ports and a crucial component of the regional economy • One of 14 strategic military seaports in the U.S. • Planning • Delaware River Channel Deepening Project seen as necessary to accommodate larger vessels • Southport Development Project aims to capitalize on space available for expansion

  12. PhiladelphiaTransportation: Other Considerations Aviation • Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) experiencing significant growth in terms of both passenger and cargo volume Bicycle/Pedestrian • DVRPC efforts have identified key areas for bicycle and pedestrian improvements in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey • City of Philadelphia currently developing a bicycle network master plan

  13. Philadelphia Neighborhoods: Conditions Highest per capita vacancy rate in the country - 26,000 vacant residential structures - 3,000 vacant commercial/industrial

  14. Philadelphia Neighborhoods: Conditions Philadelphia and Camden NJ are each home to large numbers of high Poverty Neighborhoods. Share of persons living in Poverty: 2000 (Brookings Institute Report)

  15. Philadelphia Neighborhoods: Conditions The City of Philadelphia lost population while Suburbs grew. The white population in the Philadelphia region shrank considerably in the central city but increased in the suburbs; all other groups grew in both the city and suburbs (Brookings Institution)

  16. Philadelphia Neighborhoods: Conditions African American: Greatest Concentrations in West Side, Camden and Burlington County NJ Hispanic: Greatest Concentration in North Philadelphia, Kensington and Camden Source : Brookings Institution, US Census 2000

  17. Philadelphia Neighborhoods: Initiatives, Responses Neighborhood Transformation Initiative (NTI) $1.6 billion strategy to rebuild the city's neighborhoods, aims to remove blight and attract private development. Includes such things as: Homeowner programs Anti-predatory lending, homebuyer assistance, home improvement loan assistance, senior housing assistance and repair program, etc. Neighborhood Improvement City Services Abandon car removal program, anti-graffiti efforts, green city strategy, operation safe streets, tree maintenance and planting, vacant lot cleaning and demolition Homeownership Rehabilitation Program Supplementing CDBG funds with NTI bond proceeds also allows the expanded HRP to target households above 80 percent of area median income.

  18. Philadelphia Neighborhoods: Initiatives, Responses • The Reinvestment Fund(public, private partnership) Mission: The Reinvestment Fund, Inc., builds wealth and opportunity for low-wealth communities and low- and moderate-income individuals through the promotion of socially and environmentally responsible development. • Accomplishments Since 1985 include • created, renovated, or preserved over 10,200 housing units, • created or retained over 25,500 jobs, • created, renovated, or preserved over 3.9 million square feet of commercial space, • created or preserved over 12,000 charter school slots, • created or preserved over 10,800 child care slots, • financed 188 businesses, including 21 woman- and 44 minority-owned businesses, • conserved 3.2 million kWh in the past two fiscal years alone, • and created 32 million kWh of clean renewable energy in the past two fiscal years. • Source http://www.trfund.com/

  19. Philadelphia No Child Left Behind Scorecards School District of Philadelphia Pennsylvania State Average Schools passing average yearly progress 15.1% 60.9% Schools making progress: 7.4% .08% Schools being warned: 10.1% 27.1% Schools needing II corrective action: 54% 4.7% Education: Conditions School District of Philadelphia: A Failing Grade Correction II status: Schools have failed AYP for 5 years or more, making them eligible for ‘reconstitution’ leadership and curricula change, conversion to charter school, or privatization.

  20. Philadelphia Education: The Response School Reform Commission and Privatization 2001 – 45 Schools Privatized. Managed by Education Management Organizations (EMOs) such as Edison and Chancellor Beacon Academies. (Controversy) 2004 Declaration of Education – School Reform continues to be focus of Mayoral Office. 2005 Mayor appoints new head of Philadelphia School Reform Commission (SRC)

  21. Philadelphia Education: The Response Youth and After school Programs • Tools for Schools Program • Safe and Sound – after school programs • Philadelphia Citizen for Children and Youth • Neighborhood Bike Works • Other private and public (City) initiatives

  22. PhiladelphiaEconomic Development

  23. PhiladelphiaA NEW RIVER-CITY OBJECTIVES OF THE CONCEPT PLAN Build new riverfront neighborhoods and public recreational amenities Link the river and new development back into the City and neighborhoods ESTABLISH NEW MIXTURES Mix port activity, commerce, dwelling, leisure, nature, water-related programs A new, vibrant mix of new uses without loss of juxtaposition, contrast in scale, tension and “still-working” character of the riverfront REALIZE POTENTIALS Foster new types of Residential and Community Development Establish sustainable and healthy ecologies

  24. PhiladelphiaRiver City NORTH DELAWARE RIVERFRONT, PHILADELPHIA A LONG-TERM VISION FOR RENEWAL AND REDEVELOPMENT The Vision There is currently a great opportunity for the City of Philadelphia to transform its relationship to the Delaware River. This opportunity exists because of the shift from industrial economies once centered on the Riverfront to new service and information technologies, and the subsequent shift of the river from a corridor of industry and shipping to one of recreation, leisure and vista.

  25. Philadelphia University City Among the goals of the plan are reduced crime and blight, increased job opportunities, and improved quality of life. The plan is structured around five core principles that were articulated by university officials: clean and safe streets; housing and homeownership; improved public education; economic development; and commercial development.

  26. Philadelphia University City “[Penn] has gone on colossal building binges, ripping up whole neighborhoods like some crazed Eastern European dictator, displacing residents and businesses for its own high-minded imperial aims.”Samuel Hughes, “The Philadelphia Story,” Pennsylvania Gazette, November 1997 Schuylkill West Bank is a district where the growth of Center City and the universities will bring about a transformation that will be recognized by citizens throughout the region. Schuylkill West Bank http://partners.upenn.edu/wp/plan

  27. PhiladelphiaUniversity City A precondition for gentrified development: “a population of low-income [residents] with little political or economic power to fight for their territory” –Gonzalez– "Penn sincerely wants to make University City to Philadelphia what Cambridge is to Boston.

  28. PhiladelphiaHappiness Riverfront University City

  29. Urban Renewal — Redevelopment — Reinvestment www.hnwatson.com

  30. PhiladelphiaLinks Are people happy?

  31. PhiladelphiaLinks: River City Plan anything

  32. PhiladelphiaLINKS: PCPC

  33. PhiladelphiaLINKS: Affordable Housing In the language of politicians, city planners, and developers, "affordable housing" (housing that poor and "lower" class people can afford) is turned into "market rate housing," which often means housing that only upper income people can afford.

  34. PhiladelphiaLINKS Neighborhood Organizations … the neighborhood's best shot at maintaining a mixture of truly affordable and market rate housing is local political involvement by residents who identify themselves as real stakeholders in support of [the] goal. —Dan Knauss—

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