Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods Through Design

LEVERAGE

In 2011 the Community Design Collaborative celebrates two decades of STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH DESIGN COMMUNITY DESIGN COLLABORATIVE providing pro bono design services to nonproﬁ t organizations in Philadelphia and the region. LEVERAGE showcases the approach and success of this groundbreaking community design center. LEVERAGE HOW THE COMMUNITY DESIGN COLLABORATIVE Proﬁ les of 20 key projects highlight how the Collaborative transforms its values into three dimensions, on projects large and small. A series of essays considers the role of designers as advocates and policymakers, the future of design STRENGTHENING activism, and how the Collaborative has contributed to design excellence in IS CHANGING THE URBAN LANDSCAPE OF PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia and beyond.

LEVERAGE was created for readers interested in the role of cities, as well as for architects, designers, and nonproﬁ t leaders who view thoughtful, innovative NEIGHBORHOODS design as a strategy to create and sustain vital urban places. EDITED BY BETH MILLER AND TODD WOODWARD THROUGH DESIGN

www.cdesignc.org

LEVERAGE STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH DESIGN

Edited by Beth Miller and Todd Woodward Community Design Collaborative, Philadelphia First Edition ISBN 13: 978-0-615-52450-4 Copyright 2011 © The Community Design Collaborative Printed and Bound in Canada by the Proliﬁ c Group All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without The body text is set in Whitney. The 360° sections are permission from the publisher. set in Adobe Caslon Pro. The text is printed on two di erent papers. All pages except for the 360° sections are printed on 80lb Rolland Enviro 100 Satin. The 360° sections are printed First published in the United States of America by on 80lb Starbrite Gloss. The cover is printed on 12 point The Community Design Collaborative, Publishers Carolina C1S with a matte ﬁ lm lamination. www.cdesignc.org

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Photography: Brawer & Hauptman: 111, 112 bwa architecture + planning: 5, 55, 64, 65, 73 bwa architecture + planning/Don Pearse Photographers: 70, 73 Mark Garvin: 3, 5, 17, 18, 60, 93, 101 Carryn M. Golden: 39, 69, 98 Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia: 76 Raymond W. Holman, Jr. Photography: 10, 61, 82, inside front and back cover Interface Studio Architects LLC: 66, 69 Kelly/Maiello, Inc. Archtitects & Planners © Halkin Photography LLC: 42 Peter J. Kubilis: cover, 58, 74, 75 Lager Raabe Skafte Landscape Architects, Inc.: 38, 40 Wynne Levy: 10, 15, 32, 35, 44, 49, 87, 94, 106, 109 Haley Loram: 71 Sam Oberter: 68 Spiral Q Puppet Theater: 103 Studio Agoos Lovera and Matt Wargo: 78, 79 Andrew Toy: 5, 21, 30, 35 Pablo Virgo: 104 THROUGH DESIGN NEIGHBORHOODS STRENGTHENING LEVERAGE 54 D esign 20 C 92 6 Foreword: The Origins of the 50 When Is Collaboration 22 56 94 Community Design Collaborative Like Construction? Community Legal Oxford Street Wynne Theater

in Philadelphia Mark Alan Hughes Services of Philadelphia C Don Matzkin 60 98 ollaboration

83 A 360° View, Part III: Where the ommunity 24 The “New Angle Lounge” Weavers Way 8 Introduction: Collaborative Should Go from Here Mt. Airy Presbyterian as “Trilogy” Ogontz Unapologetically Urban Church Beth Miller 88 At the Margins: Politics 62 102 and Design Now 28 Byron Story Foundation Spiral Q Puppet 11 A 360° View of the Collaborative Sally Harrison rStore Program Theater Maurice Cox and Alan Greenberger 66 116 Design Is the Future 32 APM at Sheridan Street 106 12 A 360° View, Part I: What the Brian Phillips and Todd Woodward Greenfi eld Home and Programs Employing Collaborative Does Well School Association 70 People 120 An Overview of the Collaborative Mt. Tabor Cyber Village 16 Building Toward the Public Interest: Beth Miller 36 110 The National Signifi cance of the Roxborough 74 Narberth Community Collaborative 122 The Collaborative Community Development Habitat for Humanity Library Jess Zimbabwe Corporation Philadelphia 126 Contributors 114 45 A 360° View, Part II: The Power 38 78 Allegheny West of Design 128 Acknowledgments Cedar Park Simons Recreation Foundaton Center 42 North Philadelphia Community Help BY DON MATZKIN In the Beginning accruing to it, and, because the YAF was an AIA proj- First, we invited participation from anyone who ect, the chapter sought control of the Collaborative. wanted in: anyone feeling they had something to Obviously, both issues were resolved satisfactorily, Foreword: The Origins of the contribute or just wanted to be intoxicated by the with the Collaborative acquiring its own corporate ferment. They were architects, planners, landscape status and 501(c)(3) tax designation. architects, interior designers, graphic artists, and Community Design Collaborative activists—AIA and anti-AIA. There was no set struc- Since the Beginning ture or established leadership. If you were there, The experience of the Collaborative’s gestation and you were an essential participant in the process and the aura that enveloped it at the time have carried part of the leadership. Decision making followed the it forward, and they are refl ected today in how it Quaker way of consensus. performs its services, relates to clients, conducts Second, we let it take its own sweet time, meeting business, governs its operation, and envisions its WE ALL KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS to start anything up, rejuvenating the commercial district surrounding regularly—weekly, for a while—over the better part future. Having been only peripherally involved with much less keep it running and growing successfully Amtrak’s then-dilapidated North Philadelphia Sta- of two years. The fi rst project engagement, a master the organization after its birth, it strikes me now that for twenty years. The creation of the Collaborative tion, thereby bringing widespread, much-needed plan for the expansion of a church in Southwest the Collaborative has made the most of the sense of was a joy from the beginning. attention to conditions in North Central Philly—and, Philly, was conducted in the summer of 1990 by service, interactivity, and collegiality that surrounded Inspiration was derived from the Philadelphia by extension, many other neighborhoods of the city. Robin Kohles, Alice Dommert, and myself. It expired, its founding. The special initiatives mounted by the Architects’ Workshop, an early community design Vehicle was provided by the Young Architects stillborn, as a result of the overreaching of a newly Collaborative, for example, have been spawned workshop founded in the late 1960s by Hugh Zim- Forum Philadelphia (YAF), another project of the hired pastor, in a failed attempt to simultaneously by and derive their power from the neighborhood mers via the Philadelphia chapter of the American AIA, designed to attract younger practitioners and establish and expand his turf. It taught us a valuable service projects that are the mainstay of the Collab- Institute of Architects (AIA). In its successful early interns to the fold, including those who had become lesson in establishing project selection criteria. orative’s mission. And the relevance and authenticity years, the Workshop was led by Hugh and longtime disenchanted with what they saw as an indi erence Third, we resisted as long as possible—perhaps of these initiatives are reinforced through the direct architectural director, the late (and much beloved) to the deteriorated physical and social conditions in longer than necessary—the impulse to establish participation of the Collaborative’s client groups. Gray Smith, an activist to the end. The mission of the our great urban centers. YAF became a vehicle for a formal structure, reveling in the creative high of It will only get better. Workshop was very much what we later adopted for these folks to become engaged in their communities anarchy in action. Leadership emerged and struc- the Collaborative: planning and design support for and, as a result of that engagement, to strengthen ture evolved organically, and the right person for community groups and other nonprofi t, community- both the communities and the AIA. What better a particular task never failed to step up at just the based organizations in support of their e orts to locus for the generation of an operation such as the right time. bootstrap their neighborhoods. Collaborative? Fourth, we solicited, and received, the support of Need was demonstrated by the Regional/Urban Fuel was provided by the latent energy AIA Philly in the form of workspace and a modest Design Action Team (R/UDAT) Philadelphia, a within YAF, as well as the pent-up desire within start-up stipend. But not until we smoothed over planning and design charrette sponsored by AIA all the design professions to do something. a couple rough spots: the chapter needed to be National on the cusp of the 1990s that focused on assured that there would be no liability consequences

6 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 7 BY BETH MILLER The essays included here were generously contributed by some leading thinkers (and doers) in design and the evolving role of architecture today. In addition, we have interspersed excerpts from a wide-ranging conversation with Maurice Cox and Alan Introduction: Greenberger, who were kind enough to share their perceptions of the Collaborative and the role of community design in our cities. We hope these excerpts inspire even more dialogues among our readers. Unapologetically Urban As Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has said, design is not a luxury. Good urban design, architecture, and planning are critical to creating thriving, sustainable neighborhoods. Design can promote healthy communities by delivering built-in features that attend to specifi c communal needs. Public safety, commodity access, and neighborhood identity are a few of the many factors that quality design can infl uence signifi cantly. Design works to reknit and revitalize urban neighborhoods. ONE THING WE KNOW AT THE COLLABORATIVE is that community development can be a Cities with good bones and infrastructure are the ultimate canvas for sustainable long and tedious process. Since our founding in 1991 by a group of dedicated and self- initiatives. Over the past sixty years, public policy has tended to direct investment described “anarchist architects,” our portfolio has grown to include more than fi ve hundred outside urban centers. After six decades of shrinking, Philadelphia’s population decline community-initiated projects. Of those, perhaps maybe fi fty—about ten percent—have has stabilized and we’re beginning to grow again. The city is taking advantage of this been built. Of those, most have taken fi ve to ten years to realize. momentum by investing in zoning reform and in Philadelphia 2035—the fi rst compre- Our services are deliberately narrow. We provide only the fi rst ten percent of design hensive plan in a generation. services—an initial step that connects community groups with design professionals. We Design is not the only factor at play in our neighborhoods, but it is a critical tool encourage groups receiving service grants to share their vision with a local task force. for evaluating ways to turn obstacles into assets. Even more importantly, community We also require volunteer teams to test their design interventions through peer-to-peer design—integrating planning and design services with community development—further project reviews at mid- and fi nal points in their conceptual design. engages residents, businesses, government representatives, and nonprofi ts as advocates There is nothing more gratifying than walking by a former vacant site that has been for quality places to work, play, learn, worship, and thrive. We’re proud to continue our transformed for a productive new use—such as a ordable housing for seniors or a work toward this end, and feel fortunate to have had the opportunity over the past two restored park—to remind you that the tedium and perseverance necessary to make the decades in the life of this city—and this country—to do our part. transformation was worthwhile. We’re excited to celebrate the past two decades of the Collaborative’s work with this book, which details twenty projects that represent the wide variety of clients and volunteers with whom we’ve had the privilege of working. This volume is one way we hope to recognize the innumerable hours these dedicated professionals have spent over these past twenty years talking, looking, questioning, and designing with us. And we’re con- stantly reinvesting the lessons learned from one project into our best e orts for the next.

8 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 9 A 360° View of the Collaborative

On March 8, 2011, the Community Design Collaborative’s Executive Director Beth Miller and Advisory Council member Todd Woodward sat down for a roundtable discussion with Alan Greenberger and Maurice Cox, to IMAGE draw upon their local and national expertise in architecture, urban planning, and community design. e conversation focused on the Collaborative and its impact—past, present, Beth Miler (top left) is Executive Todd Woodward (top right) is and future—and the potential roles for similar organizations Director of the Community Design an architect and member of the within urban environments. Collaborative. Collaborative's Advisory Council.

Alan Greenberger (bottom left) Maurice Cox (bottom right) is Deputy Mayor for Planning is Associate Professor at the Rather than presenting the ideas that emerged in the form and Economic Development and University of Virginia’s School of of an essay, we o er here—in three sections, throughout Director of Commerce for the City Architecture, the former mayor of of Philadelphia. Charlottesville, Virginia, and former the book—a series of excerpts from that conversation. e Director of Design for the National excerpts are organized by topic, which include: What the Endowment for the Arts. Collaborative Does Well (Connecting the Grassroots with the Grass Tops, Supporting Commercial Corridors, For detailed bios, see p. 126. and Translating Lessons Learned); e Power of Design (Building Political Awareness, Tackling Problems as Designers, Approaches to In ll Housing, and Design versus Implementation); and Where the Collaborative Should Go from Here ( e Project-Formation Business, Making Cities the Client, Seizing Philadelphia’s “Planning Moment,” and Institutionalizing Good Design). We hope that within these threads of conversation you will see resonances with the essays and project pro les.

10 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 11 percent occupancy over ve blocks. careful shopkeeper who takes care of his prop- Beth: ose small-scale interventions are A 360° View, Part I: What the Collaborative Does Well erty and is concerned about the well-being of critical for organizing and preparing the Maurice: ere is an enormous opportunity to the pizza guy next door. Management of these community for future implementations. reinforce local retail and to create more prox- corridors and thinking about retail strategies imity and synergy around locally supported are di erent from how we used to think about businesses, and support centers for entrepre- them; there are new players who are (and are neurship, as opposed to an urban Target model. not) now in the mix. Not every corridor is to talk about intervention on a block, Beth Miller: It’s like a series of steady So many cities look for big bang, as opposed going to have a supermarket. Translating Connecting the they’re building their ability to talk about drips, and then someone who can help to the ne-grained, one-o , quirky neighbor- larger, more challenging undertakings. For connect all of that. We talk about joining hood character that comes from getting people Beth: But every corridor might have an archi- Lessons Learned Grass Roots with that, inevitably, politicians need commu- the grass roots and the grass tops. involved in local businesses. tect—a small rm. nity support, in order to have the political A lot of neighborhood centers and com- the Grass Tops will to implement stu that will be trans- mercial corridors have been strung out, are Alan: Certainly they would have professional Todd: We’re curious about how the model formative and is going to ru e a lot of too long, and generally are not a good walk, services such as accountants, lawyers—things of what the Collaborative has done in people’s feathers. because of the high vacancy. So what are other that traditionally turned up on the second oor Philadelphia might apply to other cities and Todd Woodward: How do you see the All of these smaller things that happen Supporting adaptive uses for those storefronts that would might end up on the rst oor, in the right areas. What are your thoughts about how Collaborative increasing the role of at the neighborhood level that support lead to a local vibrant area? It hinges on the mix. Along with street-oriented businesses: what we do here is applicable (or not)? design in the city? excellence in the built environment and Commercial locally owned, grass-roots creation of a the restaurant, the pizza shop, the liquor store. quality of life, build a capacity for our neighborhood and neighborhood charac- ere is a lot of attention that needs to be paid Maurice: ere are very few places in any Maurice Cox: I have talked about a political leaders to make the big steps, Corridors ter. But it’s challenging to nd localities that to that sort of thing, because when you get it community—of a variety of sizes—where grass-roots, incremental approach, using whether it’s reanimating a waterfront, cre- embrace things that are locally driven and right—even though people are shopping all community, development, and city interests Philadelphia as a laboratory to get things ating a mega park system or re-greening small-focused [with] local entrepreneurship, if over—they are great community builders, and can meet and have honest and frank discus- done and to show some capacity. ere is the city: things that take a real vision. at Todd: How can our support for local that is our economic development strategy. they make people feel like the community has sions about the potential of projects. By the so much to be gained by doing hundreds capacity has to be built, and the commu- businesses impact entire neighborhoods? something going for it. time you get into the city process, you’re well of small experiments—versus waiting for nity has to be in the habit of having that Alan: e nature of those local businesses and At the residential level, [it has a huge into the regulatory process. Very often some the overarching vision that takes a multi- conversation. It has to be a conversation. Alan Greenberger: In Philadelphia, there the health of those local corridors are a source impact] if you get half the people on the block vision is already set in stone. million-dollar, community-wide initiative. I’m a big believer in putting things out are dozens of neighborhood commercial of great pride for people, even if their shopping to tend to a tree, put out a ower box, put a Centers like the Collaborative o er a place All of these small projects build the in the community that force people to step corridors; some have a regional avor, and patterns might take them to three di er- ag up. On a random block of [North Phila- where the public can deliberate the values community’s con dence that change up and engage. Even if it doesn’t get imple- they vary in quality. But they all grew to ent ones …. Even in healthy neighborhoods, delphia on] 8th Street between Dauphin and they may have, [which helps] developers begin can happen, and it can happen in a place mented, the act of having discussed this a size that was consistent with the higher Americans don’t shop the way we used to for Susquehanna, someone has organized [the to understand what a particular community where they can see it. I’m a big advocate stu publicly is so vital to building up their population base fty years ago, and as the food or medicine. People have choices; even residents]. ey took vacant lots and cleaned stands for. My experience is that city planning for a kind of grass-roots design activ- capacity to accept the change. population has decreased in many of them, low-income residents have cars, and will use them up, and now use the street for block departments generally don’t have a lot of time ism: at the end of ve years, let’s see what A key role that a design center plays is to the demand for the commercial activity them to go to where they want to shop …. parties. On a Sunday, everyone is out clean- for re ective planning, because they’re charged we’ve done. At the end of ten years, let’s keep that conversation going, to keep issues over, say, ve blocks now could be com- e source of pride of communities is ing their white stoops, and everyone has ags with managing the regulatory process, which is see all of the work. that are challenging for communities in pressed into three. is is something the attached to what does survive: restaurants, hanging over the door. It looks great. And about getting projects implemented. So com- On the other side, for the more robust their face, and keep them at the table, and Collaborative could help with: [one of the cultural facilities, at least in [my neighbor- you think, “ is block is totally under control, munity design centers are a place where they and visionary large-scale transformations, at the same time implementing these small City’s] important initiatives, to help com- hood of ] Mt. Airy. Others we’ve thought of as and it didn’t have anything to do with govern- can re ect, long before responding to a devel- that comes as a result of a lot of collabora- changes that they see around them every munities understand the value of and work problematic to the core but in fact can be used ment.” e next block—which has no such opment parcel. tion on the part of a community. So every day, or every month. at’s how you create toward 100 percent occupancy in those to support [the neighborhood]. For example, a organization—looks dramatically di erent, We don’t have enough such places in com- time [community members] get together a vibrant, community-wide discussion. three blocks, and how this is better than 60 community acupuncture practice in Mt. Airy even though it has the same infrastructure. munities, and yet they should be hand in has put together street-worthy presence. He’s a hand with city planning departments. My

12 A 360° View of the Collaborative Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 13 experience has been that, where you have a to other disciplines that are interested in know-how about an idea. I like the notion of robust design community, in terms of profes- development: reaching out to the real estate having various disciplines—especially those sionals as well as advocates, you have a high community, the legal community, and certainly who can talk about the history of a place, level of design excellence. the planning community. because so many of the places we’re talking about have been changed and transformed over Alan Greenberger: As I’ve crossed over from Beth: at model of interdisciplinary teams is time. If you have history, you gain an authority, teaching in architecture to teaching in plan- something we do with all of our service grants: but also a way to talk to a broad cross section ning, I [ nd I] love the latter, because students landscape architect, engineer, planner, architect, of stakeholders who have seen changes in the come to planning with a background and preservationists. Taking that one step further, built environment over time, whether it’s pres- expertise in multiple disciplines. ey intui- we’ve been able to test [the model] with In ll ervation or interpretation of the place, because tively know how to work together to solve a Philadelphia. As a follow-up to our industrial no urban site is without a lengthy history. problem. At Penn when we put together teams sites, we’ll do an Urban Land Institute techni- to look after a project, we want an economics cal assistance program to help test the nancial Alan: You might go into a block where the person, a transportation person, a community feasibility of the proposal. problem isn’t solely a vision for the block; development person, a real estate person— it’s also that it’s not managed well, or people all from di erent worlds. e results have Alan: It would be interesting to compress and haven’t organized themselves to take certain been fabulous. Where they tend to be weak integrate that into a single team; design in initiatives that are fairly doable: to plant trees, is, actually, in design. context of implementation. clean up vacant lots. is is a time where, through heightened sensitivity of the design Maurice: I share your sense that to solve Beth: Everyone has a common goal to community, or integration of people from problems [and] build the natural environ- improve the city; it’s just how to get these somewhat di erent perspectives, [the Collab- ment, you need a cross section of disciplines. di erent audiences to communicate around orative] can provide a team that says: here are When I managed the Mayors’ Institute on what it is and could be; what’s possible, what’s the essential things we need to do to get to this City Design, the teams we brought in to advise pragmatic. Our design teams learn as much vision—raise money, build capacity, clean up mayors represented at least six di erent dis- from clients as clients learn from them. ere the block, and so on. And there are techniques ciplines, that went from urban design, urban remains this perception of the developers as and linkages to operations that know how to planning, landscape architecture, architecture, the bad guys, so we work with the nonpro t do that and can help you with it. transportation, transportation engineering, developers rst, and next we will reach out to real estate development, even downtown man- private-sector developers. Beth: We’ve found that, by providing service agement know-how, because problems are grants to nonpro ts and responding to their complex and multilayered, and each discipline Maurice: You can’t do this kind of transforma- requests, we get automatic buy-in. Sometimes brings deep knowledge. tive work without the development community they’re not quite ready for that level of engage- When you overlap those, you get highly at the table. I don’t see them as an entity that ment, but the process is a form of community sophisticated responses. It’s not necessarily has to come at some subsequent stage; they are organizing that gets people rallied around a how we go about planning our cities—much critical to being able to talk about the economic cause together, and the stakeholder and the to our detriment. But that’s another advantage viability of even some of the more visionary task forces that are a part of our process help of having a design collaborative: you’re able to ideas that might be proposed in their absence. reinforce that. Sometimes the design profes- bring di erent disciplines to the table. sional is the external party that everybody Beth: at’s the next frontier. throws the darts at; strange bedfellows can Alan: is may be a place where the Collab- come together on that. I see that as valuable orative could extend this idea beyond design Maurice: I’ve come to value the bottom line community development.

14 A 360° View of the Collaborative Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 15 Perhaps the clearest example of the Collaborative’s work in this realm BY JESS ZIMBABWE of e ectively engaging citizens in broader policy debates is the Infi ll Philadelphia initiative. By creating speculative designs for real sites, the Building Toward the Public Collaborative engaged stakeholders in policy issues that would otherwise have remained inaccessible to them. The conceptual designs developed Interest: The National for Infi ll Philadelphia were created through a “design challenge,” an intensive, interactive design process in which volunteer design fi rms Signifi cance of the Collaborative worked simultaneously to develop conceptual ideas for three real-life sites selected by community-based organizations. The fi rst phase of the initiative focused on a ordable housing, and the resulting volunteer- driven, speculative designs during The people I love the best challenge of our era of diminished civic trust is to shift the paradigm of the that phase gained the attention of jump into work head fi rst system from the “expert/professional” model to one that actually—and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance without dallying in the shallows adeptly—seeks and incorporates community input into decisions. the quality of our physical space match the quality of be extraordinarily valuable, then, in allowing them to remain Agency. After experiencing the and swim o with sure strokes almost out of sight. As President of the Association for Community Design, I studied models the educational program we have been providing over focused on their mission. The Collaborative doesn’t just partner powerful design work of the Col- ••• of community design centers across the country and even internationally, the last 43 years.” with these clients; it educates them to see how design can refl ect laborative’s volunteers, the agency I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart, and in my current position at the Urban Land Institute’s Daniel Rose Center —Sarah A. Dorbian, Director, Overbrook Preschool their mission—how investing in their work environment can included design quality as a criteria in the Excellence in Design Initiative, who pull like water bu alo, with massive patience, for Public Leadership in Land Use, I work with mayors, city councilmembers, and Kindergarten, March 16, 2010 yield dramatic increases in e ciency, employee and volunteer a special round of funding for proj- who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward, planning and transportation directors, and dozens of other leaders in local satisfaction, and a sense of pride and ownership for employees, ects applying for housing tax credits. who do what has to be done, again and again. government (including a team of Daniel Rose Fellows from Philadelphia Most patently, the Collaborative provides direct and useful volunteers, and clients served. ••• that included Mayor Michael Nutter). I believe the Community Design service to deeply worthy community-based nonprofi ts that who are not parlor generals and fi eld deserters Collaborative in Philadelphia has developed the single-best model for benefi t from the improved facilities made possible in part by Swimming with Sure Strokes: but move in a common rhythm sustained and impactful volunteer work by design professionals on real the Collaborative’s services. Mission-driven nonprofi ts are not Positioning Both Client and Volunteer when the food must come in or the fi re be put out. community needs, and fully deserves the praise it has received from its experts in facility development. Most organizations of the type When the Collaborative initiates a pairing between a designer/ —Marge Piercy, from To Be of Use1 peers across the country. that the Collaborative serves will only undertake a single facility volunteer and a nonprofi t organization, it carefully evaluates The Collaborative works to transcend not only the typical economic development or redevelopment project, if they do so at all. Often, potential projects and nonprofi t clients through a written appli- THE WORK OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN DESIGN AND PLANNING relationship of design services, but also the limitations of the roles that the dedicated sta of these organizations are so focused on the cation, a site visit, a client interview, and review by a selection decisions takes place in crowded gymnasiums, cafeterias, co ee shops, normally circumscribe participants. Through service grants that pair urgent tasks at hand—fi nding shelter for the homeless, protect- committee (which includes architects, landscape architects, and commission hearing rooms throughout the country. With few excep- talented professionals with deserving community-based nonprofi ts, the ing victims of domestic violence, providing literacy skills—that construction managers, economic development experts, real tions, all parties enter the process—design professionals, o cials of the Collaborative helps all participants to examine how to break out of the they seldom stop even to consider their facility needs. When estate developers, an attorney, and representatives of the public sponsoring or responsible public agency, neighbors, developers, and com- typical roles of activist, politician, community member, and designer. the sta do consider these needs, they usually acknowledge sector). This ensures that the projects to which the Collabora- munity activists—with an intention to build the best project possible. But a gross inadequacy in their existing facility but see any funds tive asks its volunteers to donate their services are credible, as anyone who has ever attended a community meeting can tell you, the Jumping in Head First: Identifying and Then Solving Problems spent on expanding or improving their space as a zero-sum address pressing urban development issues, and involve work resulting process can be far from civil. I have heard epithets yelled, seen game, feeling instead that funds need to be dedicated directly with clients and communities that are prepared to benefi t from fi sts drawn, and witnessed professional actors exposed for accepting pay “Dreams can become reality, and we are so appreciative of [the to advancing their mission. pre-design assistance. to play the role of neighborhood residents. It is fair to say that the real Collaborative] supplying us with a fi rst step on our quest to have Gaining the expert advice of a trained design professional can The Collaborative’s pre-screening also ensures a more

16 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 17 “Having the opportunity to stand on your own two feet and see A study by the Kettering Foundation shows what we would expect: Gaining the expert advice of a project through early on in your career is very healthy. Young public o cials want better relationships with citizens, but found that designers need to have new experiences to grow, which includes citizen engagement creates delays and red tape. The same study shows a trained design professional opportunities to engage directly with clients, lead a project, and that citizens feel like their concerns won’t be heard unless they organize present your project to great design professionals.” into angry groups.5 The Collaborative serves as an intermediary at exactly can be extraordinarily —Mami Hara, Principal, Wallace, Roberts & Todd LLC these two points of entry: in providing citizens (clients) with the tools/ language/documentation they need to communicate with and be heard valuable…in allowing “We are attracted by the complexity of the issues and the chance by public o cials, as well as providing public o cials with the context and to work with diverse groups of people.” the relationships they need to work e ectively to satisfy their constituents. [nonprofi ts] to remain —Charles Loomis, AIA, and Chariss McAfee, AIA4 Every city in the country would benefi t from an organization that serves the role the Collaborative does in Philadelphia. Through its institutional focused on their mission. They are forced to be more independent and entrepreneurial, learning strength, longevity, and capacity, the Collaborative brings what it has simultaneously the professional competencies of an architectural intern- learned from a long list of successful (and some unsuccessful) projects to ship as they begin to grasp the complexities of their daily lives as public bear on neighborhood-, community- and city-wide discussions of policy meaningful experience for volunteers than do projects that and underserved communities across the country. But the fact service–oriented interns. and practice. Revealing how architects can e ectively facilitate groups, individuals would be likely to fi nd on their own. Designers who remains that within the larger profession of architecture, public These benefi ts are especially important to designers who are just starting organize communities, manage facility projects, and develop real estate, seek a worthy pro bono client often learn the hard (and time- interest design is still a marginalized mode of service delivery. out in the fi eld. By volunteering as a part of a Collaborative project, early the Collaborative demonstrates a more complete skill set for the archi- consuming) way that many worthy nonprofi t organizations are In 1996, a seminal Carnegie Foundation report on the state of career professionals gain exposure to key aspects of the preliminary phase tecture profession—one that should serve as a model at the national level. not ready to engage a designer. For all of the training, education, architectural education concluded that “schools of architecture of the design, including programming, site analysis, schematic design, code and experience that architects get in solving problems, they are could do more…to instill in students a commitment to lives of research, and material research. They also have an opportunity to take a not always the most adept at identifying problems—a skill set that engagement and service.”3 leadership role in project management activities such as team coordina- 1 From Circles on the Water (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. and Middlemarsh, Inc., 1982). traditional architectural education has under-emphasized. For Community design, with its focus on delivering a useful ser- tion, client relations, and presentations. 2 The entire 1968 Whitney Young, Jr. address to the AIA can be found at: http:// some thirty worthwhile nonprofi t facility projects each year, the vice, downplays the popular myth of heroic architects employing isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic753413.fi les/14_Outsiders%20in%20the%20 Collaborative helps fi ll this gap with pre-development services. abstract design ideas in novel ways. To a public that is skeptical Moving in a Common Rhythm: Building Knowledge for Collective Impacts Profession/Young%201968%20AIA%20speech.pdf that architects contribute anything besides elitist abstractions, To a casual observer of the Collaborative, it is not readily apparent that 3 Boyer, Ernest L. and Lee D. Mitgang, Building Community: A New Future for Moving Things Forward: community design centers present a potent counterargument their work raises awareness about the importance of design in support of Architecture Education and Practice (Stanford, CA: Carnegie Foundation for A ecting the Profession of Architecture of committed architects who can listen to the community and bigger urban policy e orts. There are tremendous knock-on e ects of a the Advancement of Teaching, 1996), 129–42. Forty-three years ago, when Whitney Young, Jr. spoke before e ectively communicate—without jargon—with their clients single coordinated entity like the Collaborative undertaking twenty years 4 Volunteer testimonials provided by the Collaborative. 5 The Kettering Foundation, “Public Administrators and Citizens: What Should the annual convention of the American Institute of Architects and the public at large. The Collaborative, founded in 1991, was of projects, with the institutional memory and resources to knit them all the Relationship Be?” (Dayton, OH: Author, January 2007). Retrieved in Portland, he excoriated the profession for doing too little to certainly a pioneer in this arena. By providing unique professional together. At its simplest, this suggests another role for the architect besides 5/29/11 from http://www.kettering.org/media_room/publications/ engage with the crises that were facing American cities in 1968: exposure for volunteer designers—and especially professionals that of a design service provider. public_administrators_and_citizens early in their careers—the Collaborative normalizes pro bono We tend to think of ourselves as citizens of a nation-state (because “As a profession, you [have] not distinguished [your- design practice, making it more palatable and comprehendible that’s who issues our passports and processes our duty-free purchases), self] by your social and civic contributions to the cause to mainstream practitioners. but we defi ne most daily practices of citizenship—voting, public education, of civil rights, and I am sure this has not come to you For emerging architects committed to public service, volunteer- jury duty, paying a parking ticket—within our local community. However, as any shock. You are most distinguished by your ing with the Collaborative creates opportunities to demonstrate our representative system of government has meant the rise of a political thunderous silence and your complete irrelevance.”2 leadership in ways that traditional architectural practice does not: class of elected and appointed decision makers who are occupied full- time with the act of governing—and therefore necessarily divorced from In the years since, architects and their professional organi- “Volunteering energizes me and allows me to stay the day-to-day operations of commerce, culture, industry, services, and zations have come a long way, creating dozens of community passionate about what I do.” urban development. design centers that serve the needs of nonprofi t organizations —Natalie Malawey-Eddie, AIA, RMJM

18 Building Toward the Public Interest Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 19 COMMUNITY Connecting design professionals to community groups and neighborhoods that might not otherwise beneﬁ t from design services has always been a key tenet of the Collaborative. This section highlights projects that have had an explicit impact on a neighborhood, brought community groups together, or could serve as prototypes for addressing broader citywide issues.

20 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 21 Location 1402–12 West Erie Ave. (at Broad St.), North Philadelphia

Services completed 2009

Responding to Speciﬁ c Needs Client A new way in: Before (lower Community Legal Services of right), CLS worked out of two Philadelphia (CLS) adjacent storefronts. A key goal CLS was particularly vocal about its desire for o ces with for the new design (center) was natural light, and in response the team created a U-shaped Volunteers to create a more welcoming, building footprint, which shaped the ultimate design of this Jibe Design; JxN Studio, LLC; accessible entrance. project, which is under construction in 2011. Bittenbender Construction The sta needed meeting spaces where clients would have privacy to discuss conﬁ dential matters, which was also Hours donated (value) lacking in their current space. They also wanted meeting 375 ($30,710) spaces that could serve the law center and the commu- Products nity. All of these features support CLS’s goal of expanding Programming study, preliminary its client base. The plans allowed CLS to mobilize quickly to code review, conceptual design, raise funds and hire a project team. preliminary cost estimate

Sustainable design features Daylighting, energy-e cient heating systems (photovoltaic panels, geothermal heat pumps, Letting in the Light: radiant ﬂ oor heating) Consultant for ﬁ nal design Community Legal Services of Philadelphia Atkin Olshin Schade Architects Built Construction scheduled to The Collaborative’s design team helped CLS begin in 2011 envision a new building that would better serve its low-income clients in the North Philadelphia neighborhood where the center had long been a critical resource.

22 Community Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 23 Location 13 East Mt. Pleasant Ave. (at Germantown Ave.), Mt. Airy neighborhood, Philadelphia Over the years, Past the Congregation, into the Community: Services completed 2008 several churches Mt. Airy Presbyterian Church Client Mt. Airy Presbyterian Church have approached the Volunteers Collaborative about doing Owner’s Rep, Inc.; Kate Brower; Justin DiPietro, RLA; David Boelker master plans. But Mt. Hours donated (value) Airy Presbyterian Church 169 ($16,360)

Living up to the neighborhood: Products had a unique request. This Philadelphia neighborhood Conceptual design, preliminary has long been a national model cost estimate, phasing plan, It had already brought for making a conscious e ort to maintenance plan foster racial diversity, and Mt. Airy Presbyterian wanted to Built the larger community play its part. No inside the church by o ering space to local organizations. Now the congregation wanted to rethink its outdoor space—a large lawn facing the commercial corridor of Germantown Avenue—to engage the community even more.

24 Community Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 25 Sharing the Front Yard

The church sought to support the ambitious and successful revitalization and community reinvestment e orts Sharingalready underway the Front for this Yard corridor by Mt. Airy USA, a nearby community development corporation. Mt. Airy USA was seeking to develop and restore storefronts and streetscapes along Germantown Avenue to reverse the blight visited upon the area in previous decades. Direct access: The design also The resulting plan sought to carve out a piece of the lawn, envisioned a clearer, more enhanced used primarily as a daycare play yard, and repurpose it for a pathway to better connect the gathering space that the entire community could use. This street to the church entrance. would create a pause along the reviving corridor. Improving on function: Currently the church presents merely a functional front on the Germantown Avenue Commercial Corridor.

“[Since] 1997, commercial corridor activities in Mt. Airy have attracted more than $40 million in private investment, some 40 new storefront businesses, 175 new jobs, and stabilized property values…. [these] accomplishments are considered a national standard bearer for CDC-led commercial corridor revitalization.” —Mt. Airy USA website

26 Community Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 27 Location These projects build on the Various. One example opposite: 221 South 52nd St. (at Walnut premise that “good design St.), West Philadelphia is good business.” What Services completed Changing the Face of Commercial Corridors: 2008 started out as an individual rStore Program Client service grant to a community The Enterprise Center CDC Volunteers development corporation grew International Consultants, Inc.; Andrew Cronin; Kate Czembor, into a series of “design days” to AIA; Shaun Patchel help neighborhood merchants Hours donated (value) 82 ($9,055)

improve their storefronts. Products Three design consultations with Ultimately these relationships business owners, conceptual led to the Collaborative drawings Built delivering a broad base of No design services through an

Corridor realities: This facade ongoing relationship with the at 221 S. 52nd St. is representative of the condition of City’s Commerce Department. storefronts in older corridors throughout the city.

A strong strategy: Mt. Airy USA, the CDC that originated the "design day" concept, brought the Collaborative to the Germantown Avenue Commercial Corridor to consult with merchants. This co eehouse was one example.

28 Community Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 29 A New Focus on Facelifts Talking facades: Design consultations Over the past decade, the Commerce Department began working more strategically to target like this one, with a Frankford Avenue investment with its Storefront Improvement Program (SIP), which o ers funding to business Commercial Corridor merchant in 2009, owners to invest in their buildings. At the same time, The Merchants Fund had reinvented itself support storeowners in taking the time, energy, and—sometimes—the leap of as a source for grants to small businesses, including business owners looking for matching grants faith required to reinvest in their facades. for storefront renovations.

Design Days The collaboration had begun in 2005 with Mt. Airy USA, a Northwest Philadelphia–based community development corporation charged with improving the Germantown Avenue Commer- cial Corridor. The CDC recruited storeowners and paired them with architects for a one-on-one design consult. In 2006, other CDCs began referring storeowners to the Collaborative for conceptual drawings for facade improvements that addressed improvement priorities, cost, building and zoning regulations, and sidewalk appeal.

An Evolving Role The Collaborative’s contract with the City has continued to evolve. In addition to troubleshoot- ing with SIP grant recipients during implementation, the Collaborative now sits on the City’s SIP Design Review Team, along with members with retail and economic development expertise. The Collaborative helps to recognize successful store investment projects citywide, organizing Phila-

PAINTdelphia’s EXISTING WINDOW,ﬁ rst Citywide FRAME, Storefront Challenge and a design workshop for corridor managers.[ TRIM, AND INFILL PANEL

(2) NEW LIGHT FIXTURES

SIGN LETTERS MOUNTED TO METAL

PERFORATED METAL, PROJECTING WALL MOUNTED SIGN COOKE FAMILY HEALTH C E ENTER

REMOVE OLD WALL MOUNTED Cooke FamilySIGN AND HealthLIGHT FIXTURE Center facelift: REMOVEIn 2011 WINDOW Logan SECURITY CDC GRILLES referred this community health center to the Collaborative, which recommended a number of low-cost, high-impact changes: old signage and security grilles (right)NEW CONCRETE replaced PLANTER with a new projecting sign, lighting, a planter, and brighter paint (left).

30 Community Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 31

Logan Community Development Corporation: rStore 29 Nov 2010 Facade Improvements: Cooke Family Health Center Not To Scale Location 22nd and Chestnut Sts., “Greening Greenfi eld” transformed a “hot, Center City Philadelphia Fun and practical: Four phases noisy, and hard-surfaced” Center City were devised to support the school Services completed association’s fund-raising, each one 2009 complementing Greenfi eld’s new schoolyard into a model green facility and Unpaving a Playground: environmental curriculum. Phase Client two involved forming mounds Greenfi eld Home and School covered in porous rubber that outdoor classroom. The design represented Greenfi eld Home and absorb stormwater runo . Association (HSA) the fi rst instance of retrofi tting an existing School Association Volunteers Kling Stubbins public school campus in Philadelphia. The Products Existing conditions report, outcome also planted seeds of change for conceptual design, proposed phasing, and opinion of probable cost parent- and teacher-led campus greening

Consultant for ﬁ nal design e orts at other public and charter schools. SMP Architects; Viridian Landscape Studio; Meliora Environmental Design, LLC

Built 2009

For cars more than kids: Before, much of the playground was paved with asphalt and used as a parking lot.

32 Community Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 33 Outside the lines: The conceptual plan called for curving planting beds and play surfaces to bring an organic feel to this urban schoolyard.

Building Consensus

The project was entirely collaborative, including input from parents, teachers, administrators, students, and partner organizations during both predesign and design development phases. The fi rst step for volunteer architecture and engineering fi rm Kling Stubbins was to convene a community task force that included students, teachers, and parents from Greenfi eld as well as the Center City District, the Everyone’s involved: Greenfi eld students Center City Residents’ Association, the Philadelphia Water participated in the 2009 ribbon-cutting for phase one, which improved the Department, and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. western half of the play area. Phasing into Green Preliminary design was instrumental in getting the fi rst major grant to hire a sustainable design team to develop the project. In 2009 and 2010, they added planting beds, shade trees, and rubberized play surfaces to the school yard. In spring 2011, the Greenfi eld HSA dedicated a “secret garden” that reclaimed what had been a dark, inaccessible, and underused corner of the grounds. Plans for the fi nal phase are to install a green roof.

34 Community Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 35 Location Ridge Ave. at Osborne St. (east end) and Domino Ln. (west A Leafy Solution for Two Extremes Creating Gateways to the “The Ridge”: end), Roxborough neighborhood, Philadelphia The east end of Ridge Avenue, at Osborne Street, is narrow Roxborough Development Corporation Services completed in scale as it rises sharply uphill, crowded by row houses 2006 Animating the rise: “The Ridge” and corner stores. The west end, at Domino Lane, has a is a neighborhood artery that Client di use series of parking lots, signifi cant setbacks, and large rises from the fl oodplain of the Roxborough Development utility poles. The design team adopted an ivy leaf motif and Schuylkill River at its east end Corporation (RDC) to the radio towers that soar then adapted it to respond to the specifi c scale of the two above Domino Lane at its west. gateway locations. Volunteers Tess Schiavone; Leslie Norvell; At the east end the team sought to convey a threshold, but Trevor Lee; Michael Funk at the west end, that same gateway structure would have Hours donated (value) been lost amid the other tall elements, so they transformed 169 ($15,810) the leaf motif into a canopy overhanging bus shelters. Designs for Osborne Street were geared toward reinforcing Products the close-knit feel of this neighborhood, with street trees, Conceptual design sidewalk bump-outs, crosswalks, and urban pleasures like Built benches and a newsstand. No

Ridge Avenue is an artery that covers ﬁ ve miles through the heart of Philadelphia’s Roxborough section, and the design challenge here was to create gateways at either end. The Roxborough Development Corporation wanted to celebrate the avenue’s central role, and to explore ideas for a public gathering space at its midpoint.

P rTheo je c t�2005-14 Collaborative’s team designed a whimsical yet functional Section- Threshold Elements N osolutionv em ber�2005 inspired by the local landscape and public art installations. Domino Lane/ Ridge Avenue Intersection 1"�=�10'-0"

36 Community Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 37 Location 4900 block of Baltimore Ave. (at South 50th St.), Cedar Park The Philadelphia City Paper neighborhood, Philadelphia described how this project Services completed 2004 transformed what had been a Reclaimed space: The park is a Client link between a beautiful residential “killing ﬁ eld” and a “cage” into neighborhood and the Baltimore Cedar Park Neighbors Avenue Commercial Corridor—a Community Association connection previously cut o by a a place to garden at twilight— chain link fence (below). Volunteers Dan Garofalo, AIA; Anne Harnish; Robert Lundgren; “something that, just two years Laura Raymond ago in Cedar Park, would have Hours donated (value) 1 131 ($10,700) been unthinkable.” Products Existing conditions assessment, 1. Bruce Schimmel, “Good Design, Better Community,” Philadelphia City Paper, May 27, 2008. conceptual landscape plan, preliminary cost estimate

Consultant for ﬁ nal design Lager Raabe Skafte Landscape Reclaiming an Urban Enclave: Architects Built Cedar Park 2006

38 Community Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 39 CATHERINE STREET

Preliminary to ﬁ nal: The Collaborative redesigned interior paths to encourage pedestrian use, including seat walls and lighting for the paths at night, which increased visibility from the street. This preliminary landscape plan (right) provided the framework for the ﬁ nal design (left) by Lager Raabe Skafte Landscape Architects.

Taking Back the Park

Residents were eager to transform this triangular, half-acre public park near the University of Pennsylvania campus into a more attractive, safe, and engaging space that was integrated into the fabric of the neighborhood. The site lies at the junction of a quiet residential street and the lively, pedestrian-friendly Baltimore Avenue Commercial Corridor, but the park had fallen into disrepair, and a chain link fence enclosing overgrown, hidden spaces made it a magnet for loitering, public drinking, and drug activity. The preliminary design featured new pathways that opened up all the areas within the park and connected neighbors with Baltimore Avenue. The neighbors spearheaded other improvements including new playground equipment, tree plantings, a mosaic, and restoring the World War I memorial at the park’s east end.

40 Community Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 41

NEW PLAY STRUCTURE OPTION SCALE: 1/16" = 1'-0" Location 2700 block of North 11th St. (at Skip Biddle, director of North Philadelphia Community Help, West Somerset St.), Hartranft became one of the Collaborative’s fi rst clients in 1991. He had neighborhood, Philadelphia Services completed Set in motion by design: acquired twenty abandoned row houses on North 11th Street, 1991 A simple set of drawings was the fi rst step in rehabbing an and his organization wanted to rehab them to rent to local entire block of housing in North Client Philadelphia. The same block residents. But he was faced with a dilemma: he couldn’t get North Philadelphia in the ’90s (see bottom right) Community Help, Inc. was almost entirely vacant. funding for the renovations without fi rst documenting the Volunteers project’s scope and feasibility. Dan Garofalo, AIA; Mark Keener, AIA

Hours donated (value) 15 ($1,200) A Client’s Chicken-Egg Dilemma Products “Without funding,” wrote Dan Garofalo in an Conceptual fl oor plans early Collaborative newsletter, “[Skip] could not Consultant for fi nal design hire design professionals to begin any work at Kelly/Maiello, Inc. all.” However, Skip was one of the community Architects & Planners leaders in North Central Philadelphia to have forged relationships through AIA's Regional/ Built Urban Design Action Team (R/UDAT) starting 2000 Building Trust and Building in 1990—a precursor to the Collaborative. So he reached out to Emanuel Kelly, AIA, to help him Blocks: North Philadelphia overcome that initial hurdle. Dan Garofalo and Mark Keener, two intern architects involved in the Community Help newly formed Collaborative, stepped up to help. A Process at Work Skip presented the Collaborative with photo- graphs of the row houses, rough dimensions, and possible interiors, and Collaborative founders Dan and Mark created pen and ink drawings of initial layouts of all the houses. These went into a proposal that Skip presented to various funding agencies—with successful results. He was able to secure funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and Philadelphia’s O ce of Housing and Commu- nity Development, as well as several private and foundation donors. The ribbon-cutting for the fi nished “Rose Garden Apartments” took place 42 Community in 2000. Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 43 A 360° View, Part II: e Power of Design

board members—who don’t necessarily see facility; they want all of it to go to their mis- Building Political design as a line item on their budgets—or their sion. ey don’t realize that how they inhabit City Council person. their own facility says a lot about their mission Awareness So it’s about building political awareness and could even enhance their mission. (with a small “p”), and how we build design advocacy in general. I see how organizations Alan: At the same time, designers have to Todd Woodward: e idea you’ve presented like the Mayors’ Institute on City Design are know when to step back. that “Everyone deserves good design” is a trying to create this bigger political awareness, simple but important one. It seems to imply and trying to understand what role commu- Beth: No “Mighty Mouse” architecture. We’re that “Everyone appreciates good design”— nity design centers play in that constellation not here to save the day. that it doesn’t take a design education to of activities. It takes all of them, but I’d like to appreciate a good public space. From your hear your experience, Maurice, at the National Maurice Cox: ere is a challenge when you position now, what barriers do you see to Endowment for the Arts, and Alan, your expe- talk about good design of environments, versus achieving that? What prevents everyone rience in Philadelphia. design of products. People interface with gad- from having the design they deserve? gets every day and they know what amenities Alan: is idea that design creates value is an make them superior products. When it comes Alan Greenberger: Community Development important premise. People often forget—or to environments, people intuitively know what Corporations (CDCs) and neighborhood are willing to discount—the power of design a comfortable or acceptable environment looks groups should not shortchange their own right in their physical environment to create and feels like: a pedestrian scale, things visu- to decent design. It’s not just the “haves” that value. With products, this power [of design] is ally attract them as they walk down the street, do the shortchanging; sometimes the “have- [evident] all the time. For a lot of companies, sidewalks that are not obstacle courses, places nots” shortchange themselves, because they just design has saved their necks. Two noteworthy that seem to be dominated by pedestrians over don’t believe it’s theirs to have. examples are the VW Beetle, or the iMac. cars. All of that sounds like a downtown— Apple is thought of as the leading design com- more than their neighborhoods. People place a Beth Miller: When we’re working primar- pany in the world of computers. Everyone who lot of value in the quality of neighborhoods. ily with nonpro t CDCs, design isn’t high on works in computers recognizes that it is high- As goes the downtown, so goes the city, and their priority list, but in the context of nding quality design. (rightfully) a lot of cities focus on their down- solutions for other issues, when they see it as towns. But if you can talk about quality of life a tool that can add value, then they are willing Todd: Working with nonpro ts as our cli- in people’s neighborhoods, you can grab them to invest. And that’s what we’re trying to give ents—either as a Collaborative volunteer, or where they live. them: that rst couple of steps of getting other as an architect in the private industry—[I see people to see that value, whether it be their that] they don’t want to put money into their Beth: On their front stoop.

Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 45 Maurice: Community design centers have neighborhood? Or do we have a neighborhood redeveloped and lay vacant, because now—due pleasant and more agreeable experience for was a much better product at the end of the been fostering the idea that if the heart of the of ten units an acre and never get to critical to the highly suburban zoning ordinances of those who are sticking around. day. But the product that did get developed city is the downtown, then the soul of a city is Tackling Problems mass that could support downtown retail? e the 1990s—they didn’t meet the square feet In one instance, there’s a bay window on the was with Asociación Puertorriqueños en its neighborhoods. You can look at what kinds applications of practice yields where you need requirements. So we removed that requirement, second or third oor and there’s a painful dif- Marcha (APM), a very high-capacity CDC. of amenities people appreciate in their neigh- as Designers signi cant adaptation to let something trans- so you could build a house that would meet the ference between what the house communicated It was a back-burner project; someone had borhoods. When you talk about that, you are formative happen. street and replicate some of the massing that and what the developer communicated about suggested some green housing from a class working where people live. Some of the stark had happened once upon a time. what his intentions were in the neighborhood. at the University of Pennsylvania. A young contrasts in neighborhoods have to do with Todd: How have your experiences as Alan: I like to use my discipline base to But if someone hadn’t looked at the law and I told this guy I’d help him try to cut through rm, Interface Studio, tried it and came up landscape and how mature it is, how stark. designers and as architects—both as challenge lawyers. To the extent that the seen that there was a gap between the kind of some of the regulatory front, but also said, “If with a scheme for a ordable green housing Whether you can get a good walk, whether educators and in practice—in uenced your Collaborative is involved in some of that housing we wanted to build and the regula- you’re going to do this sort of stu , you’ve got now called Sheridan Street. It’s been built and it’s tree-covered, decades old or centuries other roles, in government and elsewhere? envisioning, this is where a planner with an tion that did not allow it, we would not have to obligate yourself to do better work with received PHFA2 funding. is provides a dif- old, versus what you see in an impoverished economics background can be very helpful. been able to change that around. is allowed a better rms.” I showed him where he was ferent product for that community and was an neighborhood that is completely devoid Maurice: Part of the power of practicing is is is a bunch of math: to look at the demo- whole new group of design-build projects—one doing it better, and where he wasn’t, and he got impetus for the 100K house by Postgreen3, of landscape. that you run smack into the regulatory pro- graphics of a place, densities of population, or two at a time in traditional neighborhoods, it. Will he do it [right] every time? No. so it’s actually spun o in these other direc- An area of focus for the Collaborative is cess—what it enables, and what it doesn’t. and to be able to say to people, “You all want a with interesting experiments in contempo- tions in the private sector. It’s rare that this getting back to the quality of residential [Going through] the process of trying to get supermarket, but it’s not going to happen here, rary design that you could nd anywhere. It’s Maurice: Here’s where the Collaborative can kind of trickle-up theory works, but it did neighborhoods, small commercial centers, through a zoning ordinance—for a mixed-used because there are three already—here, here, and important to know what you’re trying to cap- be so valuable: there are great examples of in this instance. and little main streets—where people are building, for example, which you learn is ille- here—and you don’t have the critical mass to ture in terms of design excellence, and to look design-build—young rms that are willing inclined to go on a daily basis to do their shop- gal—is invaluable, in terms of seeing how rules make work a business that operates on incred- inevitably at the hurdles that design policy is to take a risk to develop areas of Philadelphia ping. If we engage people in conversations dictate form. ibly tight margins—let alone to get it built.” putting before a particular project. that haven’t seen innovation in a very long about where they live, I see them giving greater I discovered that our commercial corri- time. Onion Flats1 is a classic example of [a value to design quality. dor couldn’t support a mixed-use residential Alan: A developer who does in ll housing—in rm] going into neighborhoods and doing Design versus And it might be a process of maturing, anchored corridor. So we came to a community a lot more of [Philadelphia] than you might high-quality work. ere are enormous num- because this is not a conversation that is exclu- vision; an idea might be a pedestrian-oriented realize—came to me recently and showed me a bers of young entrepreneurs who are willing to Implementation sive of downtowns. When you’re dealing with midscale, mixing residential over retail. And Approaches to stack of what he’s done: ones, twos, and fours. do this. at’s what I loved about being in city downtown, you’re dealing with a scale of devel- then you go to regulatory enabling ordinances I cringed at the design of some of them, but government; I would see this and say, “Let’s opment, with enormous economic interests, and learn that you can’t produce that building. In ll Housing others were getting better. is happens in hold a focus group and gure out how to do Todd: What’s the biggest challenge in and very complex dynamics. With residential at’s when you realize that the rules have to neighborhoods that have bottomed out but, for more of this.” bringing projects to fruition? areas, it’s a matter of blocks, residents, com- be changed. If you’d never gone through the one reason or another, the market has proven ey were the ones who would say: munity facilities, walkability—all those things process of trying to get the project to happen, Todd: How has being an architect or worthy: Kensington, Fishtown, Point Breeze. “ e lots we like to build on are all noncon- Alan: e biggest barrier to achieving good are synonymous with quality of life. It’s a you wouldn’t have learned that there was a dis- designer in uenced how you tackle forming, so if you did this, or that, we could design is ultimately the decision tree that wonderful thing to have people talking about connect between the two. housing problems? Beth: ese are “vital neighborhoods.” do a lot more in ll housing.” at kind of tries to weigh all of the issues in front of the places that they care about. I’ve found it’s Using practical experiences like that, or the entrepreneurial re ection is something the place-making. Design is one of them, but so easier to have a conversation about shared issue of creating a vibrant main street corridor Maurice: I remember trying to create small Alan: Some neighborhoods grudgingly go Collaborative can easily do for a city, are economics, political will, and the organi- values—about quality of life, about design— in a neighborhood, you nd out you don’t have opportunities for local contractors to do in ll along, and some ght it tooth and nail because whereas City Hall not so much. zational ability of the sponsor of the project. when it’s about a neighborhood. residential density or the variety of housing housing in the city [of Charlottesville, VA]. it looks like gentri cation and they are dis- You have to get all the stars to align to make types that would attract the cross section who Much like Philadelphia, we had thousands— turbed by the changes that are coming. You Beth: One of my favorite examples, which has something happen. would patronize those businesses. en you not tens of thousands—of nonconforming lots. can’t solve that just by design. But to the extent yet to be built, was on our rst In ll pilot on In my new role4 I’m discovering the chal- have to look at: What are our residential densi- We nally decided to do inventory of all vacant that this developer is making his houses look a ordable housing. Tim McDonald of Onion lenge of getting to the point where projects ties here? Do we enable low-rise multifamily lots. Many had houses on them once, but when and feel more responsive to the street, he ups Flats was on a jury and made a suggestion to actually exist and people agree that they know units within the context of a single-family they were demolished, they were not being the chance of it working, and creates a more one of the teams. ey implemented it, and it how to do it and have an idea of how to pay

46 A 360° View of the Collaborative Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 47 for it. is is extremely hard—particularly where they can live with it and experience the a set of ideas in people’s heads. is is part in a di cult economic environment. And it bene t that comes from it. It’s about what the of the process of building a collective will, [to is not solely a question of where the money Collaborative and AIA and the Design Advo- help them realize]: “ is is important; I can is, although that’s a big part of it. It’s also a cacy Group have been saying forever: Design kind of taste it. Some folks have shown us how question of who is the sponsor, where is the needs to be on the table. If it’s not on the it might pan out, and this is what we want.” willpower, who has organized a community’s table, it will get cut, because money generally In a world that’s like going to a supermar- general support and participation, who is will win out. ket—a tidal wave of possibility, too many assuming the ongoing maintenance costs, and If it’s on the table, it gets perfected and choices, possibilities, things to get done—and who is assuming the liabilities in an ongoing re ned and made into what it can and should you can’t get them all done, so you have to way. ese are huge issues, and typically they be—possibly not to everyone’s liking. You win pick. e way you pick is by picking winners, don’t have natural answers. some and you lose some, [but] winning some [a project] where there is some collective One of the criticisms leveled at design is and losing some in the big city is okay. It’s like will to do something. ose are the ones that that good design is relatively easy to envision, the baseball season: 162 games, and no one get done. Anyone interested in getting things and almost impossible to implement—the wins much more than 100. You don’t go out done wants to gravitate to that. Planning is a implementation is where the real heroics are. and win every time. way to organize will—and ultimately money— ere’s a fair amount of truth to that. However, to implement projects, based on a premise of it’s not fair to separate quality design, as if it Beth: I like what you said about how good how people might live better. exists solely as a series of ideas on paper. design emerges as part of an implementation Ultimately, quality design manifests itself strategy. at’s a part of what the Collaborative through the implementation process, and pushes for: that design is part of a process to 1 An architecture/development rm in Philadelphia. ideally it survives the implementation process, improve neighborhoods and strengthen them. www.onion ats.com so that what you get in the end is actually a Good design without implementation, is it good thing, with a method to care for it. at really good design? How do you make it work 2 Philadelphia Housing Finance Agency. takes a lot of hard work, because it requires in reality? people to step back from an idealized design 3 See http://postgreen.com and http://hybridconstruct. future and make compromises. Alan: It may be good theoretical design. com Actually I see it as a more dynamic, inte- 4 Mr. Greenberger is Deputy Mayor for Commerce and grated process, in which good design emerges Beth: But we want to be pragmatic. Economic Development and Executive Director of the in the context of an implementation strat- Philadelphia City Planning Commission. eg y. And that’s a reality, by itself. Architects, Alan: ere’s nothing wrong with theory, with planners, and designers tend to see it as com- being aspirational. ere’s nothing wrong with promise of a vision, and there are times when showing people the best you have to o er. But it is. But the weakness of that statement is the people should take it for what it’s worth: it’s premise going in—that idealized design absent idealized, a vision without the means to realize implementation … has an essential truth to it, it. Yet. Obviously this varies with the sponsors and if it can’t [be implemented], then it doesn’t and what nancial position they are in to [real- have that essential truth. Idealized design is ize a project]. just that. It’s aspirational; it’s a wish list. At the level of planning—and [I know] the People shouldn’t think [of it as] compro- Collaborative engages in a great deal of plan- mising; they should see it as re ning and ning, both at the architectural level and mini perfecting [the product]—getting to the point urban scale—one of the [objectives] is to put

48 A 360° View of the Collaborative Like Construction? Is Collaboration When BY MARK ALAN HUGHES

A FEW YEARS AGO, I was struck that a famous architect “inside” so that the organization itself goes out of business? began a lecture at Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia with the Think of LEED and other third-party certifi cations of green claim: “I do not build, because I am an architect.” The key buildings. If their highest standards all became mandatory to keeping that manifesto from slipping into e ete, elite code, would they feel they had accomplished their mis- nonsense is to couple it, when possible, with an authen- sion and close up shop? A challenge for any organization tic readiness to build. That creative tension—between facing a twentieth anniversary is determining whether to demanding design and satisfactory structure—has been transform the status quo in a way that makes it obsolete or the sweet space the Community Design Collaborative to create a permanent future for itself and the need it fi lls. has occupied for twenty years. At its best, ready-to-build Beyond fragmentation and transformation, I suggest collaboration creates so much value that construction a reconciliation: an appraisal of the Collaborative’s work can be either the icing or the cake; it really doesn’t matter. and role that reconciles the tensions I have introduced I am grateful for the chance to celebrate the twentieth here. This reconciliation returns to the idea that good anniversary by raising three issues provoked by the past collaboration is just as valuable as good construction. and future of the Collaborative. First, software companies Other contributors to this volume have traced the history speak of “fragmentation” as one consequence of rapid of the Collaborative and the generations of related work Philadelphia,1 even though its substance is technically quite di erent from I suggested that fragmentation is a complicating consequence of lively innovation. For example, there are four or fi ve versions traceable to the 1970s. In Philadelphia, the current genera- the typical Collaborative project. The common ground lies in the attempt to innovation, as Philadelphia has witnessed in design in the past few years. of Google’s relatively new and rapidly evolving Android tion (third? Y? millennial?) consists of such rich varieties make responsible choices in the present to improve outcomes in the future. Foundations and others have observed that, as choices proliferate, funders operating system in use, making it di cult for other actors that networks are almost as prevalent as organizations: That approach may be so fundamental to design thinking that designers and decision makers face so many options that the sheer number of (e.g., consumers, app designers) to fi nd a stable platform we have the support of the Design Advocacy Group of may underappreciate its impact on the general public. But it is hard to potential grantees, advisers, and worthy causes no longer seems to bring on which to learn, invest, and operate. I adopt this concept Philadelphia (DAG), Penn Praxis, PlanPhilly, Design Phila- imagine a mayor moving community expectations from the transactional order to the world. One solution to fragmentation is consolidation, in of fragmentation to consider the many productive organi- delphia, the Center for Architecture, the Central Delaware mode of the 1990s and early 2000s to the visionary mode of Greenworks, which the strongest features of previous versions are all gathered in a zations now at work on community design in Philadelphia. Advocacy Group, Next Great City, and the Built Environment the Civic Vision for the Central Delaware,2 and Philadelphia20353 without single (presumably, but not always, the latest) version. Another solution That is, in this case, fragmentation is not a bad thing; Coalition, to name a few. The Philadelphia mayoral elec- the cultivation of design thinking by the Collaborative, DAG, and others. is confederation, in which the collaborators network their strengths. These rather, it is a consequence of a good thing: rapid innovation of 2007 helped foster a perfect storm for this cluster Out in those vineyards, the Collaborative has labored to demonstrate are solutions for those who need to balance innovation with stability, like tion within this issue network. So the challenge for funders of issues, especially with the Next Great City coalition. these possible alternative futures in neighborhoods and among communi- funders or decision makers, but for the innovators themselves, fragmenta- and policymakers is how to embrace fragmentation that Mayor Michael A. Nutter has often noted that Next Great ties that might otherwise have been thought too stressed, too poor, too tion is about the need to stand out in a crowd, and neither consolidation results from the balancing of innovation and stability. City sponsored the fi rst of 40 mayoral forums and that ethnic—too whatever—to move beyond transactions for transactions’ sake. nor confederation necessarily makes that easier. And the challenge for innovators like the Collaborative is his study of and commitment to their ten-point platform Stress can indeed drain the resources needed to make an intentional choice The Collaborative’s twenty years of practice immunize it from the risks how to survive fragmentation and embody the stability launched the momentum that carried him into o ce. Nut- from among alternative futures that have been empowered by expertise. (to innovators) of either consolidation or confederation. Who else combines that funders and decision makers characteristically seek, ter’s repeated promise and continuing e orts to restore the For twenty years, the Collaborative has helped fi ll funding and policy gaps the advantages of being disciplined by the realities of single projects with without losing the spirit of innovation. authority of planning and design in the City have probably by creating design clients among organizations in places that might oth- the advantages of being about di erent projects every year? Who else Secondly, this anniversary inspires thoughts about encouraged and certainly cultivated this innovation and, erwise would not have been able—as we say in sustainability: to “pay the speaks to the most powerful elements of Philadelphia’s design and policy transformation. What is the Collaborative’s endgame? as defi ned above, fragmentation. fi rst costs for design,” and it ended up su ering the far greater lifecycle community while always making a place in that conversation for those Any creatively disruptive activity and (especially) orga- These e orts share a commitment to making an inten- costs for bad design. By fostering such a clientele, the Collaborative has otherwise absent? Who else brings the most politically scalable element— nization provokes this question. Fragmentation, is about tional choice of an alternative future that is empowered overcome more than just a lack of resources. Often, communities without ordinary people and their advocates—into the process of designing better what’s going on “outside” among all the related design by a technical expertise. This approach shares much with su cient resources are also communities low on the list of priorities for buildings under real conditions? The best way to respond to fragmentation organizations. Transformation is about what’s going on policy strategy, and so these e orts helped create the con- decision makers, whether public or private. Giving voice to those further is to make yourself indispensible. between the “outside” and the “inside.” Will the Collab- ditions under which the Mayor’s O ce of Sustainability down the list can help change the priorities themselves, providing benefi ts orative’s ultimate success be eventually to transform the could create and enact a policy strategy like Greenworks far beyond the boundaries of a single improved project

50 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 51 Mayor Nutter’s repeated promise and continuing which is the advantage deriving from position to act e ectively. It seems to me that the yield of the Collaborative isn’t the number of projects that e orts to restore the authority of planning and actually get constructed, or even the value of the donated design services. The yield is the impact that comes from all the collaborations it has and will design in the City have probably encouraged and convene, all the parties to those collaborations, all the projects ever done by those parties, and all the observers of those collaborations, whether they certainly cultivated this innovation. be competitors or colleagues, active participants or interested bystanders. Now that’s leverage! Each of those gears turns other gears and generates impact. When those collaborations are done well and include those who would otherwise miss out, they create the constituencies for good design. Only the Community Design Collaborative has the leverage—the position to act e ectively—to create and sustain these constituencies among much of the City. The Collaborative’s legacy shows that collaboration can be as good as construction, when that collaboration is disciplined by an Brilliant ideas are often conceived as second-best The new Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster authentic readiness to build, if possible. This story is one worth talking solutions. In fact, it is usually easier to dream up the (GPIC) at the Navy Yard, funded by the Department the “inside.” The Collaborative isn’t only about leveraging enlightened self- about at Carpenters’ Hall. kind of textbook or fi rst-best solutions that require of Energy, has a fairly specifi c theory of change. The interest in order to produce more well-designed projects. The Collaborative a “magic wand” of assumptions and “if-only”s than idea is that existing technologies are largely capable is also about the considerably more ambitious work of collective action. it is to devise solutions that accept certain realities of achieving huge increases in the energy e ciency No amount of deployment will ever ensure that private development alone 1 In 2009 Mayor Nutter’s O ce of Sustainability created Greenworks Philadelphia, and work around them. Good design, especially as of buildings, but these technologies face a number of will create enough design value in the commons shared by all who benefi t an ambitious plan that targets fi fteen sustainability issues in energy, environment, it creates outcomes with increased site or neighbor- obstacles that prevent them from being widely adopted from good design. And no amount of demonstration will ever ensure that equity, economy, and engagement, as part of an e ort to make Philadelphia the hood benefi ts or more e cient use of resources, is a in the regional marketplace. So GPIC is designed to every community can a ord to pay for good design, even when every greenest city in America by 2015. http://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks compelling public interest that warrants resources and demonstrate and deploy energy e ciency in buildings community wants it. 2 A year of intense civic engagement and thinking about the future of the Delaware regulation. And this is especially true when the ability using partnerships, information, training, fi nancing, In other words, the Collaborative isn’t just trying to create clients for Riverfront resulted in this 2007 report, by Penn Praxis at the School of Design at to pay means that access to good design is unevenly and regulations that support technology in the market. good design, because even if everyone in Philadelphia had been part of a UPenn, the Penn Project on Civic Engagement, the Philadelphia City Planning Com- distributed in Philadelphia—and everywhere else. But, The theory is that, with enough demonstration and Collaborative project it still wouldn’t be enough to transform the status mission. http://planphilly.com/vision 3 Managed by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission starting in 2010, this is quo. The real game the Collaborative is changing is in trying to create for the foreseeable future, that fi rst-best solution of deployment, the market will accept and widely adopt the city’s fi rst comprehensive strategic plan in 50 years. http://phila2035.org public processes capable of ensuring good design in increased energy e ciency in this region and beyond. constituents for good design. And it is not a game where the outside can every project requires a magic wand, and certainly did This is a model that plans for GPIC to go out of business get elected to reform the inside and then go home. As Lincoln Ste ens twenty years ago. because of the transformation it e ects. noted a little over a hundred years ago, Philadelphians have a fondness We needed then—and need today—the Community We could think of the Collaborative as playing a for reform because they have such a distaste for governing. They want to Design Collaborative. What does it mean that we still similar role: teaching the city and region about the fi x things and go home. But the real challenge is continuous good gover- need it twenty years later? Would we want a world that advantages of good design until the lesson catches on nance. And on our issues, that takes a permanent constituency for good didn’t need it? How does the answer to that question and the Collaborative is no longer needed. And some of design. For large parts of Philadelphia, it is hard to imagine sustaining that a ect what the Collaborative does? These questions that is probably happening. Collaborative partners who constituency without the Collaborative. confront an organization that is in the position to con- “discover” the returns to good design might go on to build So both fragmentation and transformation argue that we need at least tinue to transform the world it fi nds. Two decades has resources for it in future projects. Neighbors of Collab- another twenty years of the Collaborative. So how do we reconcile all that meant 600 projects—more than enough to ask whether orative projects who have observed that value of good complexity, signifi cance, and ambition with the demands of sustaining a the Collaborative has changed the game. My answer design might seek it out when they consider building. small nonprofi t organization? What’s the right metric for the Collabora- is yes, but maybe the Collaborative hasn’t changed In fact, the Collaborative’s role is di erent than GPIC, tive? What’s the basis for outsiders supporting its future? the game you think. with a di erent connection between the “outside” and The key to these questions may in fact come from the idea of leverage,

52 When Is Collaboration Like Construction? Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 53 55 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design Neighborhoods through Strengthening Leverage: The Collaborative’s volunteers volunteers Collaborative’s The of one kind designers, all are use to all want and or another, our city. improve to their skills to strives Collaborative The to expertise design provide at a neighborhoods underserved previously that was of quality level community for unprecedented of the Many design projects. years the last twenty over projects and design excellence exemplify and beautiful thoughtful represent of civic design. expressions

DESIGN 54 Location 100–110 Oxford St., West Kensington neighborhood, Philadelphia The challenge here was Selective Subtraction: Services completed 2010 to reuse a site that was Oxford Street Client Greenpoint Manufactur- essentially a crowded ing Design Center (GMDC); Women’s Community Revitaliza- old factory complex in a tion Project (WCRP); Kensington South Neighborhood Advisory Council (KSNAC) neighborhood of row houses Volunteers that were interspersed with DIGSAU

Inspiring and functional: With Hours donated (value) factories and workshops. this project, the Collaborative 411 ($44,445) explored combining industrial uses with housing at an under- A “ﬁ ne-tuned demolition” utilized site. At the entrance Products to the courtyard would be an Conceptual design industrial garden, which DIGSAU opened up all sorts of architect Jules Dingle described Bulit as “a gorgeous landscape No where you can see people doing possibilities, including a manufacturing work.” Inﬁ ll Philadelphia Partner Philadelphia Industrial mixed-use community Development Corporation that combines 34 units of a ordable housing and 45 studios of artisan workspace, as well as a landscaped ramp leading from an “industrial garden” at ground level to the rooftop garden for residents.

56 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 57 Carving O ut a Courtyard

Through what they termed “selective subtraction,” the architects shaved away eight percent of the factory structures. While the current site’s six disparate buildings (see below) are clustered close together, the design carved out space for a courtyard to bring natural light into building interiors and create a landscaped ramp that spirals up through the courtyard, connecting ﬂ oors, studios, and housing. The design uses the character of the existing buildings and site to create a progression of views and spatial experiences.

A Philly/New York Partnership This development project with WCRP was one of the ﬁ rst in Philadelphia for New York–based GMDC, which has rehabilitated several Brooklyn manufacturing buildings for occupancy by small manufacturers, artisans, and artists. The two community development organizations share a mission Filling in: Oxford Street was one of several old industrial sites the of creating a ordable housing and jobs within a community. Collaborative targeted for an initiative called Inﬁ ll Philadel- phia, created to help urban communities rethink the use of older spaces and re-envision their neighborhoods.

58 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 59 Location 3901–05 Lancaster Ave. (at 39th A family-owned and Spring Garden Sts.), West Powelton/Saunders Park neigh- business that borhoods, Philadelphia A Commercial Infi ll Services completed was ripe for The New Angle Lounge—a neighborhood pub—was one 2007 of several commercial corridor sites designers reconceived reinvention through the Collaborative’s Infi ll Philadelphia initiative, cre- Client ated to help urban communities proactively rethink the use People’s Emergency Center was paired of older spaces, in order to re-envision their neighborhoods. (PEC) People’s Emergency Center (PEC), a community develop- Volunteers ment and social services agency based nearby, thought the with a fl uid but CICADA Architecture/Planning, New Angle Lounge and its owner, LaTonya Furman, would be A corridor in context: The Inc. Lancaster Avenue Commercial a good match for Infi ll Philadelphia. The new design presents Corridor, which cuts a diagonal respectful design. the building as a lively, engaging gateway to the Lancaster Hours donated (value) path across West Philadelphia, Avenue commercial corridor. 258 ($27,020) north of Market Street between The results 39th and 42nd Streets, was one Designing a New Angle Products of six in the city funded though Conceptual design Pennsylvania’s Main Street refl ected renewed The predesign approach combined the fi rst fl oors of three Program, as well as the Commercial adjacent buildings to create a larger, more fl exible fl oor plate Features Corridor Revitalization Program that was large enough to accommodate a full-service res- sponsored by the Local Initiatives prospects for Contemporary facade and Support Corporation (LISC). taurant—an amenity that is rare but extremely desirable on canopy on fi rst fl oor, preservation neighborhood developing commercial corridors like this one. The triangular of original building elements on site was the inspiration for “Trilogy,” a combined jazz club upper fl oors and restaurant that would populate the space during the day commercial Built and into the evening. No The design team sought to take advantage of the fl exibil- corridors like ity a orded by the fi rst-fl oor space, which—unlike the other Infi ll Philadelphia Partner Creating a Landmark: fl oors—had already been modernized but was almost com- LISC Philadelphia this one in West pletely sealed up. Predesign devised a strategy to reanimate The “New Angle this space with large windows opening onto the sidewalk. Philadelphia’s The challenge was to make these elements work together Opening up options: The with preservation e orts on the upper fl oors, given the need design creates vitality at night, Lounge” as “Trilogy” with large fi rst-fl oor windows Saunders Park. to respect the historic urban fabric of Lancaster Avenue. The that allow for activity and solution was a sculptural canopy that would wrap around light from the restaurant, club, the building, providing cover for outside seating, while con- and lounge to spill out onto trasting the fi nely detailed bays and cornices that would be Lancaster Avenue. The same windows provide ample natural Second-generation owner: restored on the building’s upper stories. LaTonya Furman, proprietor light for lunchtime patrons. of the family-owned New Angle Lounge (shown here with her parents Florence and Leroy Furman), was inspired by the corridor’s renaissance to envision a restaurant and jazz club.

60 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 61 Location 1646 Ridge Ave. (o Broad School as Beacon: St.), Francisville neighborhood, Philadelphia

Byron Story Foundation Services completed 2007

Client Juanita Story-Jones is Byron Story Foundation (BSF) a shining example of a Volunteers bwa architecture + planning; Collaborative client who International Consultants, Inc. Hours donated (value) is passionately absorbed 215 ($21,125) by a mission of service, Built but also attuned to the No power of symbols—and “The building’s of architecture—for a architectural expression community. Moving the was inspired by a simple question: ‘If this building foundation she’d started were a store, what would in her son’s honor into it be selling?’ The answer a newly designed space came back almost immediately: ‘Hope’.” struck her as a chance to —Bill Becker, AIA, leader of transform her vision for Facade that tells a story: volunteer design team The facade design features this alternative school into a sidewalk-to-roof image of Byron Story’s graduation portrait, created out of 450 (literally) a “beacon of light” translucent 4-inch snapshots of BSF students. The compos- for the neighborhood. The ite image speaks poetically to the collective beneﬁ t that has emerged from Byron Story’s Collaborative was more tragic death. The remainder of the facade is a translucent than happy to help. glass channel, and the light that ﬁ lters through at night creates the beacon of light that Ms. Story-Jones envisioned. 62 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 63 Honoring a Legacy

In the wake of losing her son Byron to handgun violence in 2002, Ms. Story-Jones decided to honor his memory in an exceptional way: by reaching out to help the young people who were most at risk for falling victim to (and perpetrating) this same violence. Soon after, she created the Byron Story Foundation (BSF), an alternative education center that provides “wraparound” services to at-risk youth, through a contract with the School District of Philadelphia. Four years later, BSF sta struggled to do justice to its ambitious list of activities—teaching, tutoring, counseling, and special events—within the 1,700- foot space on the ﬁ rst ﬂ oor of an aging Francisville row house. When a larger vacant space became available on the same block, the foundation saw an opportunity to expand in order to o er more services to more young people.

Manifesting a Mother’s Vision Juanita Story-Jones is not only an exceptional person—given her determination and commitment to helping kids who had been truant or dropped out of the public A personal investment: “Every school system. She also had a unique ability to interpret her vision through collabo- project has a story; but this ration with the design team. The dramatic and contemporary result was a design one really hit home. Juanita that successfully interpreted Ms. Story-Jones’s goal for the building, including a Story-Jones (above) stood up, took charge, and said ‘This isn't fascinating yet approachable facade. going to happen anymore on my watch’.” —Jessica Brams-Miller, a design team member

64 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 65 Location 1800 block of North Sheridan St. Pushing the Envelope: and 600 block of Berks St. (at North 7th St.), North Philadelphia Modern options: Pradera APM's A ordable Inﬁ ll I and II are twin homes, Services completed and APM wanted to 2006 o er residents a sustain- Housing at Sheridan Street able option for a ordable Client housing, while also creating a more contemporary vibe Asociación Puertorriqueños en and a building that ﬁ t the Marcha (APM) modest site. Volunteers Over the past decade, the community design Interface Stu dio

Hours donated (value) corporation Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha 197 ($21,400)

(APM) has created hundreds of a ordable housing Products Conceptual design units in its neighborhood, on the fringes of Temple Sustainable design features Environmentally sustainable University to the west, and Northern Liberties to the building materials, customiza- tion to maximize beneﬁ ts of each south. In 2005 they sought to diversify how they unit’s solar exposures Awards 2006 AIA Philadelphia developed housing in this transforming area and Silver Award brought the Collaborative on board. Consultant for ﬁ nal design Interface Studio Architects, LLC

Built Under construction as of June 2011

Mix and match: Individual units can Inﬁ ll Philadelphia Partner be customized by swapping living and (pilot program) sleeping spaces, creating two-story loft spaces, or converting an upper bedroom NeighborhoodsNow into a terrace, but none of these would a ect the building footprint.

66 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 67 Creative Challenge

The project—one of three focused on a ordable infi ll housing for older urban neighborhoods—was part of a larger initiative by NeighborhoodsNow on how to address obsolete housing and block confi gurations. The goal was to come up with new home and street design prototypes that fi t in, but o ered something new. What Philadelphia does well: The concept of the Sheridan To encourage innovative solutions and spur a conversation Street design prototype garnered between design experts and leaders in community develop- national attention and a partner- ment, the Collaborative sponsored the Design Challenge, ship with Postgreen that led to in which three design teams developed and presented to a inexpensive houses suited to row house neighborhoods. jury options for a ordable infi ll housing that refl ected each neighborhood’s unique context, site, and market. The three design “problems” posed through a Design Challenge led to three innovative approaches to a ordable housing, to serve as models for neighborhoods facing similar scenarios. Most important, the results were exciting designs that organizations like APM could achieve within the param- “This design challenge eters of a ordable housing, and o ered a number of sustainable elements. shows that infi ll housing design in Philadelphia Breakthroughs at Berks and Sheridan The project encompassed one strip of vacant land on Sheri- needs to be approached dan Street and another small parcel around the corner on Berks in a more serious way, Street. Sheridan Street presented a particular design challenge because it was only 40 feet deep—too narrow for conventional and it can be.” housing redevelopment—and wedged behind Pradera, new —Lisa Armstrong, juror twin homes with yards that APM developed recently. The design team created a relatively simple prototype that was based loosely on the dimensions of the typical Philadel- phia row house (roughly 16’ x 40’), but emphasized daylight and fl exibility—and o ered the possibility of prefabricated construction. A palette of environmentally friendly materials was used on each facade relative to its solar exposure and interior layout.

68 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 69 Location 973 North 7th St. (at Poplar Back in 2004, when Mt. Tabor Community Education and St.), East Poplar neighborhood, Inspired Senior Residences: Philadelphia Economic Development Corporation (CEED) approached the Services completed Mt. Tabor Cyber Village 2005 Collaborative for conceptual design services, an urban Cyber Client Village for seniors was a cutting-edge concept. Reverends Mt. Tabor Community Educa- tion and Economic Development Corporation (Mt. Tabor CEED) Mary Lou Moore and Martha Lang had worked for ﬁ ve years to

Volunteers acquire the vacant lot adjacent to Mt. Tabor African Methodist bwa architecture + planning; Construction Management Solutions; Thornton-Tomasetti Episcopal (AME) Church, and they then fought to gain control

Hours donated (value) of the lot from drug dealers and prostitutes. The ministers 430 ($39,516) had a vision for a colorful, tech-savvy, and engaged senior Products Feasibility study and conceptual design community, but they needed the Collaborative to make a giant

Sustainable design features leap forward. Green roof

Consultant for ﬁ nal design bwa architecture + planning

Built Church at the end of the block: The Collaborative’s preliminary 2009 design broke down the scale of the nearly block-long facade with an entrance at midblock, window bays, and varied building materials.

Inspired leadership: Reverends Mary Lou Moore and Martha Lang, leaders of Mt. Tabor CEED, are model clients with a passionate vision for change. “Existing senior facilities are depressing… The Lord placed it in my spirit to make a happy place to live.” —Rev. Lang

70 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 71 Envisioning Possibilities

Inspired by the ministers’ passion and tenacity, the Collaborative did preliminary design work to prove that Mt. Tabor CEED could build enough units on the lot to make the project feasible. The design team also showed how the senior housing complex could feel welcoming, A gracious welcome: blend into the neighborhood, and serve a new generation of actively Mt. Tabor Cyber Village has “Mt. Tabor asked us a fi rst-fl oor community room engaged seniors. large enough for the entire The conceptual design for the multi-story building consisted of from the beginning of population to gather, an two residential wings, joined by common rooms and a lobby at the outdoor patio, a community the project to really garden, and a 14,000-square- main entrance. Much of the fi rst fl oor—the café, computer center, foot green roof—all of which fi tness center, and community room—is also available for neighbor- work on developing inspire this diverse, thriving hood use. Upstairs, lounges on each fl oor draw residents together, community—in the community to come together in new ways. and outdoor gathering spaces and a greenway link the Cyber Village neighborhood, with the church, and for Creating Success the residents.” The strong preliminary design enabled Mt. Tabor CEED to maintain the integrity of its vision, despite a tight project timeline and budget. —Brian Szymanik, AIA Mt. Tabor CEED hired bwa architecture + planning to join the development team, develop the project further, and apply for funding. They ultimately obtained a ordable housing tax credits, and residents st

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72 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 73 Project number The Community Design Collaborative's products are intended 2004-31 Cyber Village Senior Housing to provide visual concepts and to assist in project design and Date for Mount Tabor CEED planning. All drawings are limited to conceptual design and are neither intended nor may be used for construction. 5/27/05 973-1003 N. 7TH ST. Neither the Community Design Collaborative nor the project Scale Philadelphia, PA 19123 volunteers assume responsibility or liability for the technical 1/32"=1'-0" accuracy of drawings or for any unauthorized use. Location 42nd and Stiles Sts., East Parkside neighborhood, West Philadelphia

Services completed 2006

Client Beyond helping: Habitat for Habitat for Humanity Humanity is known for building simple, a ordable housing, but Philadelphia working closely with residents Helping Habitat for Humanity: to create a design that was a Volunteer good ﬁ t for a particular West Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT); Philadelphia neighborhood Energy Coordinating Agency of Stiles Street required expertise that only the Philadelphia, Inc. (ECA) Collaborative could o er. Hours donated (value) 222 ($21,680)

Products Conceptual block and site plans

Consultant for ﬁ nal design Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT)

Built 2009

When Habitat for Humanity approached the Collaborative about developing green a ordable housing for a vacant lot in this East Parkside neighborhood, design aesthetics were the issue, and skilled community engagement was the solution.

74 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 75 Bridging Gaps, Facilitating Relationships

This East Parkside neighborhood had been disappointed with the results of two a ordable housing units Habitat had constructed there in 2002, given that they did not suit the historic character of the neighborhood. So the humanitarian organization reached out to the Collaborative for help in Building the future: During a building consensus for their next set of houses there. The volunteer work day, architect Maarten Pesch explains the Collaborative facilitated dialogue with the East Parkside green features of the Stiles Residents Association (EPRA) to get their feedback on— Street housing to a future and buy-in for—the design options this time around. owner/resident.

Finding an Attractive Compromise Habitat generally relies on simple designs that its volunteer construction crews can build easily. With this new housing, the organization needed to go beyond their standard unit— two-story frame twin homes with aluminum siding and sloped roofs—and devise a solution that integrated feedback from the community as well as practical building considerations.

Assembling a Green Team Design continuity: The new housing carries on the rhythm The fi rm of Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT) recruited volun- of the porches of the older teers from its sta and teamed up with the Philadelphia homes on the block. nonprofi t Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) to incorpo- rate sustainable design elements into the project, so that the homes would be energy-e cient and have low maintenance costs for their residents. The Collaborative provided a service grant to help Habitat develop its fi rst a ordable green housing project, and WRT continued its relationship with Habitat as a consultant, providing the fi nal design and construction documentation and management.

76 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 77

Stiles Street - Looking West

Project number Habitat for Humanity - Philadelphia. The Community Design Collaborative's products are intended to 2005-16 provide visual concepts and to assist in project design and plan- Date ning. All drawings are limited to conceptual design and are neither intended nor may be used for construction. Neither the 10 Nov. 2005 Preferred Architectural Approach Community Design Collaborative nor the project volunteers Scale assume responsibility or liability for the technical accuracy of N.T.S drawings or for any unauthorized use. Location 7200 Woolston Ave. (at Walnut Ln.), West Oak Lane neighborhood, Philadelphia

Services completed 1993

Client Simons Recreation Center Advisory Council

Volunteers Dori Bova, AIA, Jan Lucas Strouse, AIA, Robert Bole

Products Programming study, conceptual preliminary cost estimate

Consultant for ﬁ nal design Studio Agoos Lovera

Built 2000 This is a story of a recreation center at the heart of a neighborhood that was in turnaround mode: West Oak Lane. “Simons Rec” was bursting at the seams with use by residents, for programs that were helping to rebuild the community. But, with an ice rink dating from 1948 and a main building Creating a Neighborhood Anchor: from the 1970s, they needed a design plan Simons Recreation Center that was also forward thinking.

78 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 79 Design Facilitates Unity “West Oak Lane is a key neighborhood to preserve By the early 1990s, a decade of e ort to revitalize this working-class, predominantly African-American community and develop. There are was bearing fruit. As a result, the Simons Rec advisory board good, strong, workingclass needed a project proposal showing how they sought to grow to make a strong case for funding. And they did, raising $2.1 people moving into the million in state funding, with the help of State Rep. Dwight neighborhood and living Evans. They hired the fi rm of Studio Agoos Lovera for the fi nal design, which was completed in 2000. there. These are people we The Collaborative’s proposal focused on massing more want to keep in the city. We than design: how much space was needed for specifi c activities and where to expand. The predesign process helped the compete with the suburbs advisory board to collaborate with residents to create a vision for them. Neighborhoods for an infrastructure that aligned with the future needs of the community. The people of West Oak Lane came together as like Ogontz are a barometer well—in active resistance to the breakdown of community of how the city is doing.” that all-to-often depletes city neighborhoods like this one. —Jeremy Nowak, Delaware Valley Community Reinvestment Fund (quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer, September 15, 1996) Making it work: Amid a climate of budget cutbacks, an essential aspect of the project’s success was the involvement of the City's Department of Parks and Recreation. Then-commissioner Mike DiBerardinis was particularly focused on improving neighborhood rec centers like this one, and helped to issue the request for proposals (RFP) for Simons. Findings from the Collaborative’s study were included in the RFP to convey the project scope and the advisory council’s input.

80 Design Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 81 A 360° View, Part III: Where the Collaborative Should Go from Here

for free services that [design] profession- will, or be the broker between the develop- e Project-Formation als should provide. One way to counter ment interest and the community interest. that argument is to show that what you Groups like the Collaborative are the Business are doing is trying to build the will to get obvious neutral ground that can do that something done—and envisioning that at kind of preparatory work. It’s an essential a fairly basic level is part of building orga- component: getting projects from an idea Todd Woodward: How can the nizational strength. to some broad consensus. Collaborative ensure that the work we You’re in the project formation business. do means something? With some of the e work of the Collaborative is in build- projects, we wonder whether they will ing the collective will and organizational go anywhere. Education matters to strength around a project that wants to us, but as volunteers, we also want to be done. is distinguishes its role from Making Cities the Client make a di erence. Are there ways the taking work from professionals, which is organization can do more of this? certainly not the business the Collabora- tive is in. I spend all my time worrying Todd: Alan said earlier that the Alan Greenberger: e Collaborative about getting to the stage where there is Collaborative might broaden the scale of can … perfect what it does pretty well a project. is is really hard, and [one of what it takes on, and we’ve also talked already: be selective about the projects my duties is to] rearrange [City] sta [to about taking on smaller projects. If you you take on. It can a ord to up its scale. target] planned areas of the city, [in an both had a crystal ball, what advice e Collaborative should always do attempt] to extract projects from them. But would you o er? What will be the key architectural projects on behalf of people as a city—and I’m sure this is true of most issues the Collaborative might tackle? who have buildings and an idea, but resources—we don’t have the resources to [there’s opportunity to pursue] some of meet the demand that is likely to be out Alan: ere’s an opportunity for the the [di erent areas] you have started to there. It’s just not possible. Collaborative to think of the City as a veer into, [such as] lling in gaps one client from time to time. You’ve always block at a time, handling larger sites. e Maurice Cox: ere are very few places relied on projects coming from grass Collaborative has a role to play in being where those who are interested in advanc- roots, and that will always be the core of smart about which projects you do, with ing an idea for a project can go—other what you do. But think of it the other way the speci c intent of forming the collective than the regulatory public process—to around. What if I said you could organize will that enables good things to happen. come to some kind of a shared vision with a highly motivated group of volunteers to In the early days of organizations like community stakeholders. It’s an enormous look at a problem that we have and that the Collaborative, there was always an burden on the City—on City sta or a we in City government don’t have the anxiety that the Collaborative is providing department—to go out and create public sta to do it? I could unload a list of ten

82 A 360° View of the Collaborative Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 83 things right now that young volunteer design di erent in Philadelphia than it is in Charlot- accurately the cycle of beliefs in planning from Alan: Mayor Nutter also gets criticized for says, “North Broad Street,” which was our things, it will support thinking big and think- folks would have a great time with, exploring tesville. Having a process that is not [run by] the 1950s and 1960s to the abrogation of plan- being too process-oriented. [ e establish- Rose topic. He asks the investor, “What are ing in our transformative way. at would an idea, unleashing a latent potential that we the City—but in which the City is understood ning, through the removal of federal money, ment] kind of liked the “deal” days [of some you doing for the next two hours? Let’s drive really be my wish for the Design Center: don’t have time to think about, other than this as more of a global convener—turned out to and an unwillingness (at least on the part of previous administrations], because it looked up and down the street.” [given that] these moments are incredibly intuition that there’s something there. be very powerful. It was literally a contract the great Rust Belt cities) to step up into the like things got done quickly. In fact, in prior eeting, you have to take advantage of them as that the City made with the design center for void and fund planning. So for Philadelphia, decades, over-ambition probably jammed up Maurice: And he could probably talk about it they present themselves. Todd: at’s an excellent idea. Can I sign up comprehensive planning. it actually became anti-planning, top-down more critical property than people realize. But with incredible insight and in a very persuasive to be on that team? planning, community empowerment—the it’s very American to esteem an individual way, and that’s really what it’s all about—the Alan: I couldn’t agree more. I have become Todd: I love the idea of the City as a client. It death and life of great American cities but who’s seen as making the deals. capacity of our political leaders to do it. One of keenly aware of the eetingness of the Beth Miller: Design Trust in New York has been touches on the idea of the Collaborative would also populist politicians. It was Philadelphia One of the better City Council members the things that I hope that the Collaborative moment. Right now, we’ll get four more years very successful with these types of partnerships. be providing, in essence, time for re ection Mayor Frank Rizzo saying, “You don’t have was overheard criticizing me—not to me, of does is build on the fact that you have a design out of this (so e ectively we’ll get four and that you don’t have in doing the day-to-day to listen to those knuckleheads (who work for course—saying, “Well, Alan’s a nice guy, but advocate in City Hall who understands the a half more years out of this), and then the Maurice: In Virginia we legislate every ve business that you have to do. me)! Do what you want to do.” en it went he’s an architect, he’s not a deal guy.” Mean- value of what you do—and potentially would moment could truly be over, to the extent that years to update our comprehensive plan and through the era of hero developers, and then while, I’m thinking, “Yeah, but deals are getting entertain a proposal from you that, two years we can institutionalize certain good practices, plan process. We decided to turn over to the Alan: Virginia has a ve-year mandate for it morphed (at least in this city) into strong done. How do you think they’re happening?” ago, maybe he would not. that’s a big gift to the future. And to the community design center that process of comprehensive planning? Philadelphia has a deal-making politicians who didn’t do plan- It’s not necessarily by me being a big hero, but extent we can’t, we have better [accomplish] leading these neighborhood discussions on 50-year mandate. We’re doing the rst com- ning either because they did deals in their I have a team of people who are all part of a Beth: I think Maurice is making the ask for something in those years. everything that is in a comprehensive plan, prehensive plan in 50 years. o ces—private sector heroism. It’s a kind of network of how these things happen; it’s not me, Alan! and then in turn to train young design advo- Reagan follow-on. the classic quarterback method, but they are cates in facilitating discussions around a wide Beth: ere are going to be 18 neighborhood getting done. Maurice: You know that these [opportunities] variety of neighborhood topics. It was the district plans, and great opportunities to work are moments in time—that there are things most energetic, empowering comprehensive with individuals in the neighborhoods where Maurice: How do you think Mayor Nutter’s that align—and it’s really hard to remember Institutionalizing planning process we ever had, because we were they are, and respond to their hopes and Seizing Philadelphia’s year as a Rose Fellow has changed how he that [those opportunities] are not going to able to hold dozens of conversations at the aspirations. understands the power of what your o ce is be there forever. You feel an obligation to Good Design scale of [individual] neighborhoods. “Planning Moment” able to do? exploit it to get something done. I’m speaking en we were able to stand back and look Maurice: Pittsburgh is doing its rst compre- nostalgically of what we did here in Charlot- at what people said, and they fell into a series hensive plan in 50 years. What do you make of Alan: I have nothing but good things to say tesville, [when I] realized there was a moment Todd: How else do you see the of reoccurring values that—lo and behold— that? Has comprehensive planning been dead Todd: What opportunities do you see for the about his year with the Rose Fellows. Not only in time—and a series of people—when things Collaborative’s role evolving? crossed all neighborhoods. Rather than a in Pennsylvania? Collaborative given the current political did they actually help, but they allowed us to aligned, and we were able to advance some top-down “What are our values?” meeting, we climate in the city? take an area that we intuitively thought needed very big ideas. And then that moment disap- Maurice: One of the things that you all are risked asking people in groups of 25 or 50, and Beth: We’re giving it a resuscitation. attention [North Broad Street] and put it peared, and that was the end of it. Fortunately able to do [in Philadelphia]—because of your then [looked] to see whether there was any Maurice: You [in Philadelphia] have come to squarely on the mayor’s agenda. He hadn’t we had taken advantage of that moment. a size and [the fact that] you have enough commonality. Of course there was. We got to Alan: ere must be a 50-year [trend] in Penn- an incredible place where you now are going been hostile to this work, but as a mayor he’s In Philadelphia you are all in a similar public commissions that you can do good—is a vision for our city that came out of many sylvania—something in the water, because [through] the Urban Land Institute (ULI) roof. thinking about all sorts of things. And we were moment, and you had better exploit it to the begin to understand the notion of how you conversations instead of one. there are consistent patterns that happen on Mayor Nutter believes in planning and is host- able to say, “ is is now a critical area.” fullest, because you cannot assume that [in pro er good design. I remember doubts we had along the lines each side of the state. ing the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, and I knew we had it when, toward the end of the the next administration] you will have another e City of New York has gured out a way of, “What happens when one neighborhood he’s putting an architect [Alan Greenberger] Rose year, an LA investor—a sort of venture mayor who will be just as interested in design to create a design excellence program that is stands for this [issue], and another neigh- Beth: Generational turnover. at the head of his planning operation. Up until capitalist of planning—shows up in our midst issues, or that Alan will remain in his posi- pretty robust and is starting to give the city borhood stands for that [issue]?” It showed a couple of years ago, Andy Altman was there. and says, “Mayor, I’m thinking I’d like to invest tion for the next 20 years. You can’t count on a status of promoting extraordinary design that there are certain core values that people Alan: Without getting into the whole poli- It’s an incredible di erence in your current in Philadelphia. What are you thinking about?” any of that, so if you [bring to it] the sense of excellence in public commissions. identify with as a community, and it may be tics/sociology of it, I think it re ects pretty mayor’s belief in the power of planning. And without even inching, Mayor Nutter urgency there is now that allows us to start It’s one thing to do it in the public sector;

84 A 360° View of the Collaborative Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 85 you can create requests for quali cations pool, another school that’s not LEED Gold or the schools of architecture and their leader- and you can legally create a pool of people Platinum,” that automatically gets telegraphed ship, and the kind of council that works with prequali ed to do the commission, so the to the private sector. So if you’re saying, “We’re the planning o ce and City Hall, to break public can set the bar. But the real challenge is practicing what we preach, we’re asking you down the silos that tend to exist between those how to get the private sector to push design as to do what we do,” that goes an enormous way. di erent organizations. In Philadelphia the a value to [factor into] their equation in those Our public buildings can’t look like crap if we leadership of some of the universities have projects. Just like we have a ordable housing want the private sector to produce extraordi- had really good participation. But again—it’s pro ers, and all kinds of open space pro ers, nary works of architecture. Our stu has to about getting designers who have really one wonders whether you could have a “good actually be the best stu . strong and thoughtful re ections on the city design” pro er, where people who are devel- Creating a culture where design is of real in the company of political leaders and deci- oping contribute to a pot that could be used value is really what the Collaborative does, sion makers, so that this conversation about in innovative ways to raise the bar in design and continues to do, in terms of organizing design can ow from that. excellence in the private sector. design advocates to make sure that the case is always being put in front of the general public, Alan: Beth is our most recent planning Beth: You’d have to de ne “design excellence.” so they hear people talking about design. I commissioner. She’s one of nine. Six are can’t tell you what a di erence that makes, par- appointments by the mayor, and three are Alan: I think how to institutionalize that is ticularly in a city like Philadelphia, where you appointments from nance, the managing what I’m really not clear about. On a day-to- have such a strong design community creating director, and the commerce department, who day basis [in Philadelphia], it happens to a a way, so there is always a conversation about all have reserved seats. large degree because there’s a small cadre of design. You raise the overall community us who just keep talking about it. It’s interest- discussion about the built environment. Maurice: Alan, at some point I’d love to see ing—it does embed itself in places where you A lot of times it’s through critical public what you’re excited about coming down the would not otherwise expect it. My colleagues projects that the mayor may have on his pike. I know that lots of projects have been put and some of the other deputy mayors keep agenda—I think those are always the best—or on hold, but they’re going to come back and hammering at it. things that are coming up in the private sector. I’d be really interested to know what’s been e other nice thing that’s happening—at Alan knows the community will need to have keeping you excited over this next four and least in the private sector—is that the demand a really robust conversation about design, so half years. side is going up. So, where it shows up most he reaches out to the Collaborative and says, noticeably is in buildings designed to high “Can you set the stage for this conversation?” Alan: I’d love to have that conversation. sustainability standards, where one developer Whether it’s this particular area or a particular in town says, “I’m never building another building, it’s part of creating a culture. Beth: ere will be an opportunity for that building that’s not LEED Gold or Platinum As much as I try to institutionalize good at the national conference of the Association because that’s my client base, and I can’t design, in the end I’ve found that the best of Architecture Organizations, the Architec- build otherwise.” It’s even showing up now in institution you can create is a constant stream ture and Design Education Network, and the industrial buildings that they do, because other of high-quality designers who are in posi- Association for Community Design—a joint developers see that and think about it. tions of con dence with people who make conference of all three organizations we’re decisions. I’m not sure what planning boards hosting October 9–11, 2011. Hopefully you Beth: Raising the bar. or design review boards help the planning can have more of this discussion in front of o ce, but make sure that you have the high- some of your colleagues, and tell the Philadel- Maurice: I think that the public has role est-quality design professionals volunteering phia story from that national perspective. to play, because if the City says, “We’re not to serve on those boards and commissions. Or building another community center, another ensuring that there is an easy pipeline between

86 A 360° View of the Collaborative Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 87 BY SALLY HARRISON for the rights of the local community in face of the juggernaut of top- public urban forum to put forth North Philadelphia’s critical issues and a down city planning evolved to form one of the earliest prototypes for the framework for envisioning its future. community design center, opening new roles for designers and planners.3 The R/UDAT was an intensely proactive process. Over the course a Advocates formed centers in Baltimore, New York, Cincinnati, and other four-day charrette, the nationally fi elded team of designers, economists, cities in the U.S. as well as in Europe and the U.K., providing design and and political activists worked with the local AIA and its community-based planning services to newly emerging community development corpora- participants. The process discredited widely held myths about North At the Margins: tions. Recalibrating power relations, these nongovernmental intermediaries Philadelphia, proposed new urban strategies, and unearthed scores of formed the client base for much of the early community design work. The nascent and potential development projects. In the wake of the R/UDAT Philadelphia chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) estab- team’s departure, we in Philadelphia considered how to build on this lished one of the fi rst of these centers, the Architect’s Workshop, in 1968. momentum, and before long we were running housing and urban design Politics and Design Now In operation for more than 15 years, the Workshop o ered the pro bono studios at Temple University and at the University of Pennsylvania. And services of AIA members to neighborhood organizations in Philadelphia, within the AIA, the idea of the Community Design Collaborative was born. and as such was very much the forerunner of the Collaborative. In the late 1960s advocacy for disenfranchised communities took political Leveraging Reactive Practice center stage in public design discourse. It was a tumultuous time steeped Pro bono community design centers like the Collaborative—which was in adversarial rhetoric. With clearly demarked lines of resistance and formed in response to the very tangible needs for design services that THE CALL TO CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN DESIGN, once revolutionary, designers or to designed environments themselves. It is an opportune incantations of “power to the people,” the early advocacy planners were emerged from the R/UDAT—commonly adhere to what I’m calling a reac- has developed in myriad interesting ways since it was fi rst articulated in the moment to recognize our growing strengths and also revisit the role of militantly reactive, using their agency to combat the well-funded threat of tive model. This suggests that they follow the traditional role of the design 1960s. This foundation of the community design movement has expanded political activism as a unifying agenda of contemporary social design.2 politically single-minded municipal projects. But having burst on the scene professions in responding to a situation or program that others have defi ned the agency of the design professions. Designers have realized thousands Activism in design can begin with students bearing witness to inequity with much éclat, the community design movement kept a relatively low extrinsically. The work, though certainly not apolitical, does not directly of projects like those the Community Design Collaborative undertakes, and institutionalized injustice through community-based studio and research profi le in the succeeding decades, especially during the politically conser- engage the designers in a political process. Projects usually have a limited thereby engaging the members of a community in an empowering dis- projects. Or it can take the form of leadership within the political apparatus vative 1980s, when funding to cities was drastically reduced. Community scope in terms of the inquiry and the potential for deep engagement with cursive method of design.1 These new community design activisms are of cities by architects and planners like Jaime Lerner in Curitiba, David advocacy had lost its bully pulpit, and a socially progressive agenda was the end users of the projects. Yet in several decades of work, community emerging in reactive, proactive, and transactive ways, each of which has Gouverneur in Caracas, and now Alan Greenberger in Philadelphia, who relegated to the margins of our design culture. A period of speculation in design centers have established a visible and viable alternative practice, a role to play in the evolving political, cultural, and physical landscapes. have used their agency to place strategies for urban social sustainability at both theory and practice upended an ethos of sociopolitical action through intended expressly for those whom design professions have historically the forefront of public discourse and action. In between (and sometimes design, and widespread apathy toward those living in poverty took hold. underserved. This practice has brought numerous architects, planners, This Moment in Design Activism linked with) the institutions of learning and leadership, a cornucopia of In his 1984 book The Scope of Social Architecture, Richard Hatch cites Alex engineers, and landscape architects into a larger cultural ethos of design A new wave of political and spatial issues is cresting, and new practices design activisms are emerging that operate in reactive, proactive, and Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre’s blistering critique of the then-current profes- for the public good. in social design are taking shape in response. Globalization of capital is transactive ways. Typical of reactive practices are the professional service sional/academic narcissism: “The preoccupation with formalism, hedonism, Reactive practice may also coalesce in response to an external threat, as accelerating disinvestment in local economies, undermining communal grants like those that form the core of the Collaborative’s work, but also graphism, and elitism has allowed architects to shift with easy conscience during the formative years of the community design movement. On the world structures, and making housing less and less available to needy popula- disaster relief e orts and design-build projects. The proactive model of from practical measures to the realm of mental constructs.” 4 stage—responding to the ravages of human and nonhuman forces—disaster tions. Environmental degradation generates epidemic health problems and practice frames critical issues through the use of charrettes, temporary The founding of the Collaborative in 1991 anticipated a resurgence of relief is perhaps the purest form of current reactive design work. Moti- threatens food security, especially at the margins of our society, making art-based spatial practices, and speculative design research. Transac- social activism in the design professions. Many of the issues that were vated by humanitarian impulses, the designers bring idealism and creative evident the spatial injustices embedded in the physical environment. As tive community design engages in long-term commitment to a specifi c prominent twenty-fi ve years earlier were still present, or worse: widespread problem-solving skills to bear on the decomposition of spatial networks and, designers who work at the margins, community designers are prepared locale, building relationships of people to place around the design process. urban poverty, violent crime, race-based geographic disparity, and lack of indirectly, extraordinary human su ering. Shigeru Ban’s elegantly modest to act with authority and purpose—to be activists and to recognize that access to a ordable housing. Sensing the vacuum created by the closing of constructions for housing in the aftermath of the Kobe earthquake inspired our work is an essential act in building democracy. Only now, in the face The Evolution of Contemporary Community Design: the Architect’s Workshop, the Philadelphia chapter of the AIA had hosted a generation of designers with this kind of humanitarian intervention.5 of global economic crisis, is the cult of the star architect and elite client The Collaborative in Context a Regional/Urban Design Action Team (R/UDAT) visit to focus on the receding, having dominated the mediated world over the last three decades. In 1963 the Architects Renewal Committee of Harlem (ARCH) gathered to deteriorated post-industrial neighborhoods in central North Philadelphia. Developing Proactive Practice Only now are we expanding the concept of “public” to include the vast protest a highway planned to run through northern Manhattan that would The local AIA committee worked for months on the ground with the com- To address crises that we can reasonably anticipate designers can employ a majority of the population that has little or no access to the service of bisect a poor black neighborhood. The group’s cohesion around advocacy munities, the City, and local political leaders to set the stage for a highly proactive approach to raise questions, initiate action, and engage the political

88 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 89 establishments. Design professionals can also use pro- spending on education, healthcare, housing, and pro- Transactive social design uncovers embedded cultural value, allowing is neither the conscience of our professions, nor the next wave of fashion, active means to understand patterns of social injustice social programs that, if equally well funded, might “Activist practice an often-modest reality to inform and guide development. In his plan- but a powerful agent of revitalization—one that opens new horizons for and, now, the impact of climate change, on inhabited preclude the devastating e ects of an institutionally ning and design work in poor communities in the global South, educator architecture, planning, and design. environments of all kinds. Open-ended charrettes like supported criminal culture on these neighborhoods. means fi rst that and practitioner Nabeel Hamdi has sought change through catalyzing the R/UDAT and by-invitation speculative projects such Their compelling GIS-generated images have been the “emergent potential” found in the often self-made, everyday lived as the Collaborative’s Infi ll Philadelphia address current exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York we are initiators. world. Treading a careful balance between facilitating design actions and 1 Giancarlo De Carlo, “Architecture’s Public” in Architecture and Participation, ed. and emerging issues in practice. Proactive practice often and the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. allowing self-organizing systems to take hold, Hamdi and his colleagues Rather than Peter Blundell Jones, Doina Petrescu, and Jeremy Till (London: Routledge, 2005), exists outside the professional setting, in the realm of prepare the ground for change and open doors to partners outside the 3–22. academia, using research, critical writing, speculation, The Next Frontier: Transactive Practice community. In one project they fi nd a bus stop, where a critical density of 2 Jose L. S. Gamez and Susan Rogers, ”An Architecture of Change” in Expanding and experimental techniques to represent the complex To address the issues that underlie building more demo- waiting for a interaction takes place, and set in motion small, deft interventions: trees Architecture: Design as Activism, ed. Bryan Bell and Katie Wakeford (New York: ecologies of place. Social philosopher-critics like Mike cratic environments and truly engage all our publics, for shade, street lighting, and an improved standpipe, to help develop a Metropolis Books, 2008), 22. See also: Andres Lepik, Small Scale, Big Change: New Davis and David Harvey have advanced critical discourse a vigorously transactive design model may be most commissioned vibrant center of community. Hamdi declares that, in the interest of change, Architectures of Social Engagement (New York: Museum of Modern Art, 2010). 3 See: http://spatialagency.net/database on the ecologies of inequality.6 Their writings expose the e ective. This takes time. Within this model, the act of practice disturbs the order of things, yet “intelligent practice builds on the project, we ask 4 C. Richard Hatch, ed., The Scope of Social Architecture (New York: Van Nostrand political impact of the neoliberal economic structure designing and the products of design form an unfolding collective wisdom of people and organizations on the ground—those Rheinhold, 1984), 3. on marginalized urban communities, where the private discourse. As designers, we neither abandon our role who think locally and act locally—which is then rationalized in ways that 5 Occasionally problematic in the reactive practice of disaster reconstruction is realm has consumed public space. as knowledgeable professionals nor permit ourselves the fi rst question, make a di erence globally…One starts with something small and one the dual temptation to impose a new utopian vision (uncannily exhuming Le Cor- Visual representation of place is an emerging and safe distance from the struggle, but rather must, in starts where it counts.”10 busier’s insistence on the “cleared site”) and to seize a high-profi le opportunity powerful form of proactive discourse that is dis- Timothy Morton’s words, “hang out in what feels like frame the issue, for design celebrity. These have been both evident in post-Katrina New Orleans seminated in books and public exhibitions. These dualism…and admit we have a choice.”8 Design Activism at the Center and the Margins and in the postwar interventions in Serbia Herzegovina. See “Facts on the Ground: Urbanism from Midroad to Ditch” by Michelle Provoost and Wouter Vanstiphout representations address the dynamic systems—social, Sustained engagement in the ecology of a particular and propose The community design movement appears to have arrived once again at in Urban Design, ed. Alex Krieger and William Saunders (Minneapolis: University environmental, economic, and political—that under- community underlies the transactive practice model. center stage. Organizations like the Collaborative have become established, of Minnesota Press, 2009), 186–97, and Architecture for Humanity’s Design Like lie the social occupation of space. Anuradha Mathur The renowned activist Teddy Cruz says we must “focus possibilities.” respected institutions that engage the broad participation of private practi- You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises, ed. Kate Stohr and and Dilip da Cunha, principals of a design fi rm based on the issues of the local…Every issue converges there.” tioners and nonprofi t clients alike. In some city governments, creative and Cameron Sinclair (New York: Metropolis Books, 2006). in Philadelphia and Bangalore, concentrate on issue- Negotiation around the very tangible conditions of —Anuradha Mathur enlightened policymakers are building an ethos of democracy around the 6 Richard LeGates and Frederic Stout, eds., introduction to “Contested Cities: Social centered public investigations around questions of space and place are the drivers of design democracy, planning and design of urban space. And in the vanguard of design culture, Process and Spatial Form” by David Harvey, in The City Reader, 4th ed. (New York: inhabitation in territories dominated by their natural and they have the existential power to “trickle up” and and Dilip da Cunha the publication of a spate of new books11 and high-profi le exhibitions are Routledge, 2007), 226. 7 See: http://places.designobserver.com/feature/ hydrologies. In their words: “Activist practice means transform often hardened policies that obstruct devel- exploring and documenting the resurgence of a collective social awareness. preparing-ground-an-interview-with-anuradha-mathur-and-dilip-da-cunha/13858/ 9 fi rst that we are initiators. Rather than waiting for a opment of livable space. But even as we count these successes, it is important also to push 8 Timothy Morton, Ecology without Nature: Rethinking Environmental Aesthetics (Cam- commissioned project, we ask the fi rst question, frame The Urban Workshop at Temple University, like a outward from the center and continue to engage the margins, where the bridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2007), 205. the issue, and propose possibilities. Our purpose is to number of other university-based centers, has com- weave of social fabric has unraveled and which present the most press- 9 See: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/ a ect change, from policy to pedagogy right down to mitted to multiyear partnerships with neighborhoods ing challenges to a democratic way of life. Going back and forth between the-nifty-50-teddy-cruz-architect how people image and imagine environments, both at the university’s margins. We have worked with our the center and the margins, we the Collaborative (as well as architects in 10 Nabeel Hamdi, Small Change: About the Art of Practice and the Limits of Planning in Cities (London: Earthscan, 2004), xviii. built and natural.”7 community partners and unmasked the processes of general) can maintain a critical perspective and use design where it counts 11 John Cary, ed., The Power of Pro Bono: 40 Stories about Design for the Public Good by The work of Laura Kurgan and Columbia Univer- design, research, and production—weaving together most, knowing when and how reactive, proactive, or transactive practice Architects and Their Clients (New York: Metropolis Books, 2010). sity’s Spatial Information Design Lab is similarly neighborhood plans and policy frameworks, designing will be most appropriate and/or e ective. Such a multifaceted approach proactive and directed at public policy. The lab and building homes, and installing gardens and art. invites more participants with varied talents to enlist in the project of has mapped criminal justice data in several major Engaging the multiple systems that form a community, social change. A diverse array of practitioners can engage the whole ecol- cities, demonstrating a chilling concentration of we work at many scales and draw on the resources of ogy of design through agility and imagination, technical expertise, design incarcerated people from specifi c urban neighbor- diverse disciplines and agents. We are simultaneously inventiveness, interpersonal skills, and the ability to represent complex hoods: “The Million Dollar Blocks.” Referring to the teachers and learners, creative experts and interpreters, issues visually. And our communities, in all their complexity, are poised costs of housing inmates, the project compares the researchers and laborers. to join as full partners in this creative process. Community design, then,

90 At the Margins Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 91 COLLABORATION All of the Collaborative’s projects embody the spirit and ethic of collaboration, yet some of our projects have opened new doors for individuals and organizations to learn from each other. This section highlights unique partnerships among groups that might not otherwise have worked together toward a shared vision.

92 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 93 Location 54th and Arlington Sts., Wynneﬁ eld neighborhood, The Collaborative Philadelphia

Services completed typically works only 2010 with clients who Client Wynneﬁ eld Overbrook Revital- ization Corporation (WORC) already have control

Volunteers Friday Architects/Planners, Inc; over a particular site. Thornton-Tomasetti; Domus, Inc; Alisa McCann But in the case of this Hours donated (value) Local heritage: The site of 379 ($43,870) historic theater, the generations of movie-going, bingo, weddings, bar and Products bat mitzvahs, and concerts, Feasibility study Collaborative teamed the building is important to the collective commu- Built up with a community nity memory—from Jewish No immigrants to the current African-American residents. development corporation that did not own the property, to explore options that would once again make this ailing landmark the heart of

A new direction: One option the neighborhood. would include a 9-unit apart- Re-envisioning a Neighborhood Landmark: ment building on a raised platform over parking, as well as a community center, retail, Wynne Theater and two green spaces.

94 Collaboration Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 95

Project number The Community Design Collaborative's products are intended 2009005 to provide visual concepts and to assist in project design and Wynne Theater Feasibility Study planning. All drawings are limited to conceptual design and Date are neither intended nor may be used for construction. 12/18/2009 Neither the Community Design Collaborative nor the project Scale volunteers assume responsibility or liability for the technical Overall View of Apartment Option accuracy of drawings or for any unauthorized use. 12/21/2009 10:40:14 AM 10:40:14 12/21/2009 Reclaiming a Source of Community Pride

WORC described the empty, neglected building—which had been devel- Keeping the icon: Another proposed strategy was to oped as a movie theater in 1928 and was used as a ballroom and a banquet perform partial demolition hall in later inceptions—as the “only impediment in an otherwise stable in order to keep the theater neighborhood, once a source of community pride.” The Collaborative study headhouse, but create sought to explore potential reuses given the disrepair and the fact that space for a more ambitious community center. many original architectural details had been destroyed. The team found that the theater headhouse—a foyer with a Renaissance Revival facade ﬂ anked by retail space—could be rescued with relatively modest improvements. They also determined that the main theater space, covering about two-thirds of the site, should be demolished to make way for new development that brought new purpose to the main entrance.

Two Feasible Design Options The Collaborative led three interactive workshops to identify four redevelopment scenarios, exploring two in more depth: a community center with meeting, classroom, and gathering space, and a mixed-use project featur- ing nine new apartment units. Both scenarios would retain and refurbish the theater headhouse— with its handsome foyer, old-school storefronts, and distinctive sign. The rental housing option was deemed to be more feasible, given that the building will need to be almost entirely revenue producing.

Determining Suitability for Government Resources The Collaborative prides itself on helping clients navigate the world of funders and resources. This feasibility study sought to explore whether the site was applicable to a recently passed state conservation act, which could appoint a conservator to assume responsibility for stabilizing and adapting the site for productive use. It became clear through the predesign process that, although the building satisﬁ ed the physical requirements, its complicated structure, ownership, and the extent of deterioration meant that pursuing this source of support was not the best use of WORC’s time.

96 Collaboration Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 97

Project number The Community Design Collaborative's products are intended 2009005 to provide visual concepts and to assist in project design and Wynne Theater Feasibility Study planning. All drawings are limited to conceptual design and Date are neither intended nor may be used for construction. 12/18/2009 Neither the Community Design Collaborative nor the project Scale volunteers assume responsibility or liability for the technical View of Community Building Option accuracy of drawings or for any unauthorized use. 12/21/2009 10:40:15 AM 10:40:15 12/21/2009 Location 2129 North 72nd Ave. (at Ogontz Nourishing a Neighborhood: Ave.), West Oak Lane neighbor- This project sought to reinvent a typical storefront hood, Philadelphia

Weavers Way Ogontz as a community resource for fresh, locally grown Services completed 2008 food and a healthy lifestyle. The West Oak Lane Client First of its kind: West Oak Weavers Way Community Lane was a pilot location for neighborhood—much admired for striving to Programs; Ogontz Avenue a new network of satellite Revitalization Corporation co-ops in underserved neigh- maintain the quality of its housing, schools, and borhoods, in this case inspired Volunteers by the opportunity to lease a Studio Agoos Lovera two-story building. playground—o ered little in the way of fresh Hours donated (value) produce. The nearest outlet was an eleven- 535 ($40,205)

minute walk away from Ogontz Avenue, the Products Conceptual design for three neighborhood’s main shopping street, out of the phases of expansion back of a truck. The design team re-envisioned the Sustainable design features Phase 2: green screen; phase 3: stair tower providing passive building and an adjacent lot as a living organism— cooling, green roof, sun shading

one that can grow and evolve as the community Built becomes increasingly engaged in the food co-op. No Inﬁ ll Philadelphia Partners The Reinvestment Fund; The Food Trust

98 Collaboration Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 99 “We want to help residents in the “Infi lling” with Strong Design community feel Weavers Way Ogontz was one of several projects of the Collaborative’s like they own a Infi ll Philadelphia, a multi-phased design initiative that helps urban communities reinvent their neighborhoods and rethink the use of older spaces. This piece of the co-op.” aspect of a phase of Infi ll focused on food access for urban neighborhoods. —Alex Chan, Agoos Lovera Studio Creating Flexible, Functional Security Design team (left to right): The conceptual plan outlined a strategy for the co-op to expand in phases— Ted Agoos, Eriberto Luis adding more retail space, a demonstration kitchen, a green roof, and even Cruz (of Weavers Way), a café over time; the third phase considers full expansion onto the adjacent Eddie Layton, Wandy Chang, Adam Jeckel, Brian vacant lot, to optimize the co-op’s potential. Tiede, and Alex Chan The early design featured an innovative security grille that could enliven any urban commercial corridor. Inspired by the metal security grilles that shutter many city storefronts after hours, the design team fabricated perforated metal panels that fold out during the day to create an open-air produce stand and overhead canopy. At night the panels fold back to secure the facade, while also allowing light from inside the store to illuminate the sidewalk, creating a more open and safer atmosphere for pedestrians.

Expanding the reach of fresh food: The new store is a satellite of Weavers Way, a Philadelphia food co-op that sought to establish a branch within reach of moderate-income families.

100 Collaboration Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 101 Location Various

A ﬁ rst step: When a A performing arts group Services completed vacant trolley barn in West Ongoing as of 2011 Philadelphia became available, the Collaborative did forced to relocate from Client a quick evaluation to see Spiral Q Puppet Theater whether the space could its industrial space—with accommodate Spiral Q’s Volunteers needs. It would, but the required renovations would a tremendous amount KieranTimberlake Associates, have been too costly. The LLP; Du eld Associates, Inc.; search for the perfect site Marvin Waxman Consulting presses on. of bulky and delicate Engineers; Becker & Frondorf; Brian Szymanik Architects; equipment in tow— International Consultants, Inc.

Hours donated (value) equaled a fun challenge 133 ($15,109) to date

The Show Must Go Elsewhere: for the Collaborative. Products Programming and site Spiral Q Puppet Theater Many nonproﬁ ts face feasibility studies Built this daunting task alone, No but the Collaborative has assisted Spiral Q Puppet Theater since 2005 to evaluate potential sites for their suitability. It’s an inspiring process as Spiral Q plans for continued growth.

102 Collaboration Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 103 Big Puppets: Big Space “Things happen because Spiral Q is an organization with a primary focus on promoting social justice, but it’s also a hotbed of creativity; the sta and a crew of volunteers people believe they can…the construct the puppets, hand-sew the costumes, screen-print its signage, Collaborative’s help supports the and build its sets. The workshop space needs a wide variety of areas for each of these tasks. The group also hosts education and public outreach sense that things are possible— events on-site, and has its own library and museum. that there is an ally and resource A “test-ﬁ t” examined the group’s current space needs and evalu- ated what kind of building could e ectively be adapted for their use—an available to let you dream.” exercise that architects do routinely for clients in the private market, but —Tracy Broyles, Executive Director nonproﬁ t clients (let alone arts troupes) rarely have resources to invest in of Spiral Q Puppet Theater this kind of exploratory planning work. As of June 2011, the Collaborative continues to evolve its work with Spiral Q to assist them in understanding and documenting their space needs as they plan for growth in a new location. This process helped the organization to identify and build awareness among its sta about what type of building can be adapted for their unique use—a design service that the Collaborative has found to be particularly well suited for a high-capacity Home sweet home: The organization like Spiral Q. puppets range from a few inches to twenty feet high; each has particular storage requirements. Since most performances are done o -site, a loading area needs to be directly accessible to the workshop and storage.

104 Collaboration Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 105 Location After four decades of helping people with 1200 South Broad St. (at Federal St.), Point Breeze neighborhood, Inviting the Neighbors In: developmental disabilities, the social services Philadelphia Services completed Programs Employing People agency Programs Employing People (PEP) wanted 2005 Client to enhance its program of enriching people’s lives Programs Employing People through vocational and social activities. But the (PEP) Volunteers space it occupies had created a sense of isolation Joseph Salerno, AIA; Veronica Viggiano, AIA; Emma Johnson; Brian Wenrich from the community. The Collaborative worked Hours donated (value) with leadership to identify a series of simple facility 2003: 45 ($5,100); 2005: 181 ($12,890)

improvements that would help build community not Products Feasibility study, conceptual only among consumers of PEP services, but with design the surrounding neighborhood as well. Awards First prize, Pennsylvania Horti- cultural Society’s City Garden Contest, 2010

Built 2009

From foreboding to inviting: PEP was eager to change the courtyard’s eight-foot travertine wall and two-foot iron rail, topped with razor wire—a less-than-welcoming exterior for an organization that wanted to draw people in, not keep people out. Security was an issue, but bringing the garden out to the street was of greater importance—to bring goodwill to the neighborhood.

106 Collaboration Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 107 Starting Small A garden atmosphere: Raised plant beds were The Collaborative assisted with two projects to improve relocated to allow for optimal circulation and PEP’s mid-century modern building at the corner of Broad seating, which were impor- (a major thoroughfare through South Philadelphia) and tant given that the court- Federal Streets. The ﬁ rst was a modest warehouse project yard is a popular site for in 2003, which solidiﬁ ed the partnership. Then in 2005, a lunchtime breaks. In June 2011, PEP was pursuing the more extensive renovation focused on the generous court- last phase of improvements, yard and entryway formed by the C-shaped building, includ- including planters along the ing aesthetic and functional improvements. sidewalk at the base of the PEP needed dedicated storage to free up space within building walls. its on-site workshop, so the Collaborative’s design team proposed creating a warehouse to occupy the side yard between PEP and the adjacent building. This was an e cient use of space, and the design team provided evaluations and proposals for the additional building as well as related zoning issues.

Spaces That Help People Flourish One of the unique features of the existing space was a six- lane bowling alley—a holdover from the previous owners, the Sons of Italy social club—which PEP wanted to renovate for use with client activities. A ordable to maintain, the alley also had the potential to generate revenue if PEP opened Beneﬁ ciaries of design: it up to residents in the neighboring communities of Point Executive Director Graham Breeze and South Philadelphia. Gill (far left) with some of The 2010 courtyard renovation enhanced outdoor seat- PEP's consumers. ing and gardening opportunities, and created good will with the neighbors by extending activity out to the sidewalk. Now maintained with the help of PEP clients, the courtyard garden won ﬁ rst prize in the prestigious Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s City Garden Contest in 2010. PEP gains a third of its funding through contributions and fundraising, so a lovely, functional courtyard was a boon to a busy event season.

108 Collaboration Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 109 Location 80 Windsor Ave., Narberth, Pennsylvania

Services completed Located in a middle-class suburban town on 2004 Philadelphia’s Main Line, the Narberth Library Client Narberth Community Library was part of a thriving community center, but the Grim interiors: The well-kept Volunteers Colonial Revival facade belied Brawer & Hauptman Architects; eighty-year-old building was in desperate need of dim, outmoded spaces and CCM; Joe Matje; Nina drop ceilings inside. Simonettiin restoration and improvements. The Collaborative Hours donated (value) 236 ($26,730) became involved to help the library create a

Sustainable design features focused vision for the project, including drawings, Energy-e cient heating, ventila- tion, and air conditioning system to present to a group of prospective funders. Consultant for ﬁ nal design Brawer & Hauptman Architects

Built 2007

Handsome expansion: The project replaced a less-than-attractive trailer near the rear entrance (left) with a new addition (above) that accommodates the children's reading room with a large bay window. An Update after Eighty Years: Narberth Community Library

110 Collaboration Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 111 Step One: Create a Vision he conceptual plan outlined a strategy for the The site also includes a playground and meeting spaces for the Girl Scout headquarters and the American Legion Hall. But the library’s space needs had exceeded the building footprint, which meant spilling over into a less-than-attractive trailer attached near the library’s rear entrance. The Collaborative helped because the library lacked the funding to do even the basic design work needed to get the project underway. The Collaborative’s building assessments and drawings enabled Narberth to secure the funding that ultimately paid for design development and construction. The ﬁ nal project upgraded the facility to include energy- e cient heating and air conditioning, as well as ADA compliant restrooms, and upgraded lighting, smoke detec- New heights: The dramatic tion, and alarm systems. These bread-and-butter improve- double-height ceilings that had ments gave the community the opportunity make the library been hidden for thirty years more appealing and functional. by dropped ceiling tiles were revealed and complemented by state-of-the-art lighting.

112 Collaboration Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 113 Location 2800 block of Garnet St.; The Collaborative saw 1900 block of Somerset St., Expanded options: One of Allegheny West neighbor- the design concepts reﬂ ects hood, Philadelphia an opportunity to help amenities like larger living spaces, decks, and gardens. Services completed the Allegheny West 2004

Client Foundation (AWF) devise Allegheny West Foundation some unconventional Volunteers Francis Cau man Foley Ho man, Architects, Ltd. solutions to a common

Hours donated (value) urban problem: ﬁ lling in Keeping the bays: The Collaborative’s 484 ($36,070) housing prototypes used the standard gaps between row houses vocabulary of the row houses (bay Products windows, cornices, and zero setbacks) Conceptual block and but also o ered new amenities. site plans on otherwise stable

Consultant for ﬁ nal design blocks. The approach CICADA Architecture/ Planning, Inc.; Blackney Hayes Architects required going beyond

Built redeveloping single Rediscovering the “Forgotten Blocks” 2004 to present house lots; instead they AWF had a long track record of revitalizing this neighborhood, which lies in the shadow of the Hunting Park West industrial district. Since 2002, the area has sought to ask, “How can been poised for new economic development, after su ering suburban ﬂ ight, deindustrialization, and disinvestment. But some residents in one corner of we combine two or three Allegheny West felt overlooked. AWF saw promise in the “Forgotten Blocks,” which were within walking distance of a growing mixed-use industrial district vacant lots or buildings where new neighborhood-based jobs were anticipated. Prototypes and Options to create a better row At the same time, AWF’s strategy of targeting redevelopment to speciﬁ c blocks was a new idea. Combining two vacant lots or a vacant house and lot to develop house?” The Collaborative one larger house made them strong contenders for Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority funding. These two approaches distinguished AWF in the city’s devel- Building a Better Row House: responded with a variety of opment landscape. Allegheny West Foundation conceptual plans for AWF to use as prototypes.

114 Collaboration Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 115 BY BRIAN PHILLIPS AND TODD WOODWARD

2011 MARKS TWENTY YEARS OF THE COMMUNITY DESIGN COLLABORATIVE— new landscapes, or transformed commercial corridors, but twenty years of service to nonprofi t organizations, of connecting designers with include broader concerns such as public policy questions and volunteer opportunities, and of projects that, together, have raised the bar consider- social issues that are typically considered outside the realm of ably for design in Philadelphia. This is certainly a cause for celebration, but it is also design thinking. Design an opportunity to consider the future of the organization over the next twenty years. We see this emerging role of design—which allows thoughtful As architects and Collaborative volunteers, we are confi dent that the Collaborative practitioners to solve problems and add value in pragmatic, high will continue to promote change, foster innovative partnerships, create projects, and performance, and innovative ways—as integral to refl ective lead design professionals into new territory. The Collaborative could employ the skills design practice,1 and also as a critical component to the of its volunteer design professionals and the expertise it has developed over time to improvement of our communities. Though it can be di cult to address issues at a wide variety of scales and questions not traditionally considered quantify certain benefi ts of design, the current climate requires Is the design problems. This essay argues that, at this time in our history, the design fi eld is that we channel more political, economic, and design energy charged with great transformative potential and that both the Collaborative and the into achieving measurable gains and replicable strategies. design professions should support such transformation. The Collaborative and other organizations like it should lead Design and designers have a signifi cant role to play in the future of our cities and this e ort, preparing and educating design professionals and regions. Government o cials and the business community would not have taken community groups alike along the way. Future this statement seriously twenty years ago, when the Collaborative began providing pro bono design services to underserved organizations and neighborhoods. Defi ning Design A Seat at the Table Throughout its history, and especially at the beginning, the Collaborative fi lled an The design challenges emerging in the twenty-fi rst century are The Collaborative has been successful at increasing the profi le important gap—one that spanned conventionally funded projects with high levels of signifi cantly di erent from those of the twentieth. With shifting of design and the design community relative to civic and urban support and projects that never materialized. This role came to be known as “com- and often unstable economic conditions, a worldwide explosion policy issues that impact the built environment in Philadelphia. munity design,” and later, more broadly as “public interest design.” Typical project of urbanism, and widespread environmental issues, design is Though the organization initially worked along the margins of types included low- or mixed-income housing, public parks, school yards, and urban more important than ever. Historically, design has been viewed development activity in the city, the Collaborative has gradually streetscapes: the kinds of buildings and spaces with which we interact on a daily as merely an aesthetic exercise in which designers bring visual become an established voice that represents the importance of basis in our communities. With this work, the Collaborative has championed the and experiential appeal to new and reused environments. We quality design. This expertise would be useful to other cities, importance of participatory design e orts and the idea that every citizen deserves advocate instead for design as a problem-solving tool—a creative regions, and even countries that are in need of creative thinking the benefi ts of a well-designed environment. generator of high-impact, value-added solutions. Precedents for regarding issues of the built environment. These types of projects will continue to be important to the Collaborative’s mission this thinking span from game theory and online user-generated Although politicians, economists, and business owners all par- as well as to the city at large. However, as we look toward the future of the organization, content to Apple’s comprehensive emphasis on design. Design ticipate from the beginning of a major planning e ort, the reality we must seek new gaps to fi ll and emerging issues that could signifi cantly benefi t from should not be simply a reactive process, but rather an exercise is that architects and designers often do not. Brian recently led design resources. In its fi rst twenty years, the Collaborative emphasized community in leadership, one that unlocks new potential on multiple scales a studio at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design by connecting design professionals to local mission-oriented groups, to explore proj- for a better future. (PennDesign) that focused on rebuilding in the wake of the 2010 ects that otherwise would not have happened. The organization encourages, actively What might this mean for the Collaborative? While the earthquake in Haiti. The charge was to explore the role of the arranges, and fosters collaboration throughout the development of each project— twenty-fi rst century should be an exciting time for designers, designer in the context of disaster relief and to consider how collaboration among all types of design professionals, as well as partnerships between given the potential to have broad and deep infl uence, our pro- the students’ design work could benefi t the rebuilding e ort. neighbors, neighborhoods, and potential stakeholders. In a world characterized by fessions are not fully prepared to capitalize on this opportunity. Though the group had done considerable research in advance intense new challenges and an increasing awareness of creativity as a productive tool Design professionals are taught and become skilled at how to of a trip to Haiti, they came to see that the challenges were for problem solving, the Collaborative should seek in the next phase of its work to imagine future possibilities that others may be unable to envi- not limited to destruction from the earthquake, as tragic and push the limits of design. sion. These possibilities are not limited to renovated buildings, intense as it was. Many of the most serious problems grew out

116 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 117 local conditions and allow the organization to gain insight that in turn would workers—to the site for a variety of reasons including jobs, retail, access benefi t the work in Philadelphia? It is beyond the scope of this essay to Without losing the base of to tools, and continuing education. Similar small-scale and individual answer such questions, but the Collaborative’s track record over the past production, combined with shared and community resources, could be two decades suggests that they are worth serious consideration. collaboration and the focus on replicated at other urban sites in Philadelphia and beyond. The details of this particular project, however, are less important than the idea that The Value of Design community, could the next phase the act of design and the implementation of design thinking that the Col- Closer to home but with similarly broad relevance are questions of envi- laborative champions yields strategies and opportunities that would not ronmental responsibility, which provide an avenue for engagement that the of the Collaborative’s work push otherwise exist. Collaborative has not yet fully explored. E ectively addressing environmen- The future of the Collaborative should be to help reshape the role of tal issues requires transcending political boundaries, thinking creatively, and the limits of design? the design community—in Philadelphia, certainly, but with wide-ranging devising unique partnerships—activities at which the Collaborative already implications. As with the organization’s work to date, this reshaping would excels. Without treading into the territory of green building organizations, not come as a grand manifesto, but as the accumulation of a series of the Collaborative could investigate topics related to the intersection of built small, thoughtful moves. The fi rst twenty years have provided a wealth and natural environments on behalf of the community groups it serves. seemed unnecessary in a booming economy. Now, as our economy recovers of such incremental improvements, as this book documents. Architects, For example, as costs continue to rise, the large-scale need to generate from the recent recession, it is clear that this will be a slow process. The and design professionals more generally, can identify key challenges and of the prevailing conditions that existed prior to the earthquake for many energy in an environmentally responsible way will have implications for next decade may be spent regaining lost economic ground. The outreach serve as advocates for and agents of positive change. The Collaborative Haitians, given decades of political corruption, environmental degrada- countless decisions in local planning as well as urban and regional design. that the Collaborative undertakes on behalf of the design community and should continue to frame issues of importance and to advance the role of tion, and improper construction technology. The earthquake dramatically At the scale of individual buildings, increasing energy costs will consume the projects that are created by its work are even more important during design in addressing these issues. highlighted these underlying factors. The students came to understand a greater proportion of building owners’ budgets, and therefore provide such times, to the design community and the general public alike. Opportunities abound for designers and design thinking to fi ll underlying the complex process of a major rebuilding strategy: the non-governmental incentive for building system upgrades that not only pay for themselves There is much that all practicing design professionals might learn from gaps, though many of these may exist outside the typical understanding organizations (NGOs), the myriad of committees, and the strategic (local in the short term but also can o set the cost of other improvements. the Collaborative and its approach to making design relevant to the broader of what constitutes a design problem. The Collaborative should continue and global) alliances. Though many other parties are at the planning table The cost of energy is sure to impact large and small nonprofi ts alike and community. The organization has already begun to tackle some of the issues to emphasize design professional participation in the very early stages of at the outset of such an e ort, designers generally are not. It seems that change the nature of their potential building projects. The Collaborative that could make or break the design professions in the years to come. As planning, regardless of the scope of the undertaking, in order to increase architects are called to the table once a project is defi ned—and a request is in a unique position to proactively address these issues. designers, are we going to be stylists or strategists? Are we budget bust- the chances for the ultimate success of a project. As we continue to make for proposals is ready to be issued. However, the thinking and decision- Given the environmental and fi nancial implications inherent in energy ers or are we clever with how to get the most for the minimum? Are we predictions for the next twenty years, our core belief is that the Collabora- making that occurs prior to establishing a project are of crucial importance issues, the potential value—environmental, monetary, and otherwise—of advocates for our own egos or advocates for a better future? With initiative should unearth new territories for design energy—new project types, to the quality and relevance of what is actually designed and ultimately thoughtful and critical design work could be signifi cant. The value of design tives such as Infi ll Philadelphia, the Collaborative already addresses such underserved constituencies, and innovative tactics. The Collaborative implemented. The Collaborative has already demonstrated the possibilities and design services, both in qualitative and quantitative terms, has always questions, with promising outcomes. should ask tough questions to provoke and inspire government, institu- of an expansive role for the application of design to real, on-the-ground been among the key concerns of the Collaborative. However, it has been tions, and communities to face the di cult realities of the future with issues, and we think it should amplify this important mission. A critical a challenge to communicate to those outside the organization the value Building on a Successful Model confi dence and creativity. advocacy role for the Collaborative moving forward could be to promote of the projects it creates and the pro bono services it facilitates. This is, We see great possibilities for the Collaborative to embrace and expand on the role of designers as broad problem solvers and adept strategic thinkers. at least in part, because design professionals in general struggle to make the ideas embodied in Infi ll Philadelphia, a program in which the Collab- Though it may initially seem unrelated, the comparison between rebuild- the case for the value of their work.2 Stakeholders regarded designers as orative identifi ed and worked with local and regional partners to address 1 We are using the term “refl ective practice” in the context described by Donald ing work in Haiti and the work of the Collaborative in Philadelphia is expendable during the early planning for the future of Haiti, as have decision signifi cant urban issues in the context of design challenges around specifi c Schon in The Refl ective Practitioner (London: Temple Smith, 1983). instructive and raises a series of questions about the role of the organiza- makers in the context of the recession. The consensus seems to be that, topics. In 2010, the topic for Infi ll Philadelphia was “Industrial Sites.” Todd 2 Recent economic conditions illustrate the issue of the perceived value of design tion. As defi nitions of “community” evolve in our increasingly connected when the going gets tough, design is a luxury that we can all live without. led a project by SMP Architects that considered how to encourage new work. Throughout the downturn, architects and other designers have been dis- world, should the Collaborative’s work expand to include regional or Is this because society simply does not understand the value of design? types of industrial activity in the city. Entitled “Neighborhood Fabric(ation),” proportionately out of work and, it would seem, under-valued. The construction inter-city issues? Could teams of design professionals address issues of Or is it because architects and our colleagues fail to make the public aware the project proposes individual and small-scale workshop spaces supported industry as a whole was hurt badly by the recession and the architectural commu- infrastructure, large-scale planning, or even transportation in ways that of our capabilities? The design community may have become complacent by shared services, including a membership-based advanced shop space nity was devastated, especially in certain urban areas. government agencies cannot? Are there places outside the Philadelphia during the economic expansion of the pre-recession years. For most archi- and adjacent community and public uses (see left). The idea is that a mix area where the Collaborative’s services and knowledge might both improve tects and planners, work and design fees were plentiful; self-refl ection of related uses could draw a range of people—residents, consumers, and

118 Design Is the Future Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 119 BY BETH MILLER An Overview of the Collaborative

The Community Design Collaborative works to Service Grants from a dedicated Board and a motivated Advisory Council, Collaborative work with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation to explore strengthen neighborhoods in Philadelphia and beyond Through responsive service grants, the Collaborative coordinates teams sta coalesce the desire and skills of professionals who seek to deliver industrial reuse, with support from the Urban Land Institute Philadelphia by coordinating pro bono design for nonprofi ts through of volunteers from a range of design professions to bring a variety of skills solutions to the communities they serve. The results are brick-and-mortar District Council. to the table. Perhaps the most important skill we promote through our foundations for community, civic, and neighborhood pride. Each phase of Infi ll has expanded the conversation using design as a a dedicated network of volunteer design professionals. volunteer design professionals is problem solving. Our nonprofi t clients We often say the process is as important—if not more important—as tool to address intractable urban problems. Through this series of design Community design is an important part of the revi- face an all-too-common dilemma: while they have stellar track records in the products we provide. Working together helps groups weigh options, challenges, the Collaborative has tapped into local expertise, partnering talization process and a critical element of livable, identifying needs and delivering programs and services, they seldom desig- secure stakeholder buy-in, and secure the social fabric of neighborhoods with thought leaders to help reposition critical issues and unleash the sustainable neighborhoods. nate line items in their budgets to hire design professionals to help develop while improving the quality of their built and natural environments. Com- possibilities for reinvestment, civic engagement, and neighborhood-based The Collaborative harnesses the urban energy, talents, conceptual plans for capital improvements. We believe this preliminary munity input, participation, and instigation are core values. Assisting community revitalization in an unapologetically urban way. aspect of planning is essential for e ective, community-attentive design. civic and community organizations in testing the feasibility of community and commitment of design professionals (architects, Combining design teams with nonprofi ts early in the process (what we enhancement projects helps to strengthen the social fabric, which often Looking Ahead engineers, planners, landscape architects, estimators, call the fi rst 10 percent or “pre-predevelopment”) engages the power of underpins a thriving neighborhood in less-than-tangible ways. The Collaborative has a strong platform on which to build our future. We and others), who work with energetic nonprofi t, civic, design by unleashing possibilities, sparking reinvestment, and pushing the will continue to use design as a catalyst to ask provocative questions, and community leaders to envision a better future for envelope for a brighter, more sustainable future. Meeting people where Infi ll Philadelphia encourage innovative thinking, and provide pragmatic, practical solutions they are—o ering design solutions that address issues of concern on their Through Infi ll Philadelphia—a fi ve-year, three-phase proactive initiative for urban design challenges. We will create more partnerships and inspire citizens. The organization provides early feasibility stud- front stoop, on their block, or in their neighborhood—creates an undeniable launched in 2005—the Collaborative cultivated partnerships with thought new spirited public discussions among residents, policy makers, investors, ies and design services to nonprofi ts on site-specifi c connection between the design of the built and natural environments and leaders to address design challenges related to advocacy. In the pilot designers, business owners, and developers. We will continue to rely upon projects, and develops model projects that promote the quality of life in their neighborhood. phase, we teamed up with NeighborhoodsNow to address scattered and the urban energy of our interdisciplinary volunteers and nonprofi t leaders dialogue and problem solving around critical issues in The process of working with community groups and nonprofi ts on small-scale sites with potential for reuse as a ordable housing. The results to leverage resources, attention, and action to strengthen neighborhoods the city and region. site-specifi c projects that excite them is what makes the Collaborative exceeded our expectations. Our service grant model was the foundation, but through design, one project at a time. service grant model so unique. A community organization invites design we added three service grants with promotion and packaging that took us The Collaborative focuses on core issues a ecting the teams to o er expertise and technical assistance that help put to paper to another level. The clear-eyed stewardship, expertise, and knowledge of quality of life in Philadelphia and surrounding counties its vision for a renewed facility or reactivated space. The fi nal product, a our partners propelled us to consider the sum of the parts—to use design such as housing, open space, commercial corridors, food bound report, helps the organization document and illustrate how these as a tool to advocate for policy and funding support. access, and social services. Targeting direct services ideas can generate new anchors for a thriving neighborhood—places to With the support of the William Penn Foundation, the Collaborative gather, access services, and celebrate community. used this model to establish Infi ll Philadelphia. We partnered with the to community-serving nonprofi ts, the Collaborative This grassroots perspective makes the Collaborative unique among Philadelphia o ce of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to craft a works in the context of the built environment as just one built-environment intermediaries in Philadelphia. The Collaborative serves design challenge to address commercial corridors in phase one. For phase aspect of the larger goal of revitalizing and strengthen- as a matchmaker—connecting engaged community leaders with engaged two, we addressed design challenges related to food access in partnership ing communities. design professionals who share passions for improving quality of life for all with the Reinvestment Fund and the Food Trust and with support from residents. Our volunteers have social justice in their blood. With leadership Pennsylvania’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative. We recently completed

120 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 121 Community Development Corporation • LOGAN Hope • for Social Responsibility • Philadelphia Rooftop Farm • Becker & Frondorf • Bench Dog Design • Bernardon Associates Architectural Services, PA • KlingStubbins Lois’ Learning Tree Daycare Center • Lutheran Settlement (PRooF) • Philadelphia Society for Services to Children • Haber Holloway Architects, PC • Birdsall Services Group • KMS Design Group LLC • Kramer/Marks Architects • The Collaborative Community House • Macedonia Family Development and Learning Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts • Philadel- • Bittenbender Construction, LP • BLT Architects • Bohlin KSK Architects Planners Historians, Inc. • KSS Architects CLIENTS, VOLUNTEERS (SINCE 2001), AND PARTNERS Center • Manayunk Development Corporation • Manna phia Youth Network • Pleasantview Baptist Church • Cywinski Jackson • Brands Imaging • Brandt + Ginder LLP • Lager Raabe Skafte Landscape Architects, Inc. • on Main Street • Mariposa Inc. • Mayfair Community Point Breeze Civic Association • Pottstown Area Police Architecture Inc. • Brawer & Hauptman Architects • Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, Inc. • Development Corporation • Meadowood • Meredith Athletic League • Powelton Village Civic Association • Brett Webber Architects PC • Brian Szymanik Archi- Larsen & Landis • Lenhardt & Rodgers Architects • Levine Home & School Association • Metropolitan Baptist The Preschool Project • Preservation Alliance of Greater tects • Brown & Keener • Bruce E. Brooks & Associates & Company, Inc. • Lighthouse Architecture, Inc. • The Church • Minority Arts Resource Council, Inc. • The Philadelphia • The Print Center • Programs Employing • Buell Kratzer Powell Ltd. • Burns Morrissey Archi- Lighting Practice • Local Initiatives Support Corporation - Clients Housing • Earth Rights Institute • East Parkside Residents’ Miquon School • Mizpah Seventh-Day Adventist Church People • Project H.O.M.E. • Protestant Advisory Board at tecture + Design LLP • Burt Hill • BWA architecture Philadelphia • m2 Architecture • MacIntosh Engineering ACHIEVEability • ACORN Housing Corporation of PA • Association • East Passyunk Avenue Business Improve- • Morton Station Preservation Committee • Mount Hope Temple University • Rebuilding Together • Refuge for the + planning • Casaccio Architects • CCM • CDA & I • MaGrann Associates • manifest AD • Marvin Waxman Advocacy for Health Education Awareness and ment District • Empowerment Group • Energy Coordinat- Baptist Church • Mount Zion CDC • Mt. Airy Learning Perishing Holy Temple • Resurrection Baptist Church Architecture and Interiors, Ltd. • Cecil Baker & Partners Consulting Engineers • Mary Ann Duff y Architect • Development • Advocate Community Development ing Agency of Philadelphia, Inc. • The Enterprise Center Tree • Mt. Airy Presbyterian Church • Mt. Airy USA • Mt. CDC • River Crossing Community Church • Roxborough • Center City District • Charles A. Evers, AIA Architec- Matthew Davis Landscape Design and Planning • Corporation • The African American Museum in Community Development Corporation • Face to Face at Sinai Stretch the Limits • Mt. Tabor Community Development Corporation • S. Weir Mitchell Elementary ture & Preservation • Charles Loomis Chariss McAfee McGillin Architecture, Inc. • Meliora Environmental Philadelphia • African Cultural Alliance of North America, St. Vincent’s • Fairmount Community Development Education & Economic • Development Corporation School • Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial • Seger Park Architects • Cherry Hill Township Community Dev. Design LLC • MetEast High School • MGA Partners, Inc. • AIA Philadelphia • AIDS Care Group • Aldersgate Corporation • Fairmount Park Art Association • (CEED) • Narberth Community Library • Neighborhood Dog Owner’s Association • SHARE Food Program, Inc. • Dept. • CHPlanning, Ltd.-Delaware County• Christopher Architects • Michelle Robinson Architects • Montgom- Youth Service Bureau • All Saints Parish Rhawnhurst • Fellowship Farm • First African Baptist Church of Gardens Association • Neighborhood Interfaith SILOAM • SOSNA • South Broad Street Neighborhood Allen Landscape Architecture • CICADA Architecture/ ery County Planning Commission • Moore Engineering Allegheny West Foundation • American Street Corridor Philadelphia • First Baptist Church of Paschall, Inc. • Movement • NeighborhoodsNow • Neighbor to Neighbor Association • South Philadelphia H.O.M.E.S. Inc. • Planning, Inc. • City of Philadelphia Offi ce of Housing and Company • Moto DesignShop Inc. • Murray Construc- Business Association • Arch Street United Methodist Frankford Community Development Corporation • CDC • New Frankford Community Y • New Hope Freewill Southwest Community Development Corporation • Community Development • CLR Design, Inc. • CMX • tion • Nason Construction, Inc. • National Park Service • Church • Asian Arts Initiative • Asociación de Puerto- Frankford Friends School • The Frankford Group Ministry Baptist Church • New Jerusalem Laura • New Kensington Southwest Philadelphia Seventh-Day Adventist Church • Conley Design, Inc. • Construction Management Solution Numerof Construction Services, Inc. • OLIN • 119 degrees rriqueños en Marcha, Inc. • Bache-Martin Home & School • The Franklin Concept Group, Inc. • Friends General CDC • Nicetown Community Development Corporation • Spiral Q Puppet Theater • Spirit and Truth Fellowship • St. • Constructure Management, Inc. • Continuum Architec- architects • Owner’s Rep Inc. • Patriot Construction, Inc. Association • Belmont Village Community Association • Conference • Friends of Cianfrani Park • Friends of Norris Square Civic Association • Norris Square Mark Outreach Baptist Church • St. Mary’s Episcopal ture & Design • Cooke Brown LLC • Core Management, • Penn Lighting Associates • Pennsylvania Horticultural Benefi ts Data Trust • Bethel Holy Temple Church • Beulah Dickinson Square • Friends of Gold Star Park • Friends of Neighborhood Project • North Light Community Center • Church, Hamilton Village • St. Peter’s Episcopal Church • Inc. • CVM Engineers • DataFac Inc. Architects • Davis Society • Philadelphia Corporation for Aging • Philadel- Baptist Church • Big Brothers Big Sisters SE Pennsylvania Hart Park • Friends of Marconi Plaza • Friends of Peace North Penn Civic Association • North Philadelphia Swarthmore Centennial Foundation (SCF) • Swarthmore Langdon • DB-3D • DeHaven Templeton • Diana T. Myers phia Water Department • Pixelcraft Inc. • point line space • Books Through Bars • Borough of Millbourne • Boxing Valley Nature Center, Inc. • Friends of Powers Park • Community Help, Inc. • Northern Home for Children • Town Center • Tabor Children’s House • Taney Youth and Associates • DIE Creative • DIGSAU Architecture/ • Pollio Associates, LLC • Premier Building Restoration, Association of America, Inc. • BuildaBridge International Friends of Pretzel Park • Friends of Ridley Creek State Northwest Counseling Service, Inc. • Northwestern Baseball Association • Tate, White & Smith Assoc. for Urbanism • D’Lauro & Rodgers • DLR Group/Becker Inc. • Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia • • Byron Story Youth Restoration Career Center • Calcutta Park • Friends of Schuylkill River Park • Friends of Seger Stables, Inc. • Nueva Esperanza, Inc. • Oak Lane Tree Community Dev., Inc • Temple Brotherhood Mission Winston • Domus, Inc. • Duffi eld Associates, Inc. • E. Ramla Benaissa Architects, LLC • RAM-Tech Engineers, House • Calvin Presbyterian Church • Cambodian Park Playground • Friends of the Inn Yard Park • Friends of Tenders • Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation • Ministries • Tioga United • Trane Stop Resource Institute, Allen Reeves, Inc. • Econsult Corporation • Elwell Studio Inc. • Resource Partnership • Re:Vision Architecture • Association of Greater Philadelphia • Caring About the Santore Library • Friends of Weccacoe Playground • Old Pine Community Center • Open Arms Against Abuse Inc. • 29th Street CDC • UC Green • United American • Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia, Inc. • Roland Noreika Architect • Roofmeadow • SALT Design Sharing, Inc. • Carousel at Pottstown, Inc. • Carroll Park George W. Nebinger Elementary School • Girard Services, Inc. • Open Borders Project • The Other Side, Indians of the Delaware Valley • University City Historical The Enterprise Center • Ewing Cole • F. X. Browne, Inc. Studio • sfs offi ce design, llc • Shift Space Design LLC Community Council • Cedar Park Neighbors • Celestial Coalition, Inc. • Gold Medal Karate Inc. • Grace Baptist Inc. • Overbrook Farms Civic Foundation/Overbrook Society • Urban Hope Training Center • Visitation BVM • Fairmount Park Art Association • Firmarchitecture • • SITE Landscape Architecture • Sky Architects • SMP Church of Christ • Center City Proprietors Association • Church of Germantown • Grace Church and the Farms Club • Overbrook Presbyterian Church • Parkside School • Wallingford Presbyterian Church • Waters Flatiron Building Company • Floss Barber, Inc. • Francis Architects • Stuart G. Rosenberg Architects, P.C. • Studio Center for Architecture • Center for Literacy • Central Incarnation • Greater Philadelphia Food Bank • Green Historic Preservation Corporation • The Partnership CDC Memorial Community Center • Weavers Way Commu- Cauff man • Friday Architects/Planners Inc. • Gardner Agoos Lovera • Studio Bryan Hanes • Studio Gaea • Germantown Council • Central Montgomery MH/MR Village Philadelphia • Greene Street Friends School • • Pennhurst Memorial & Preservation Alliance • nity Programs • West Philadelphia Child Care Network • Fox Associates • Gilbane Building Company • Gilmore & StudioJAED • STV Inc. • Synterra, Ltd. • Terra Studio Center • Centro Nueva Creacion • Chester’s Community Greenfi eld Home & School Association • Habitat for Pennypack Farm Education Center for • Sustainable Food William Way Community Center • Wissahickon Associates, Inc. (Chester County Offi ce) • Gray Smith’s • ThinkGreen LLC • Thomas A. Monari, PE • Thomas Grocery Co-op • Chinatown Building and Education Humanity Germantown • Habitat for Humanity Systems • People Achieving Positive Attitudes • People’s Neighbors Civic Association • Women Against Abuse, Offi ce • Grenald Waldron Associates • Group Melvin C. Faranda, P.E. • Thomas Comitta Associates, Inc. • Foundation • The Church Down the Way • Citizens for Philadelphia • HealthLink Medical Center • Hispanic Community Center • People’s Emergency Center • Inc. • Women’s Community Revitalization Project • Word Design • GYA Architects, Inc. • The Harman Group • Thornton Tomasetti • Tim Sienold 3D Artist/Animator • the Restoration of Historic LaMott • City of Philadelphia Association of Contractors & Enterprises • HomeWorks • Philadelphia Art Alliance • Philadelphia Association of Tabernacle Baptist Church • Wynnefi eld Heights Civic Hellyer Berman Lewis, Inc. • Hessert Construction • Torcon, Inc. • TRC Companies, Inc. • Turner Construction Department of Commerce • City Parks Association • City Impact Services Corporation • Impacting Your World Community • Development Corporations • Philadelphia Association, Inc. • Wynnefi eld Overbrook Revitalization Hierarchy Golf Design • HK Lighting Design Inc • Hollis- Company • UCI Architects, Inc. • University of Pennsyl- Year Greater Philadelphia • The Clay Studio • Community CDC • Inter-Community Development Corporation • Boys Choir • Philadelphia Children’s Alliance • Philadel- Corporation • YWCA of Germantown ter Construction Services • Hunter Landscape Design • vania, Facilities & Real Estate Services • University of Education Center • Community Legal Services of Intercultural Family Services • J. R. Masterman Home & phia Chinatown Development Corporation • Philadelphia Hunter Roberts Construction Group • Interface Studio • Pennsylvania, Urban Studies Program • Urban Engineers, Philadelphia • Congregation of Vilna • Cook-Wissahickon School Association • JASTECH Development Services, Community Arts Network • Philadelphia Doll Museum • Interface Studio Architects, LLC • International Consul- Inc. • Urban Partners • U.S. General Services Administra- Home & School Association/Cook Wissahickon Green Inc. • John H. Taggart Elementary School • Kelsey G. Philadelphia Economic Revitalization Corporation • Firm Volunteers tants, Inc. • Jacobs/Wyper Architects • James Wentling/ tion • Viridian Landscape Studio • Wallace Roberts & Committee • Cramer Hill Community Development Keeys CDC • Lansdowne Economic Development Philadelphia Education Fund • Philadelphia Folklore About Face Type & Design • Abriola Company • Architects • Jibe Design • JKR Partners LLC • John Hubert Todd, LLC • Wesley Wei Architects • Wilson Consulting, Corporation • Cranaleith Spiritual Center • C. W. Henry Corporation • Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania • Project • Philadelphia Group Mental Health Association • Advanced Foodservice Solutions • AK Architecture, LLC Architects • John Milner Architects, Inc. • Jonathan Inc. • Z&F Consulting • Zimmerman Studio LLC School Home and School Association • Darby Library Lemon Ridge Garden, Inc. • Liberian Association of Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation • • Alderson Engineering, Inc. • Always by Design • Andrea Alderson Landscape Architects, Inc. • JxN Studio LLC • Company • Delaware Valley Association for the Pennsylvania, Inc. • Libertae, Inc. • Liberty Resources, Inc. Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates • Philadelphia Daniels Planning and Interior Design • The Atlantic Keast & Hood Co. • KieranTimberlake Associates, LLP Education of Young Children • Design Corps • Dignity • The Lighthouse • Lincoln Day Nursery • Logan Neighborhood Housing Services • Philadelphia Physicians Group • Austin + Mergold LLC • Ballinger • BEAM, ltd. • Kimmel Bogrette Architecture + Site, Inc. • Kitchen &

122 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 123 Individual Volunteers Crowe • Bradford Crowley • Thomas Crowley • Christine Christopher Heaven • Eric Heidel • Gregory Heller • Marsh • Mayva Marshall-Moreno • William Marston • • Christine Rossi • Nicole Rossi • Chris Rouse • Rachel Werner • Kristi Wescott • Juliet Whelan • William Joe Abriola • Arthur Adams • Brittany Adams • Michele Miller Cruiess • Jim Curry • Andrew Curtis • Jason Curtis Timothy Hemsath • Abigail Henry • Shanna Hensler- Jennifer Martel • Michael Martella • Caitlin Martin • Katy Royer • Laura Rozumalski • Kate Rutledge • Susan Ryan • Whelan • Thomas Wiedenman • Car Wightman • Brian Adams • Ferdinand Addo • Katie Adema • Ted Agoos • • Chris Custren • Alexander Cutrona • Tara Cwitkowitz • McDonald • Matt Herman • Brenna Herpmann • Kerry Martin • Muscoe Martin • Andrea Marzolf • Katie Masi • Stephanie Saile • Joe Salerno • Lori Salganicoff • Eric Wiginton • Alexander Will • Joshua Williams • Warren Jai Agrawal • Joanne Aitken • Senemeh Akwei • Jonathan Kate Czembor • Martin Dahmm • Rori Dajao • Scott Herr • Jason Hill • Ryan Hill • David Hincher • David Hitt Joseph Matje • Ron Matson • Julia Matteo • Don Matzkin Sallee • Paul Samala • Benjamin Samberg • Scott Williams • Heather Williams Hubert • Gregory Wilson • Alderson • Travis Alderson • Christopher Allen • Andy Dalinka • John Dallinga • Kevin Dalton • Joseph D’Alu • • John Hodos • Altje Hoekstra • Kenneth Hoff man • • Missy Maxwell • Chariss McAfee • George McCallister Sampson • James Sanderson • Mark Sanderson • Melissa Jeff Wilson • Jane Winkel • Richard Winston • Aleksan- Allwine • Dustin Almon • Jaquelin Anderson • Kelly Joshua Daniel • Andrea Daniels • David Daniels • Amrita Patrick Hoff man • Tyrone Hofmann • David Hofmeister • • Lisa McCann • Aran McCarthy • Jessica McCollum • Santos • Stephanie Sarin • Steve Saxon • Deborah Schaaf dra Wolchasty • Katie Wood • Janice Woodcock • John Anderson • Peter Anderson • Carl Andresen • Melissa Dasgupta • Angel Davis • Mathew Davis • Suzanne Dean Mary Holland • Myron Holowczak • Nicholas Holz • Tom McCreesh • Megan McGinley • Charles McGlough- • Beth Schaff er • Marisa Schaff er • Tess Schiavone • Woodlyn • Todd Woodward • Glenn Worgan • Jeff rey Andrews • Marguerite Anglin • Toufi k Aouiz • Jay • Gary Debes • Chris DeBruyn • Robert Decesari • Jeanna Nathan Hommel • Joseph Horan • Lori Horton • Tobiah lin • Ryan McGrath • Catherine McGuckin • Brad David Schmidt • Michelle Schmitt • Anna Schmitz • Wright • Chris Wurst • Jim Wyatt • Monica Wyatt • Appleton • Laura Arahmjian • Allison Ardire • Billy Arias DeFazio Ventura • Gerald (Jay) DeFelicis • Robert DeHav- Horton • Naquib Hossain • Nicole Hostettler • Robert McGuirt • Carmen McKee • Michael McKeever • Marissa Heather Schneider • Stephen Schoch • Steffi Schueppel • Adrienne Yancone • Amy Yaskowski • Neil Yersak • Carey • Anthony Armento • Michael Armento • Lisa Armstrong en • Mary DeNadai • Cecelia Denegre • Peter Denitz • Hotes • Theresa Houpt • Larry Houstoun • Leigh Howard McMurtrie • Scott McNallan • Emily McNally • Dan Sara Pevaroff Schuh • Rob Schultz • David Schweim • Yonce • George Yu • Jing Yu • Oliver Yu • Zinat Yusufzai • • David Artman • Amma Asamoah • Mark Asher • Jason Danielle Denk • Harsha Desai • James De Stefano • • Jon Hoyle • Clifton Hubbard • John Hubert • Mathew Meier • John Mellett • William Mellix • Virginia Melnyk • Cliff ord Schwinger • John Sciotto • Adam Scott • Annie John Zabilowicz • David Zaiser • Chuanming Zhang • Austin • Rocco Avallone • Jeremy Avellino • Geraldo Andrea DeVico • Liezl Diaz • Helen Diemer • Patricia Huff man • Mary Anne Hunter • Jennifer Hurley • Joyce Kira Merdiushev • Brian Merritt • Christopher Methven • Scott • David Seace • Kevin Selger • Leah Selkowitz • Ari Morris Zimmerman • Pamela Zimmerman Aviles • Erick Bach • Prajakta Bagul • Joanna Baker • DiFalco • Michael Digiacomo • Justin Diles • Ted Dillon • Hwang • Anna Ishii • Michael Izzo • Stephen Jack • Sean Metrick • Nando Micale • Aaron Miller • Ari Miller • Seraphin • Arundhati Sett • Kaushambi Shah • Robert Patrick Baker • Cassandra Ballew • Christine Barbieri Daniel DiMucci • Jules Dingle • Ann Dinh • Justin Ahmed Jama • Anthony James • Katie James • Verna Robin Miller • John Mixon • Charles Moleski • Erin Shamble • Ian Shao • Dean Sherwin • Morgan Shinsec • • Michelle Barbieri • Edward Barnhart • Jordan Barr • DiPietro • Jeff Di Romaldo • Scott Dismukes • Julie James • Jack Jamison • John Janda • Joshua Janisak • Monaghan • Kevin Monaghan • Tom Monari • Adam Robert Shoaff • Nirati Shukla • Michelle Shuman • Tim Partners Monica Barton • Suzanna Barucco • Nancy Bastian • Disston • Tavis Dockwiller • Felicia Doggett • Howard Adam Jeckel • William Jelen • Satyendra Jenamani • Montalbano • Melissa Montgomery • Richard Moretti • Sienold • Mark Silks • Chris Silver • Justin Silverthorn • AIA Philadelphia • Alon Abramson • Delaware Valley Jody Beck • Richard Beck • Bill Becker • James Behler • Dorf • Jennifer Dorr • Nathan Dort • Kim Douglas • Dan Chris Jensen • Melissa Jest • Aaron Jezzi • Alisa Joe • Nathan Morgan • Karin Morris • James Morrissey • Rae Maki Silverthorn • Keith Simon • Nina Simonetti • Karen Green Building Council (DVGBC) • Energy Coordinat- Ramla Benaissa • Michael Bennett • Barbara Benvenuti • Driskell • Angelo Drummond • Elisabeth Dubin • Mary Emma Johnson • Lou Johnson • Marcus Johnson • Peter Munroe • Linda Muronda • Jenna Murphy • Leah Murphy Skafte • Gray Smith • Gregory Smith • Kristen Smith • ing Agency of Philadelphia, Inc. • The Food Trust • Local Alice Berman • Bob Betsch • Kerri Bizzell • Laura Black • Ann Duff y • Cynthia Dukes • Alex Dunham • Terra Johnson • Sterling Johnson • Amy Jones • Britton Jones • • Christiane Murray • Adam Musante • Nicholas Musser Sabra Smith • Susan Smith • Chris Soffi entini • Devinder Initiatives Support Corporation, Philadelphia • Neighbor- Laura Blackstone • Carolyn Blackwell • Michael Edenhart-Pepe • Susan Edens • Allison Edmonds • Mary Judy • Molly Julian • Uk Jung • Raheen Kahn • Scott • Michael Nairn • Narintorn Narisaranukul • Tom Nason • Soin • Jason Solinsky • Michael Spain • David Spangler • hoodsNow • Pennsylvania Fresh Food Finance Initiative Blumenthal • Wanda Bobonis • David Boelker • Jim Christopher Edwards • Daryn Edwards • John Egan • Kalner • David Kane • Paul Kangas-Miller • David Charles Nawoj • Nicole Neder • Amanda Neuenfeldt • Michael Sparks • Jayne Spector • Kira Springart • Kwatee (FFFI) • Philadelphia Association of Community Develop- Bogrette • Jana Booth • Mitch Bormack • Daniel Bosin • Nissa Eisenberg • David Elliott • Maria Elosua • Jason Kanthor • Kenneth Kauff man • Janna Kauss • Nicole Pamela Newman • Rashida Ng • Chi Nguyen • Benjamin Stamm • Davin Stamp • Daniel Stanislaw • Samirah ment Corporations (PACDC) • Philadelphia Corpora- Casey Boss • Alexa Bosse • Lauren Bostic • John Bower • Elwell • Carl Emberger • Sarah Endriss • Charles Evers • Keegan • Mark Keener • Kristin Keilt • Erin Keith • Carl Nia • Khephra Nielsen • Eric Nogami • Roland Noreika • Steinmeyer • Michael Stern • Zachary Stevenson • tion for Aging • Philadelphia Department of Commerce Taylor Boyd • Anthony Bracali • Jessica Brams-Miller • Suzanna Fabry • Jeff Fama • Tom Faranda • Amee Farrell • Kelemen • Joshua Kelly • Scott Kelly • Tim Kerner • Leslie Norvell • Sid Numerof • Susan Nurge • Christine Sydney Stewart • Sam Stewart-Haleion • Marcella Stokes • Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation Brett Brand • Suzanne Brandt • David Brawer • Joseph Eric Farrell • Susan Feenan • Illissa Figueroa • Adrian Fine Danielle Kim • Richard King • Thomas Kirchner • Vera O’Brien • Kenneth O’Brien • Michael Oei • Ian Optenberg • Edward Strockbine • Christopher Stromberg • Emily (PIDC) • Philadelphia Offi ce of Housing and Community Bray • Charles Brenton • Todd Bressi • Katie Broh • • Emily Finigan • Barry Finkelstein • John Finley • Ian Kiselev 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124 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 125 was an architect and planner with MGA Partners Mark Alan Hughes and Arnold; and fi nally Vincent G. Kling and Brian Phillips, AIA, Alumni Association. Todd holds a BArch from Penn Contributors and its predecessor, Mitchell Giurgola Architects. Distinguished Senior Associates, before cofounding Friday Architects/ LEED AP State and an MArch from the University of Penn- During his thirty-four years in private practice, he Fellow, PennDesign and Planners in 1970 with Peter Arfaa, David Slovic, Principal, ISA sylvania. He is a lifelong Phillies fan. was the principal designer on numerous architec- TC Chan Center, University and Arlene Matzkin. Don crafted a professional (Interface Studio tural, urban design, and planning projects, including of Pennsylvania life around community service and design and Architects, LLC) Maurice Cox the Salvation Army Kroc Corps Community Center Associate Director, Policy, helped found the Community Design Collabora- Lecturer, PennDesign, Jess Zimbabwe, AIA, AICP, LEED AP Associate Professor, in Philadelphia, the West Chester University School Markets and Behavior, tive and the Charter High School for Architecture Department of Executive Director, Daniel Rose Center for Public University of Virginia, of Music and Performing Arts Center, and the reno- Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC) and Design. He retired from active practice in 2010. Architecture, University of Pennsylvania Leadership in Land Use, Urban Land Institute (ULI) School of Architecture vation of Lehigh University’s historic Linderman Library. Mark leads GPIC’s research program aimed at Brian is founding principal of ISA, an award-winning Jess is the founding Execu- Maurice is an urban Alan serves on the boards of several organiza- understanding obstacles to adoption of energy- Elizabeth K. Miller architectural design and research o ce in Phila- tive Director of the ULI designer, architectural tions, including the Fairmount Park Art Association, e cient building system technologies and the Executive Director, delphia. He has extensive design experience with Rose Center, an organiza- educator at the University of Virginia’s School of the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, and the fi nancial, policy, and regulatory instruments that Community Design a range of building scales, urban design, master tion that o ers leadership Architecture, and former mayor of Charlottesville, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation. speed technology adoption through increased ROI. Collaborative planning, and speculative work. He has committed development, technical Virginia. He most recently served as Director of He is also a cofounder of the Design Advocacy Mark is also a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the considerable energy to bringing innovative design assistance, trainings, and Design for the National Endowment for the Arts, Group of Philadelphia, a fellow of the AIA, and a University of Pennsylvania School of Design. As a Beth has served as projects to urban neighborhoods with strong envi- research to support excel- where he presided over the largest expansion of faculty member of the Department of City and cabinet member in the administration of Mayor Executive Director of the ronmental agendas. Brian holds a bachelor’s degree lence in public sector land use decision making. direct grants to the design fi elds, oversaw the Gov- Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania. Michael Nutter, he established the City’s fi rst Community Design Collaborative since 2001, from the University of Oklahoma and an MArch Before joining ULI, she was the Director of the ernors’ Institute on Community Design, Your Town: O ce of Sustainability, created a distinguished helping the organization evolve from a part-time, from the University of Pennsylvania. He has lectured Mayors’ Institute on City Design and an Enterprise The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design, and the 20-member Sustainability Advisory Board, and largely volunteer initiative of AIA Philadelphia widely on technology and urbanism, and his writing Rose Architectural Fellow at Urban Ecology in San Mayors’ Institute on City Design. Maurice served as Sally Harrison, AIA designed and produced the City’s 2015 policy frame- into a full-service, independent nonprofi t a ect- and design work have been featured in publications Francisco. She is past president of the Association a Charlottesville City Councilor for six years before Associate Professor, work—Greenworks Philadelphia, which presents ing design policy in the City of Philadelphia. With such as 306090, Dwell, and Metropolis. for Community Design, and has served on several becoming the mayor of that city, from 2002 to Temple University fi fteen ambitious targets for 2015. He also designed more than 20 years of experience in the fi elds Brian received a 2011 Pew Fellowship in the other nonprofi t boards and committees. 2004. A recipient of the 2009 Edmund N. Bacon and led the City’s strategy for maximizing the value of strategic planning, community development, Arts. He is a visiting professor at the Technological Prize, the Harvard University Graduate School of Sally is a registered and impact of federal resources under the American and nonprofi t management, she has held various University of Monterrey in Querétaro, Mexico, as Design 2004–05 Loeb Fellowship, and the 2006 architect and Associate Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Mark graduated positions with Fairmount Ventures, the National well as a lecturer at PennDesign at the University John Q. Hejduk Award for Architecture, he received Professor of Architecture from Swarthmore College and received a PhD in Trust for Historic Preservation, and Susan Maxman of Pennsylvania. his architectural education from the Cooper Union at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Regional Science from Penn. Architects. Beth was recently appointed by Mayor School of Architecture. She is a former chair of the Department of Archi- Michael Nutter as a member of the Philadelphia tecture and the director of the Urban Workshop, City Planning Commission. She has a master’s Todd Woodward, AIA, a university-based practice that seeks to address Don Matzkin, AIA degree in government administration from the LEED AP Alan Greenberger, FAIA community design issues through a process of Founder, Community Fels Institute of Government at the University of Principal, SMP Architects Deputy Mayor for Plan- participatory site-specifi c research and design, Design Collaborative Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in the growth ning and Economic collaborating with other place-making disciplines Former Principal, Friday and structure of cities from Bryn Mawr College. Todd is a principal of Development and Direc- including landscape architecture, public art, plan- Architects/Planners, Inc. Philadelphia-based SMP tor of Commerce, City of ning, and geography. Sally has served on the board Architects, a nationally Philadelphia of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Chapters of Don was born and raised recognized leader in sustainable design, as well the AIA, and was a founding member of the Com- in Philadelphia and attended Philadelphia public as an adjunct professor of architecture at Temple Alan was appointed Philadelphia’s Deputy Mayor munity Design Collaborative. schools. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from University. He served for several years on the Board for Planning and Economic Development and Direc- Cornell in 1963, he spent two years on active duty of Directors of the Community Design Collaborative tor of Commerce by Mayor Michael Nutter in June with the US Navy. Don left active duty status in and currently serves on its Advisory Council. He also 2010. Previously he served as Executive Director 1965 and returned to Philadelphia, taking jobs serves on the editorial board of Context: The Journal for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, and with Murphy Levy Wurman; Montgomery, Bishop of AIA Philadelphia, and the board of the PennDesign

126 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design 127 co-chairs past and present: Mami Hara, Paul Marcus, Cece Denegre, Michael Paul, Lisa Acknowledgments Armstrong, Susan Smith, Dan Garofalo, Howard Lebold, Stephen Gibson, Patrice Carroll, and Alice Berman, who have challenged their peers to raise the bar for civic engagement and action. For the Community Design Collaborative to infl uence Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, we Heartfelt thanks to our able and dedicated sta : Heidi Segall Levy, Linda Dottor, have needed leverage to gain advantage from numerous generous investments of time Carryn Golden, Robin Kohles Harrison Haas, and Camille Cazon, for their deft ability and resources. For more than 20 years the Collaborative has “leveraged” the pro bono to mobilize volunteers and nonprofi ts, and to recent Collaborative fellows and sta : services of design professionals, the commitment of community based-organizations, Emily Stromberg, Haley Loram, and Erik Kojola. We are indebted to Susan Frankel, and the desire for collaboration among private, nonprofi t, and public stakeholders. We our founding director, and early sta member Jan Strouse, who developed a project have many to thank for helping us make this investment in the city’s urban landscape. management system for the fi rst decade that we still use today. We also thank our We dedicate this book to the Collaborative’s volunteers, whose combined e orts consultants Don Kligerman of Fairmount Ventures and Sharon Gallagher of Sage since 2001 have generated nearly $5 million dollars in pro bono preliminary design Communications for their counsel. in service to the region’s nonprofi ts; to the nonprofi ts that have the perseverance to Acting as an advocate, connector, and provider requires passion but also fl exibility, work with the Collaborative to put their credible ideas to paper; to the public, private, due deference, and humor, and we were fortunate to assemble an editorial team for and nonprofi t developers who help projects take shape; and to the fi rms that continue this project with these same qualities. The intrepid project manager Alison Rooney this work into the built environment. and Advisory Council champion Todd Woodward kept us focused on the task with We are grateful to our partners at the O ce of Housing and Community Develop- humor and grace. Our sta and board took on the feat of winnowing our archives of ment, in particular Belinda Mayo and Deborah McColloch, who saw the value of the more than 600 service grants down to a fi nal list of 20, as curated by Linda Dottor. Collaborative’s technical assistance for neighborhood advisory councils, community Our graphic designer Anthony Smyrski of Smyrski Creative made us look good with development corporations, and other nonprofi ts serving low- and moderate-income his clarity and inventiveness. In addition, we showcase here the talents of many pho- neighborhoods. We thank AIA Philadelphia and Chapter Presidents for the foresight tographers, including Mark Garvin, Peter Kubilis, Sam Oberter, Don Pearse, Wynne to connect its members to community service through the Collaborative and other Levy, Jacob Helman, Haley Loram, Matt Wargo, Barry Halkin, Carryn Golden, and nonprofi t entities such as the Charter High School for Architecture and Design (CHAD) Raymond W. Holman, Jr. and the Center for Architecture. Our colleagues near and far contributed thoughtful, provocative essays. Jess Zim- In an era of scarce resources, the Collaborative has been fortunate to harness the babwe and Maurice Cox put the Philadelphia story into a national context, and Mark urban energy of dedicated design professionals and community leaders. Many thanks Alan Hughes and Alan Greenberger talk about design advocacy at a new level. Don to our partners at the William Penn Foundation, especially Shawn McCaney and Matzkin and Sally Harrison renew the unwavering belief of the Collaborative founders Gerry Wang, for pushing us to move beyond responsive site-specifi c service grants that architects and a liated professionals have a moral obligation to deliver pathways to proactive initiatives that attract attention, action, and resources. Support from for social justice through design of the environment. Todd Woodward and Brian Phillips numerous family and corporate foundations has helped us sustain service over the pose provocative questions and challenge our notions of public interest architecture, past ten years, including: PNC Foundation, Bank of America, Carpenter’s Company, pro bono service, and advocacy. Citizens Charitable Foundation, Claniel Foundation, Connelly Foundation, Counselors And fi nally, we extend a special thanks to the Co-Chairs of our Board of Directors, Paul of Real Estate Foundation, Dolfi nger-McMahon Foundation, Drumcli Foundation, Marcus and Mami Hara, to our 20th Anniversary Steering Committee, led by Michael Samuel S. Fels Fund, the Walter J. Miller Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, Paul, and to our Urban Energy Honorary Committee, which includes Phil Eastman, The Philadelphia Foundation, Urban Land Institute Foundation, Union Benevolent Beverly Coleman, John Grady, Alan Greenberger, John Claypool, and Andy Frishko . Association, Henrietta Tower Wurts Memorial, and the Wells Fargo Foundation. Each of them provided invaluable guidance as we created a year-long celebration of We are indebted to our Infi ll Philadelphia partners—NeighborhoodsNow, LISC Phila- the Collaborative’s past, present, and prospective future. delphia, The Reinvestment Fund, and PIDC—who embraced the design challenge as a proactive, problem-solving process. Special thanks also goes to the Collaborative’s “godfa- ther,” Don Matzkin, and our founders—too numerous to mention—for taking action toward social justice through design. We are grateful to our board, advisory council members, and

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LEVERAGE