IMPROVE OUR PARK: AN IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR FAIRMOUNT PARK
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This PDF allows you to interact with the document in a different way. Click the buttons on each page to go to whatever section most interests you. Jump from section to section. Run your mouse over photos and callout bubbles. Click on hyperlinks for more information. You can always click the HOME button to take you back to the main table of contents. Or, just click the arrows on the bottom right of each page to move forward or backward one page at a time. Choose your own adventure as you learn more about East and West Fairmount Park! GO! This report is the culmination of a year-long research, engagement and planning process that aims to give Philadelphians from all walks of life easier access Clean, safe and well-managed new stewardship, united community voice Resident access to the park. Fairmount Park is the heart of our park safe, attractive entrances to the park system and its health is a reflection of our health. Seven million people use the park each year and Redesigned I-76 1.1 million people receive water from the park, while bring the park under the highway Well-connected trail system neighborhoods from Wynnefield to Brewerytown complete access for walkers and bikers struggle to access it every day. The recommendations in this Improvement Plan are New grandstands and footbridge based on input received from over 1,000 citizens, with better access to Peter’s Island Overlooks particular emphasis on park users and residents from provide incomparable views of the park nearby communities. Leadership and guidance was provided by an 86-organization Advisory Group of Rerouted Belmont Avenue park and community leaders. creates a quieter, safer park experience Community engagement programming at the edges This map summarizes our key recommendations, for residents which include: New park-with-a-park • Make it easy for citizens to get to, new neighborhood access into and through the park; New pedestrian crossing to park landmarks • Create opportunities for citizens on Columbia Rail Bridge not currently possible to enjoy nature and water; • Offer new ways to the use the park; Signature horticultural center • Give pedestrians and cyclists priority a botanic garden in Fairmount Park New pedestrian bridge over motorists; and connects the park without needing a car • Engage citizens in the long-term care and support of the park. New public boat house engages more citizens with the Schuylkill The report builds on numerous recent planning Tame the speedways processes—in particular, Greenworks Philadelphia, with pedestrian activated Philadelphia2035, Green City, Clean Waters, and the traffic signals on busy roads Roadway dieting and traffic calming Philadelphia Trail Master Plan—all in an effort to tie to means fewer cars, more people the larger sustainability goals of the City of Philadelphia.
WHILE PHILADELPHIANS LOVE FAIRMOUNT PARK—AN EXTRAORDINARY 2,050-ACRE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESPITE DEEP IN THE HEART OF THE CITY—WE CAN MAKE IT A BETTER PARK FOR CITIZENS TO USE AND ENJOY.
GO TO THE TABLE OF CONTENTS IMPROVE OUR PARK: AN IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR FAIRMOUNT PARK
WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS Letter From Harris Steinberg, Fairmount Park is the undisputed Fairmount Park is an essential To maintain the great gifts that The project team analyzed Executive Director, heart of Philadelphia’s prized park resource for neighbors and the Fairmount Park provides, we five “focus areas” that have the PennPraxis system. Although its splendor has city as a whole, but it can be so must nourish and support this opportunity to restore key park been compromised over time, much more. After extensive input park so that new generations of access to adjacent neighborhoods, its value to neighbors and all from citizens, the team proposes Philadelphians may enjoy it. Here link seemingly disparate portions of Philadelphians is at an all-time a short- and long-term strategy are the team’s recommendations the park together and get residents high. However, like any working for improvement that focuses on for building momentum to back to the water. We frame our infrastructure, Fairmount Park restoring park-wide public access, re-connect residents to the park. recommendations around the creeks How We Engaged must now adapt to maintain that preserving natural resources, that flow through these portions of value to the city. meeting community needs for the park, providing users with direct Appendix recreation and strengthening public access and opportunities to management and stewardship. learn about water quality.
Participant Credits INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION
ONE OF A KIND TOP RECOMMENDATIONS PRIORITY SHORT-TERM ACTIONS OVERVIEW Bibliography OUR DRINKING WATER FOLLOW THE CREEKS NEXT ACTIONS STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY
7 MILLION USERS BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER BUILD ON EXISTING MOMENTUM BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY
DIVERSE LANDSCAPES TAME THE ROADS ALIGN WITH PARALLEL PLANNING EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY
ASSEMBLED, NEEDS DESIGN CONNECT WITH TRAILS WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY
GETTING IN BUILD NEW ENTRANCES 33RD STREET GATEWAY
MANY PARKS MORE THINGS TO DO
CIVIC SUPPORT MAPS AND APPS
LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME Lodged deep in the heart of Philadelphia’s northern and western neighborhoods, East and West Fairmount Park stretches over 2,050 verdant acres along the Schuylkill River from the Fairmount Water Works to East Falls. To many, Fairmount Park (as East and West Park was originally known) is synonymous with Philadelphia. From her incomparable vistas, deep shaded glades, capacious playing fields and broad expanses of river, East and West Park is a gift of unparalleled foresight and urban generosity from the 19th century.
Begun in 1844 to preserve and protect Philadelphia’s drinking water, the park was conceived as a monumental working landscape in which the design of the water supply system—from intake to filtration to distribution—elegantly conveyed the intrinsic relationship between water and daily life. Astonishingly, the park still provides water to 1.6 million citizens every day. Nowhere else in America, or the world, do we find this remarkable fusion of the relationship between public water, public nature and public life.
It’s important to note that East and West Park was never envisioned as a unified urban park. Rather, it evolved as an ad hoc collection of summer estates and landscapes acquired to ensure safe drinking water to the rapidly growing industrial city. As such, East and West Park stands in direct contrast to their contemporaneous Olmstead and Vaux parks in cities around the country. Those parks were designed whole-cloth as artistic landscapes supporting their local real estate markets. As a result, East and West Park never developed a singular identity. Indeed, East and West Park remains to this day an aggregation of many parks with different identities to different people and user groups. Importantly, there is no overarching volunteer group for East and West Park.
And yet, as the irreplaceable heart of Philadelphia’s esteemed park system, East and West Park remains vital to the social, economic and environmental health of the city and its citizens. And while usage of the park is at an all-time high, city resources for the park system as a whole are stretched thin. In addition, we have allowed the park to become degraded over the years with incursions such as the Schuylkill Expressway in the mid-20th century and the evolution of the elegant river drives into high- speed commuter routes. A plethora of streams and tributaries have been cut off and forced underground and regional-scale events compete with neighborhood-scale activities along the community edges. Access to and through the park is a challenge.
Which brings us to the central questions of this study: how might we imagine and reinvigorate East and West Park for the 21st century? How do we ensure its viability for the next 150 years? What investments are required to bolster its use and enable more people to use the park in more ways? What role can the park play in meeting the sustainability goals of the City of Philadelphia?
East and West Fairmont Park is our ultimate democratic meeting space bringing Philadelphians from all walks of life together under its green sheltering bower. It still brings us water every day. While cities around the world compete today to reclaim lost waterfronts, we’ve inherited the real thing. But we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. In order for the park, and the city, to continue to thrive, the park must be nourished and supported if it is to continue to nurture new generations of Philadelphians.
Harris M. Steinberg, FAIA Executive Director, PennPraxis
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS ______
EAST AND WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK IS:
assets challenges
ONE OF A KIND ASSEMBLED, NEEDS DESIGN
OUR DRINKING WATER GETTING IN
7 MILLION USERS MANY PARKS
DIVERSE LANDSCAPES CIVIC SUPPORT
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS < > n o k k e lphia C ic e ade ou h r il n a h ty c P s s n i EAST FALLS w NO OTHER PARK IN THE COUNTRY MATCHES ITS SIZE, py Ex elt CENTRAL LOCATION, AND VALUE TO THE HEALTH w e sev Roo OF RESIDENTS OF THE REGION.
WYNNEFIELD s Belmont Ave HEIGHTS ALLEGHENY WEST 7 million annual visitors 2,050 acres
r City Ave e East: 650 acres; West: 1,400 acres v i r y r l p l x D i residents and employees E g k 16 creeks 1.6 million ll n l ki i y yl K hu er u source water from here c th h S u c L s STRAWBERRY MANSION in WYNNEFIELD t 70,000 residents r 340,000 “members” WEST PARK a M within a half-mile walk [22% of Philadelphia] EAST PARK
Ke designated trail miles lly 54 4 playgrounds D r BREWERYTOWN WEST PARKSIDE 43 sculptures 33 community organizations CARROLL PARK EAST PARKSIDE FAIRMOUNT 15 historic houses 5 police districts BELMONT MANTUA 2014 Pennsylvania River of the Year SPRING GARDEN
POWELTON
UNIVERSITY CITY
east and west fairmount park is: assets challenges
ONE OF A KIND 7 MILLION USERS ASSEMBLED, NEEDS DESIGN MANY PARKS
OUR DRINKING WATER DIVERSE LANDSCAPES GETTING IN CIVIC SUPPORT
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS < > ______
CONCEIVED AS A MONUMENTAL WORKING LANDSCAPE TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT PHILADELPHIA’S DRINKING WATER, EAST AND WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK IS ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS EVER GIVEN TO PHILADELPHIA.
The park we know today is the result of a gutsy, pioneering 30-year effort to guard the upper edges of the Schuylkill from industrial contamination. The result was a state-enabled land bank for green space conservation, a Fairmount Park Commission in charge of its oversight, and a protected source for the first successful municipal water network in the country. This water supply allowed Philadelphia to reach new heights in development and population. See a map that shows the drinking water “shed” of the park citywide.
The water supply system—from intake to filtration to distribution—was designed as a work of civic art conveying the importance of water to daily life. Philadelphians from all walks of life toured the grand filtration halls of the elegant pumping stations, drew clean water from the 75 springs fed by 16 creeks and streams, climbed the great pump house standpipes offering sweeping views of the park and the burgeoning city beyond, and strolled the tops of the reservoir basins. Indeed, nowhere else in the world do we find this remarkable Fairmount Water Works from Columbia Bridge fusion of the relationship between public water, public nature and public life.
Former Spring Garden Waterworks (Kelly Dr & Brewery Hill Rd) East Park Reservoir in Strawberry Mansion Fairmount Water Works Belmont Pumping Station
east and west fairmount park is: assets challenges
ONE OF A KIND 7 MILLION USERS ASSEMBLED, NEEDS DESIGN MANY PARKS
OUR DRINKING WATER DIVERSE LANDSCAPES GETTING IN CIVIC SUPPORT
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS < > CITIZENS WANT ACCESS TO THE PARK MORE THAN EVER. IT IS OUR ULTIMATE “COSMOPOLITAN CANOPY,” BRINGING PHILADELPHIANS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS TOGETHER. Boating Chamounix Mansion Hostel Horseback riding INVISIBLE RIVER DAY-BY-DAY REGIONAL DESTINATIONS LARGE EVENTS Laurel Hill Cemetery March for Babies Parx Casino Philadelphia Cycling Classic Race for the Cure Walk Against Hunger Strawberry Mansion Head of the Schuylkill Regatta Nature activity Strolling Dell Music Center Belmont Mansion SpectatingStrawberry Mansion Day Swimming Boxers’ Trail 5K Run/Walk Undy 5000 Exercising Picnics Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta MLK & Kelly Drive Trails Navy Day Hiking Mann Music Center Mount Pleasant Mansion Playgrounds Horticulture Center Shofuso Japanese House & Garden Smith Playground Relaxation Independence Dragon Boat Regatta Please Touch Museum Fairmount Park Holiday House Tours Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival Family events Sports fields Stotesbury Cup Regatta Tri Rock Philadelphia Triathlon West Park Arts Festival Barbeques Biking Philadelphia Zoo Jogging Lemon Hill Mansion Boathouse Row Socializing Education Philadelphia Museum of Art
east and west fairmount park is: assets challenges
ONE OF A KIND 7 MILLION USERS ASSEMBLED, NEEDS DESIGN MANY PARKS
OUR DRINKING WATER DIVERSE LANDSCAPES GETTING IN CIVIC SUPPORT
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS < > EAST AND WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK IS AMERICA’S FIRST MUNICIPALLY PROTECTED WATERSHED PARK. THIS ALLOWS FOR A RARE CONNECTION TO NATURE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY. Click the photos to learn more about existing landscape types.
east and west fairmount park is: assets challenges
ONE OF A KIND 7 MILLION USERS ASSEMBLED, NEEDS DESIGN MANY PARKS
OUR DRINKING WATER DIVERSE LANDSCAPES GETTING IN CIVIC SUPPORT
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS < > EAST AND WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK IS THE SUM OF MANY PARTS, NOT A PARK CREATED “FROM SCRATCH” LIKE MANY OF ITS CONTEMPORARIES. BECAUSE OF THIS, IT IS UNWITTINGLY DEVELOPED AND USED AS MANY SMALLER PARKS INSTEAD OF A WHOLE.
Creation Unlike Prospect Park or Forest Park, which are 19th century parks fashioned whole-cloth designed to stimulate the real estate market, East and West Fairmount Park was never looked at in terms of how a user would experience the whole. It was a piece of working infrastructure that got its shape because that was how many old summer estates the government could acquire. It was Philadelphia’s counter to Central Park, providing respite from what was then a denser, more industrial urban core.
Today As a result of not being a cohesively “planned” park, the park is used and developed on an ad hoc basis to this day.
east and west fairmount park is: assets challenges
ONE OF A KIND 7 MILLION USERS ASSEMBLED, NEEDS DESIGN MANY PARKS
OUR DRINKING WATER DIVERSE LANDSCAPES GETTING IN CIVIC SUPPORT
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS < > LATE 20TH CENTURY DISINVESTMENT IN THE CITY LED TO DISINVESTMENT IN THE PARK. AS A RESULT, WE HAVE LOST TOUCH WITH WHAT MAKES EAST AND WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK SO UNIQUE. Click the photos to learn more about the park’s biggest challenges.
PHYSICAL BARRIERS STRUGGLING ASSETS
MISSING LINKS EVENT TERRITORY
east and west fairmount park is: assets challenges
ONE OF A KIND 7 MILLION USERS ASSEMBLED, NEEDS DESIGN MANY PARKS
OUR DRINKING WATER DIVERSE LANDSCAPES GETTING IN CIVIC SUPPORT
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS < > LARGE ROADS, RAILROAD TRACKS, AND NATURAL CLIFFS MAKE EAST AND WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK A PARK DIVIDED, WITH ITS RIVERS AND UPLANDS FEELING LIKE SEPARATE PARKS AND SERVING DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES.
400 acres of West Park removed for Schuylkill Expressway 3 54 miles of roads in the park 19 miles of rail track 11% roads [Central Park: 8.5%; Golden Gate Park: 10%]
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east and west fairmount park is: assets challenges
ONE OF A KIND 7 MILLION USERS ASSEMBLED, NEEDS DESIGN MANY PARKS
OUR DRINKING WATER DIVERSE LANDSCAPES GETTING IN CIVIC SUPPORT
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS < > OTHER CITIES ARE RISING TO THE CHALLENGE TO RESTORE THEIR LARGE PARKS, RECOGNIZING THAT THEY ARE PRECIOUS RESOURCES THAT WILL ONLY BECOME MORE ESSENTIAL WITH TIME.
PROSPECT PARK EAST AND WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK FOREST PARK BROOKLYN, NY PHILADELPHIA, PA ST. LOUIS, MO
ACRES 585 ACRES 2,050 ACRES 1,370 ANNUAL VISITORS 10 MILLION ANNUAL VISITORS 7 MILLION ANNUAL VISITORS 13 MILLION CITY BUDGET (2012) $4 MILLION CITY BUDGET (GEN. FUND, 2012)* $9.2 MILLION CITY BUDGET (2012) $7 MILLION CITY STAFF 20 CITY STAFF CITY STAFF 62 CONSERVANCY BUDGET (2012) $8 MILLION CONSERVANCY SUPPORT (2010)* $1.1 MILLION CONSERVANCY BUDGET (2012) $5 MILLION CONSERVANCY STAFF 80 CONSERVANCY STAFF* 10 CONSERVANCY STAFF 30 VOLUNTEERS HOURS 26,065 VOLUNTEER HOURS 1,831 VOLUNTEER HOURS 11,500
*Difficult to separate park-specific funds when budget is system-wide
east and west fairmount park is: assets challenges
ONE OF A KIND 7 MILLION USERS ASSEMBLED, NEEDS DESIGN MANY PARKS
OUR DRINKING WATER DIVERSE LANDSCAPES GETTING IN CIVIC SUPPORT
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS < > THE 21ST CENTURY VISION FOR EAST AND WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK IS A CONNECTED LANDSCAPE AT THE CONFLUENCE OF PUBLIC WATER, ACCESS TO NATURE AND AN INVIGORATED CIVIC LIFE.
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS BUILD NEW ENTRANCES
FOLLOW THE CREEKS MORE THINGS TO DO
BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER MAPS AND APPS
TAME THE ROADS LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
CONNECT WITH TRAILS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS Clean, safe and well-managed new stewardship, united community voice Resident access safe, attractive entrances to the park
Redesigned I-76 bring the park under the highway Well-connected trail system complete access for walkers and bikers
New grandstands and footbridge This map shows the top recommendations better access to Peter’s Island Overlooks for making the park a more inviting and provide incomparable views of the park cohesive destination for Philadelphians for years to come. The rest of this chapter organizes Rerouted Belmont Avenue more detailed recommendations in key categories creates a quieter, safer park experience Community engagement based on input from citizens. Some key issues programming at the edges are not addressed on this map because the team for residents feels more analysis is needed to make conclusive New park-with-a-park recommendations. Those issues are reflected in the new neighborhood access “Unfinished Business” section of this chapter, to park landmarks New pedestrian crossing on Columbia Rail Bridge not as well as the Appendix. currently possible
Signature horticultural center a botanic garden in Fairmount Park New pedestrian bridge connects the park without needing a car
New public boat house engages more citizens with the Schuylkill Tame the speedways with pedestrian activated traffic signals on busy roads Roadway dieting and traffic calming means fewer cars, more people
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER CONNECT WITH TRAILS MORE THINGS TO DO LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
FOLLOW THE CREEKS TAME THE ROADS BUILD NEW ENTRANCES MAPS AND APPS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS Chamounix Creek & Roberts Run THE PARK’S 16 CREEKS ARE OUR only two creeks that begin in residential ULTIMATE CONNECTORS, LINKING communities. Restore, mark, and engage NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE PARK to draw residents into the park. AND TO THE RIVER. BUT WE LOST
Greenland Creek SIGHT OF THESE NATURAL PATHWAYS AND WE MUST RESTORE THEM TO Strawberry Mansion Creek Ridgeland Creek direct connection for North THEIR ORIGINAL SPLENDOR. Philadelphia neighborhoods
Skuttens Run They feed the Schuylkill, Randolph Creek our drinking water source. Belmont Glen Creek early opportunity to connect Strawberry They connect us from uphill Mansion to the Schuylkill trails to downhill trails. Belmont Valley Creek They are the total package: public Mount Pleasant Creek access to nature, teaching tools about Montgomery Creek water quality, volunteerism opportunities, and neighborhood unifiers. Harrison Creek Lansdowne Creek They are segmented, let’s restore them: “learning landscape” open the culverts, express them fully. from George’s Hill to Glendinning Creek the Horticulture Center Warner Creek
Sweetbriar Run
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER CONNECT WITH TRAILS MORE THINGS TO DO LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
FOLLOW THE CREEKS TAME THE ROADS BUILD NEW ENTRANCES MAPS AND APPS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS THIS IS WHERE OUR DRINKING Extend riparian buffers WATER COMES FROM. HOW MANY Improve the health of the river by “Blue streets” PHILADELPHIANS KNOW THAT? extending riparian corridors where bring neighbors into the park by WATER IS WHAT MAKES THIS PARK possible and addressing erosion linking people from community nodes issues along the river drives. while also managing stormwater. SPECIAL. LET’S RESTORE THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN WATER AND DAILY LIFE. Showcase the water Showcase the historical pieces Install treated edges around creek outfalls, of water infrastructure to better water intakes, and inlets, especially communicate the story of the park. Belmont Intake along King Drive. Make water fun again.
Allow people to jump in, especially in the river and lakes. Pursue stormwater management opportunities in the park on Erase the 20th century’s attempts to hide water, North 33rd Street and Parkside Avenue. Permit swimming such as creek culverts and concealed outfalls. either in an enclosed section of the river or a temporary pool Bring water back in old ways, such with plumbed water. Teach the water story as creeks, fountains, and springs. Begin an education campaign about water quality by activating Bring the water back in new ways, such as spray- the area around the Waterworks grounds, wading pools, and other water features. Interpretive Center and extending Concourse and Centennial Lakes to the East Park Reservoir and Keep improving the river’s health. Complete the restoration of these lakes to create Discovery Center at Strawberry a signature landscape that provides direct access Mansion Lake. The park can manage more stormwater as well. for neighbors to the water. Features could include Consider the park as the “demonstration ground” a fishing pier, outdoor amphitheater, and kiosk to teach people about “Green City, Clean Waters.” with fishing equipment, chairs, and concessions.
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER CONNECT WITH TRAILS MORE THINGS TO DO LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
FOLLOW THE CREEKS TAME THE ROADS BUILD NEW ENTRANCES MAPS AND APPS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS I-76 on abutments THE PARK IS WORTH MORE When I-76 is re-built, it is built up on abutments Make drives safer to cross THAN JUST A VIEW FROM instead of embankments to re-connect the uplands Safety is improved along Kelly Drive, A SPEEDING CAR WINDOW. of West Fairmount Park to the Schuylkill River via King Drive, and Parkside Avenue through restored creek paths. ✚ increased signalized pedestrian crossings OUR ROADS MUST ADAPT TO and additional bicycle infrastructure that FIT THE USES OF THE PARK, link trail systems, park assets, and park neighborhoods. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. # Bridges and ramps Treat the park as a destination, Existing bridges are reconfigured not as a shortcut. to improve non-automobile park 3
access at its most difficult points. Identify where road redundancy exists. Such improvements include: De-pave roads Changing the material of internal park 1 a re-configuring of the deck roads such as George’s Hill Drive and Let’s downsize, in a good way: of the MLK Drive Bridge, Reservoir Drive from asphalt to gravel remove, re-route, and narrow. 2 a new bicycle, pedestrian in key areas can calm traffic, lessen and transit prioritization on the the footprint of roads in the park, and Start with some basics: curbs, Girard Avenue Bridge, and encourage trail use. sidewalks, and bike lanes. 3 new ramps to connect trail users to the Strawberry Space reserved for cars now goes Mansion Bridge. to pedestrians, bicyclists, and nature. Install pedestrian bridges over infrastructure at key connection Fewer drivers means less 2 points, including over I-76 to 34th need for parking spaces. Reroute Belmont Avenue Street and over SEPTA and CSX A 1/3 mile stretch of Belmont Avenue tracks to connect Brewerytown to is re-routed in West Fairmount Park to Glendinning Rock Garden. reduce speeds, give a new address to the Mann Center, and open up more green space for a restored Centennial Lake and Lansdowne Creek. ✚ 1
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER CONNECT WITH TRAILS MORE THINGS TO DO LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
FOLLOW THE CREEKS TAME THE ROADS BUILD NEW ENTRANCES MAPS AND APPS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS
Regional trail network Rim trails East and West Park is the hub of The Circuit, THE KELLY DRIVE TRAIL CAN The “Rim” trails give new with improved links to the Wissahickon Gateway, life to the Boxers’ Trail and GET US TO VALLEY FORGE, the Cynwyd Trail, Schuylkill Banks, and the West Centennial Loop, extending BUT IT CANNOT GET US TO Bank Greenway. them to the full extent of SMITH PLAYGROUND. AN East and West Fairmount Park by linking to other trail INTERCONNECTED TRAIL Trolley trails networks, such as those The “Trolley” trail gives NETWORK IS ESSENTIAL TO within Laurel Hill Cemetery. improved access to the MAKING THE PARK MORE park’s western neighbors by creating a continuous trail # AVAILABLE TO MORE PEOPLE. that follows the pathway New river crossings There is new east-west of the scenic trolley that Five trail networks: river, rim, cross-river trail access via the ran through the woods of ridge, trolley, creeks. West Park in the first half 1 Columbia Rail Bridge and of the 20th century. 2 a new pedestrian bridge Start with neighbors and work your way that begins around the Fountain in: most communities surrounding the 1 Green Drive intersection with park do not have marked trails nearby. Creek trails Kelly Drive, giving walking access The “Creek” trails run along between Smith Playground and Provide accessibility for all: bicycles, the creeks to provide that Please Touch Museum in less pedestrians, youth, and those with connective tissue between than one mile. limited mobility. 2 the uphill trails and the downhill trails. So many fragments already exist: Ridge trails connect them together. The “Ridge” trail provides an River trail inner-park loop in the uplands Pair trails with signs, maps, and trailheads: The “River” trail loop is strengthened, primarily of the park, in many cases using get the information into the park. through a reconstructed King Drive trail: featuring roadway or running along rail lines. an asphalt sub-base, an alignment that is closer to the river with increased visibility, new facilities and recreation destinations along the way, and a two-way cycle track along the bridge from Schuylkill Banks.
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER CONNECT WITH TRAILS MORE THINGS TO DO LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
FOLLOW THE CREEKS TAME THE ROADS BUILD NEW ENTRANCES MAPS AND APPS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS 360º views of the park There is no better gateway into the GIVE THE PARK A STRONG park than a vantage point where you IDENTITY AT ITS EDGES AND can see the whole thing. Overlook WITHIN THE PARK AS A WHOLE. locations include George’s Hill, An entrance for people, not cars Lemon Hill, and behind the Pair gateway treatments with de-paving Horticulture Center. and road dieting where appropriate. Give the park a series of front doors Examples where this might occur that provide people with everything include Diamond Street, Reservoir they need to find their path. Prioritize gateway improvements Drive, 41st Street, and Neil Drive. where community access, neighborhood Provide information at key community nodes businesses and landmarks, and activity and intersections for nearby residents to learn centers already exist. Examples include about what there is to see and do in East and 33rd and Oxford, 33rd and Diamond, Make SEPTA access easier West Fairmount Park. 41st and Parkside, and 52nd and Parkside. Improve shelters, stop placement, signage, and trail connections at Create different gateways for different park entrances along SEPTA lines, reasons. Scale gateways at key edge including Girard Avenue between intersections depending on the particular 33rd Street and the Girard Avenue needs of the community. Such needs include: Bridge. • information • recreation • landscaping/stormwater management • facilities and amenities • visibility/public art New visitor centers • more inviting transit access Bolster the offerings of Lloyd Hall, and provide a counterpart visitors Consider ways to create “visual gateways” center in West Fairmount Park. Enter through the park that showcase the park’s existing natural The park entrance at 34th Street and Girard Avenue is beauty, such as removing chain fences, newly reanimated to mark an important gateway into extending lighting, and providing overlooks. West Fairmount Park. Lansdowne Drive is configured such that both lanes of traffic flow under one arch of the Amtrak bridge, while the space under the other arch is dedicated to pedestrian and bicycle use.
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER CONNECT WITH TRAILS MORE THINGS TO DO LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
FOLLOW THE CREEKS TAME THE ROADS BUILD NEW ENTRANCES MAPS AND APPS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS Focus on youth Bring a more balanced series of ways for MAKING IT BEAUTIFUL ISN’T youth to enjoy both sides of the park. This includes physical spaces (i.e. the old ENOUGH: GIVE US SOMETHING Playhouse in the Park) as well as recreation, TO DO IN THE PARK. PROMOTE employment and education programs. AND ENCOURAGE A WIDE RANGE Use what we have OF ACTIVITIES TO CREATE Fill in programming and amenity gaps using New identity for historic houses “A PARK FOR ALL USERS.” existing structures. Require all buildings in Re-think the role of the historic the park to have public “open house” hours houses as one of visitor services and and signage describing their history. park interpretation as well as individual Sometimes it’s as simple as bathrooms, museums. Add facilities such as water and an ice cream. bathrooms, water fountains, and bike racks. Revive active uses to attract Engage adjacent neighbors first to build the next generation of nearby stewards. New horticulture center more people to their doors. Re-brand the Horticulture Pay special attention to areas in the park that Center as the Fairmount Long-term community building are not 100% public: fenced facilities, closed Park Arboretum. Increase Launch trial funding for buildings, open facilities that do not actively showcasing function, programming staff at community promote. Require all existing buildings in the organize an annual festival, “anchors” around the park. Fund park to have “open house” hours and signage expand catering to include long-term programming with the goal describing their history. more regular hours, and of building a long-term stewardship boost visitation. base and engaging nearby residents. We can use what already exists: park buildings, old relics, etc.
MLK Drive redefined for water Public art Prioritize youth: consider employment Create a water recreation destination along the Schuylkill River, Use public art—temporary opportunities, ranger apprenticeships, punctuated by a new multi-purpose community boathouse at and permanent—to tell little ambassadors, green corps, and the bend in the river along MLK Drive. This will bring public the unique story of East summer camps. life to the side of the river with the capacity to receive it. and West Fairmount Install grandstand seating on Peter’s Island with a footbridge Park and provide a reason Work together to fix cost barrier to entry. that provides great views for regatta spectators as well as the for visitors to return to public at large. the park.
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER CONNECT WITH TRAILS MORE THINGS TO DO LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
FOLLOW THE CREEKS TAME THE ROADS BUILD NEW ENTRANCES MAPS AND APPS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS Information is power EMPOWER THROUGH Locate digital information kiosks within the park INFORMATION. IMPROVE that allows users to curate information to their individual needs and PPR staff to automatically HOW WE PROVIDE CITIZENS synchronize edits and data from other sources WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED such as Google Traffic. ABOUT ALL THE WAYS TO ENJOY Follow the activity THEMSELVES IN THE PARK. Build trailheads at key gateways Get people’s attention and neighborhood nodes to Create vibrant “gateway signage” offer a center of information on Provide information in many different at important intersections inside the park for users and adjacent formats: map, app, calendar, and website. and outside the park that animate neighbors alike. the entrance and draw people into Citizens need the good, the bad, and the its attractions. ugly: inform residents of the park’s diverse offerings as well as the disruptions in the park due to large events.
Give people direction! Engage neighborhood leaders so that Mark and sign all trail networks information can spread further than PPR within the park as part of the could do on its own. “Find Your Path” re-branding of the department. Institutionalize cross-marketing and promotion between Parks and Recreation, park organizations, and park neighborhoods.
Animate park edges Consider park edges as opportunities to interpret lesser-known facts about the park as well as the history of the neighborhoods across the street.
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER CONNECT WITH TRAILS MORE THINGS TO DO LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
FOLLOW THE CREEKS TAME THE ROADS BUILD NEW ENTRANCES MAPS AND APPS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS Take the message citywide IT’S TIME TO GET CREATIVE Launch a citywide campaign for ABOUT HOW WE INCREASE Safety first renewed investment in East and West Create a distinct police district for Fairmount Park. Make the case for RESOURCES TO THIS PARK. IT’S East and West Fairmount Park and the its importance to the city as a whole. NOT SEXY, BUT IT’S NECESSARY. Wissahickon to provide a more visible Both St. Louis and Mexico City give us security presence in the park. examples on how to generate support Build institutional leadership for East and everywhere from subway stations to West Fairmount Park, within Parks and elementary school classrooms. Recreation as well as the Fairmount Park The park has its limits Conservancy. Explore “park administrator” Fix the number of permitted model in New York City. Use City Council events for 2016 in East and offices as launch pads for engagement. West Fairmount Park. Reward your best customers Acknowledge that such an Forge new partnerships with large Launch a citywide campaign for renewed important natural system has permit applicants to provide additional investment in East and West Fairmount Park. a “capacity.” Prioritize events funding for facility improvement and Make the case for its importance to the city with a direct goal of engaging maintenance in exchange for multi-year as a whole, and push the cause from subway citizens with the park. permit agreements. stations to elementary school classrooms.
Give the people what they want: cleanliness, safety, and maintenance. Bring back the rangers Bolster the existing Park Rangers Learn lessons from our neighbors: supporting corps to provide necessary the park takes engagement, participation, and “ambassador” support such elbow grease. as education, guidance, and Park as extension of neighborhood uniformed visibility. Build off existing community leadership to Allow improvements within the park to aid in economic form a coalition for change in the park. development outside the park. Carefully devise a strategy with neighborhood organizations and the City of Philadelphia We’re ripe for change. With 7 million annual Commerce Department to encourage job creation for visitors and over 340,000 “members” of park adjacent neighbors that connect to park destinations. organizations, we have a ready constituency.
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER CONNECT WITH TRAILS MORE THINGS TO DO LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
FOLLOW THE CREEKS TAME THE ROADS BUILD NEW ENTRANCES MAPS AND APPS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS Layers of transit Can we assess the opportunity for THE TEAM BELIEVES MORE transit to benefit adjacent residents, ANALYSIS AND EXPERTISE IS neighborhood economic development, the tourist population, day visitors NEEDED TO ADDRESS SOME from throughout the region, daily use, OF THE MORE COMPLEX and park employment? ISSUES LIMITING EAST AND WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK FROM Denser programming FULLY SERVING RESIDENTS. Is visitation strong enough to Vending opportunities bring more activity centers back Can we find a creative solution to into the park? Can we look to the seasonal need for concessions sites of previous generations, We recommend that these become the next and facilities that require expensive such as Playhouse in the Park areas of study in the process of fully realizing capital renovations? at Belmont Grove? this 21st century vision for the park. More detailed considerations of these issues can be found in the Appendix.
Traffic and auto connectivity Public transportation Park-wide traffic study Parking capacity: large events Can we conduct the first traffic study and day-by-day behavior in East and West Fairmount Park to Park design guidelines definitively determine which roads Lighting can be narrowed and/or removed? Ecology, hydrology, and botany Event permitting Remote parking Historic preservation Can remote parking in less-used areas of the park or outside the park Programming mix all together help solve the congestion Vending and concessions issues during large events? Public Art
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS BRING PEOPLE TO THE WATER CONNECT WITH TRAILS MORE THINGS TO DO LEGION OF CHAMPIONS
FOLLOW THE CREEKS TAME THE ROADS BUILD NEW ENTRANCES MAPS AND APPS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS PRIORITY EARLY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAKING FAIRMOUNT PARK A GREAT 21ST CENTURY PARK FOR NEIGHBORS NEAR AND FAR
Fairmount Park is an incomparable gift from the 19th century. To ensure that the park remains beautiful and functional, it must be continually revitalized and maintained to high standards. The park has grown on an ad hoc basis over the past 150 years and has seen funding wane as the city confronts pressing budget matters. And yet, the fate of the city and the fate of the park are intertwined. As the source of a large percentage of the city’s water supply, that fact alone would warrant serious attention. But the park is so much more. It is a vast natural and cultural landscape that serves more than 7 million per year—from boating, to concerts, to communing with nature, and more. Now is the time to ensure that the park receives the funding and staffing support that will enable it to thrive throughout this century. From early actions that demonstrate how we can give citizens better access to the park to longer term infrastructure projects that open up the park in new ways, we must make sure that all Philadelphians are invested in protecting and supporting the park. What follows are priority early recommendations for making Fairmount Park a great 21st century park for neighbors near and far.
PRIORITY SHORT-TERM ACTIONS BUILD ON EXISTING MOMENTUM
NEXT ACTIONS ALIGN WITH PARALLEL PLANNING
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS HERE ARE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT STARTING POINTS TO IMPLEMENT THE VISION, FOCUSING ON WHERE WE CAN CREATE LOCAL BENEFITS WHILE BUILDING THE CASE FOR LONGER TERM INVESTMENT.
Recreation center improvements Trail master plan Event calendar Prioritize improvements to community recreation centers in the Launch a park-wide trail master plan to identify crucial Organize a “Find Your Path” calendar for park: Mander on the east side and Parkside-Evans on the west side. missing trail segments and then build the network. Fairmount Park in 2014 that introduces the department’s new brand and mission in the park. Place special emphasis on events Remaining creeksheds Management & Maintenance Study that showcase longtime park organizations Devise restoration strategies for key creeksheds. Work with the local business community to write a (at discounted rates, when possible) and management and maintenance study for the park. engages adjacent neighbors. Vehicle study Commission a park-wide traffic, New traffic signal Build staff capacity transportation, and parking study. Install a pedestrian-activated traffic signal Create staff capacity at PPR and the Pair with acoustical study if Belmont where Kelly Drive crosses Randolph Creek. Fairmount Park Conservancy to facilitate Avenue re-routing is pursued. coalition and constituency building in the park. Bring groups from the east and East Park Reservoir berm Lake studies west sides together to interact, share Beautify and program the berm around the Commission important studies information, and engage around common East Park Reservoir to dissolve a significant for the future health of interests. Create a PPR “primer” for park psychological barrier to park access. Concourse and Centennial organizations on the department and its Lakes: a de-watering study various responsibilities. for Concourse, and a dredging Entrance for Discovery Center study for Centennial. Partner with the Discovery Center to create Art partners a vibrant park entrance for visitors and near Partner with the Association for Public Art to Community boathouse study neighbors at 33rd and Oxford Streets develop vibrant gateways at key park edges. Partner with rowing enthusiasts to develop a feasibility study for a community boathouse More resources for patrons Art competition along MLK Drive. Launch an “awareness” campaign Launch an ArtPlace-like competition that for Fairmount Park that includes encourages new public art and placemaking Painted bike lane new resources for park users, paper initiatives within Fairmount Park, specifically Encourage the Streets Department to paint a demonstration bike lane along maps, online applications, and a at key vistas and areas with historic assets the MLK Bridge to ensure safe bicycle access before the deck is rebuilt. web-based engagement tool. that could be made more visible.
PRIORITY SHORT-TERM ACTIONS NEXT ACTIONS BUILD ON EXISTING MOMENTUM ALIGN WITH PARALLEL PLANNING
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS WE DO NOT NEED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO START IMPROVING EAST AND WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK. HERE ARE ADDITIONAL “EARLY ACTIONS” TO BE PURSUED:
• Following a traffic study, proceed with signal plans • Clear brush and remove tall fences when possible • Organize a hackathon around how technology for new pedestrian-activated crossings along Kelly to provide better visual access to park destinations. can better disseminate information and Drive, MLK Drive, and Parkside Avenue. Pay particular attention to the banks of the river encourage stewardship in Fairmount Park. north of Peter’s Island as this area presents a key • Open, sign, and promote hidden trail opportunity for restoring a signature vista. • Advocate for Fairmount Park to be included in the segments that provide new ways for citizens to first phase of the Philadelphia Bike Share program to experience Fairmount Park, including: • Commission a park-wide communication, information, and encourage more day-to-day use of the various trails. signage study to create a cohesive identity for the park. The Glendinning Rock Garden and Girard Avenue steps to Lemon Hill. • Study how to balance large events, small events, and neighborhood park use, as well as economic Off-road links from the river drives to the development strategies for using old park structures uplands where no option currently exists. like concession stands and restrooms.
A trail link between the Philly Pump Track behind the • Bolster fundraising efforts directed at Fairmount Park. Mann Center and the mountain biking trails maintained by Consider non-traditional mechanisms and the potential the Belmont Plateau Trails Alliance in Chamounix Woods. for collaborative giving from the business community.
The “cross country trails” in West Fairmount • Provide small Conservancy grants for members of East Park [provide more location details] and West Park coalitions to program and steward the parks, similar to the existing Friends group model. WILL ADD MORE • Engage youth directly with the future of the park. • Partner with the Philadelphia Water Department Devise lessons about the park in local schools. Bring to create rain gardens on neighborhood edges of the ideas into classrooms on tablets. Coordinate 33rd Street and Parkside Avenue and to identify the annual opportunities for youth in the park such as restorative improvement potential of key creeks. green corps and ranger apprenticeship programs. • Enliven the “out buildings” at Mount Pleasant Apply for a federal TIGER grant for a feasibility study for and Woodford Mansions to create new uses that • restoring pedestrian access to the Columbia Rail Bridge. appeal to a wide variety of park users.
PRIORITY SHORT-TERM ACTIONS NEXT ACTIONS BUILD ON EXISTING MOMENTUM ALIGN WITH PARALLEL PLANNING
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS LEVERAGE THE MOMENTUM OF THE MANY PROJECTS THAT WERE APPROVED OR BEGAN CONSTRUCTION DURING THIS PLANNING PROCESS.
• Pedestrian safety and traffic calming improvements • The first pump track—a small dirt course designed for BMX • New football fields for Strawberry Mansion High School at 33rd Street and Girard Avenue and mountain bikes—at Parkside-Evans Recreation Center. and the Parkside Saints pop warner team (proposed).
• The partnership between Audubon Pennsylvania • Early implementation of PPR’s Parkland Forestry Management • A partnership between PPR and the Conservancy and Outward Bound Philadelphia on The Discovery Framework: food forests at the Horticulture Center, and to help restore many of the trails through the Center at Strawberry Mansion Lake orchards at Strawberry Mansion and Carousel House. West Fairmount Park woods using funds raised by early registration for the Broad Street Run. • New pedestrian accessibility at Laurel Hill Cemetery: • Stormwater retention areas and curb replacement garden entrance, stairway, and pedestrian island installation along Kelly Drive between the Columbia • A partnership between PPR and the Conservancy to help at Kelly Drive and Hunting Park Avenue as well as Rail Bridge and the Strawberry Mansion Bridge. improve, sign, and maintain the “cross country trail” network a “gateway” on the river side of Kelly Drive. through the West Fairmount Park woods using funds raised • The restoration of the Letitia Street through registration fees for the Broad Street Run. • The restoration of the Italian Fountain and House in West Fairmount Park. enhancement of green space and terrace on park • Installing anti-skid pavement surfaces and temporary land between the Water Works and Lloyd Hall. • Stormwater management and facility improvements traffic safety measures on Kelly Drive. at the SEPTA Route 3 bus turnaround at 33rd • The creation of an inclusive play space for youth Street and Cecil B Moore Avenue. • A new 6ABC ZooBalloon, animal trail, and 683-space of all ages next to Kelly Pool that provides water- parking garage at the Philadelphia Zoo. related recreation and more ways to engage • The planned restoration of the East Park Canoe neighborhood kids in West Fairmount Park. House to provide a new home for Temple • New public access, visitor center, and tree University’s rowing programs and new public facilities planting as part of the Shofuso Master Plan. • The restoration of the Welsh Fountain and beautification of along this portion of the Schuylkill River. adjacent green spaces in front of the Please Touch Museum. • Major facility restoration and gateway • Restoration of the sculptural and masonry elements improvements at Smith Playground. • A 52-unit mixed-use senior housing development called of the Catholic Total Abstinence Fountain. Centennial Village at 52nd Street and Parkside Avenue. • The Schuylkill Navy’s efforts to dredge the River • Renovations to the SEPTA Wissahickon north of the dam in front of Boathouse Row. • The replacement of the eastern basin of the East Station on Ridge Avenue. Park Reservoir with concrete storage tanks. • Additional seating areas, picnic tables, and gateway • A new boat dock in East Falls just north facilities along Reservoir Drive off 33rd Street. of the Falls Bridge (proposed).
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS HEADER STATEMENT HERE AT THE TOP LIKE WITH OTHER PAGES
Brewerytown Neighborhood Plan GreenPlan Philadelphia The Schuylkill River Watershed Source Water Interface Studio Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Protection Plan Philadelphia Water Department The Bridge to Bridge Master Plan Greenworks Philadelphia Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Mayor’s Office of Sustainability Strawberry Mansion Community Plan: Strategies for Neighborhood Revitalization The Centennial District Master Plan Green City, Clean Waters Philadelphia City Planning Commission Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Philadelphia Water Department Taming Traffic: Context-Sensitive Solutions in the Charting Our Future Improving Safety for All Users of Martin Luther DVRPC Region The Schuylkill Navy of Philadelphia King Drive Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission City Branch Transit Feasibility Assessment Trail Master Plan for Fairmount Park Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Lower North District Plan Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Philadelphia City Planning Commission Creating Healthy Concessions Viola Street Neighborhood Plan Fairmount Park Conservancy Parkland Forestry Management Framework Viola Street Residents Association Philadelphia Parks and Recreation East Falls Reconnects to the River Water Loss Investigation at Concourse Lake East Falls Development Corporation Philadelphia Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan Fairmount Park Conservancy Philadelphia City Planning Commission Fairmount Park System Natural Lands Restoration West Park District Plan Master Plan Philadelphia Trail Master Plan Philadelphia City Planning Commission The Academy of Natural Sciences Philadelphia City Planning Commission
Green2015: An Action Plan for the First 500 Acres Schuylkill Watershed Conservation Plan Philadelphia Parks and Recreation The Academy of Natural Sciences
PRIORITY SHORT-TERM ACTIONS EARLY ACTIONS BUILD ON EXISTING MOMENTUM ALIGN WITH PARALLEL PLANNING
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS FIVE PRIORITY AREAS FRAME THE VISION’S EARLY GOALS.
OVERVIEW EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY
BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS The lack of park-wide connectivity is the biggest challenge to Philadelphians fully using all that East and West Fairmount Park has to offer. Overcoming the natural and manmade barriers— the escarpment on the east and the expressway and rail lines on the west—is crucial if people are ever to use or understand the park as a cohesive whole. Instead of requiring expensive infrastructure to conquer many of these hurdles, we can look to nature for the answer: the 16 creeks and streams that flow through East and West Park. Not only do these creeks feed the Schuylkill, they cut through the topography and provide a direct and relatively smooth descent from uphill to river. They follow the paths park Strawberry Mansion Gateway users want to take as many have “desire lines” etched alongside their creek beds. Restoring these creeks helps address public access needs, water quality needs, and gives multiple neighborhoods new parts of the park that they can call their own. The project team identified five “priority areas” Brewerytown Gateway for a more detailed analysis and framed our recommendations around their creeks. These areas are showcased because they meet a series of important criteria. They have adjacent communities with populations in need of park space but are impeded from fully accessing the park. They house numerous park destinations and 33rd Street Gateway organizations with complementary audiences but lack West Parkside Gateway ways to physically connect. The park land itself is divided, restricting the ways in which people can experience it. Finally, there is the opportunity to provide accessibility at East Parkside Gateway all levels of focus for this study: neighborhood, upland, and river.
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS THE HEADWATERS OF RANDOLPH CREEK ARE VISIBLE JUST A FEW HUNDRED FEET FROM STRAWBERRY MANSION’S MAIN CONNECTION TO EAST FAIRMOUNT PARK: JOSEPH MANDER RECREATION CENTER.
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2 The 33rd Street sidepath along 1 33rd Street across from East the East Park Reservoir. Fairmount Park faces numerous barriers to entering the park.
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5 3 Mander Recreation Center 4 The Boxers’ Trail as it runs south 5 Randolph Creek is channeled on Strawberry Mansion Day at from Randolph Creek to Dairy under Kelly Drive before it 33rd and Diamond Streets Fields and Mount Pleasant. flows into the Schuylkill River.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS 1 The Mander tennis courts are restored and renamed to honor a Strawberry Mansion tennis legend: Miles Gray.
2 Mander Playground becomes more integrated into Fairmount Park through increased programming, water play, and stormwater management.
3 Mander and the Reservoir serve as activate gateways to the park, as well as neighborhood amenities.
4 The slope along the East Reservoir is planted with wildflowers and native species to beautify the edges of 33rd Street, Diamond Street, and Reservoir Drive.
5 The intersection of Reservoir Drive, Randolph Drive and Diamond Street is improved and puts the safety and comfort of pedestrians before cars. The headwaters of Randolph Creek are marked and celebrated, and a spray ground for kids allows a connection to be made between runoff and creek.
6 A new 1.7-mile trail around the Reservoir provides a new exercise loop for residents.
7 The Boxers’ Trail is well maintained and allows patrons to enjoy Fairmount Park’s ravines and views.
8 Restoration of the East Park Canoe House provides new amenities for trail users and a restored river wall for boating access.
9 A safe, signalized pedestrian crossing from Kelly Drive to Randolph Creek is created with a pedestrian activated traffic light and crosswalk.
10 Curb replacement and rain gardens encourage better behavior and restore stormwater absorption along this stretch of Kelly Drive.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS 1 Improve Diamond and Dauphin Streets east of the park as key links for neighborhood residents to access East Fairmount Park.
2 Diamond Street becomes a shared use entrance into East Fairmount Park. It still serves limited auto access with parking on either side. Randolph Drive becomes a service road allowing access to the mansions and fields, and is depaved and lined with gravel like other (non-auto) park drives throughout the system.
3 Short-term landscaping and public access around the base shows the potential for the East Park Reservoir to become a long-term park link instead of a barrier. Encourage additional ways for the community to connect to the reservoir, and support its role as a landscape that can promote East Fairmount Park as well as Strawberry Mansion neighborhood history, as seen during the Philadelphia Jazz Walk.
4 The refreshment stands at Edgely Fields are reactivated and the restrooms are restored and reopened.
5 Fairmount Park’s historic mansions double up as park amenities, with guided tours, concessions, restrooms, or community gardens or orchards tied to the adjacent neighborhoods, following Woodford Mansion’s model.
6 New trails through the interior of the Reservoir allow patrons to engage with the reservoir’s unique habitat, as well as be separated from cars.
7 A viewing tower at the edge of The Discovery Center at Strawberry Mansion Lake allows the public to view the nature center throughout the year, as well as gain an understanding of the size of East and West Fairmount Park.
8 Treating Kelly Drive as a bridge when it crosses Randolph Creek makes sense both ecologically and as a measure of traffic calming.
9 Randolph Creek is expressed as it enters the Schuylkill River and creates a clear trailhead to the Boxers’ Trail.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS GLENDINNING CREEK IS SURROUNDED BY MANMADE BARRIERS MORE THAN NATURAL ONES. GLENDINNING CREEK IS SURROUNDED BY MANMADE BARRIERS MORE THAN NATURAL ONES.
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1 33rd Street & Girard Avenue is an auto-oriented intersection 2 Cobblestone steps run from the rock garden to the shoulder of Brewery Hill Drive
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5 Kelly Drive disconnects the trail and rock garden. 4 3 Old stairs give access from 5 Girard Avenue to Kelly Drive, but there is no safe 4 The creek’s path before it is crossing to get to the trail. culverted under Kelly Drive
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS 1 Runoff from adjacent neighborhood roads and roofs is channeled into rain gardens created on vacant lots, which also act as community green spaces.
2 Brewerytown gateway into Fairmount Park doubles up as rain garden and as neighborhood amenity (seating, shelter, deck), similar to Saylor’s Grove in the Wissahickon.
3 Right-of-way along Brewery Hill Drive is converted to bicycle and pedestrian only for safe access from Girard Avenue to Glendinning.
4 Access from Glendinning to the Girard Avenue Bridge is facilitated by the restoration of the existing staircase on the south side of the bridge.
5 An unmarked dirt path from Girard Avenue to Lemon Hill is identified, mapped, and improved to create one continuous “rim trail” experience that starts with the Boxers’ Trail. West Sedgley Drive is converted to a park service road and lined with gravel for parking access.
6 Entrance to Glendinning Rock Garden is safe because of a new signalized pedestrian traffic crossing at Brewery Hill Drive and Kelly Drive. The entrance to Glendinning and the space under Girard Bridge is made active, with food trucks, concessions, a rest stop, and a map station.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS 1 A new bike and pedestrian trail is created as an alternative to the road side trail along Poplar Drive. It connects to Hatfield House and follows alongside the CSX rail right-of-way. It could potentially connect to the proposed City Branch project, either as a park connection and/or as at transit connection.
2 Hatfield House is made visible and accessible: its role as a community center and park amenity is emphasized.
3 A pedestrian and bike crossing is created over the CSX lines to allow access to East Park from Brewerytown.
4 The sidewalks and bike lanes on 33rd Street are improved.
5 The missing portion of trail connecting Lemon Hill to the Boxers’ Trail is created along the CSX and Amtrak right-of-way. It allows pedestrian and bike connections between the northern and southern portions of East Park, and gives access to Smith Playground, Cliffs Meadow, and Sedgley Woods Disc Golf.
6 The underutilized Brewery Hill Road is stricken from the city map and replaced with a series of pedestrian terraces that overlook Glendinning Rock Garden, allowing a quiet retreat and overlook from Girard Avenue. Interpretive signage informs park users of the site’s former use.
7 A spray ground that feeds into Glendinning Creek provides an active way for users to connect with the creek and the history of the site as a former waterworks.
8 Glendinning Creek is expressed as it enters the Schuylkill, and the Schuylkill itself is celebrated with river terraces along the banks of the river.
9 Public transit as a means to access East Fairmount Park is championed with better trolley and bus stations that serve as gateways and are coordinated with trail access.
10 The Route 15 trolley includes a lawn strip along its tracks when it enters East Fairmount Park, also helping with traffic calming of Girard Avenue.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS WARNER CREEK’S HEADWATERS ARE FRAGMENTED, A PORTION OF ITS PATH IS CUT OFF ENTIRELY BY THE SCHUYLKILL EXPRESSWAY, AND THE ONE MOMENT WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN EASILY VIEW ITS RAVINE IS GROWN OVER.
1 The beginning of Parkside Avenue in front of School of the Future. 2 The roadway and lawns along 41st Street and Parkside Avenue.
3 Smith Memorial Arch is an American 4 A set of stairs leading down to 5 The path of Warner Creek as it Civil War monument at Avenue of Warner Creek remains from flows toward the Schuylkill River. the Republic and Lansdowne Drive. the Centennial era.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS 1 Trolley and bus stops are consolidated into fewer but clearer park transit gateways that give information on West Fairmount Park and are aligned with trailheads.
2 The edge along Parkside Avenue is designed with spaces that neighbors will use: serving as a linear rain garden for Parkside Avenue’s stormwater runoff, but also as an actively programmed series of spaces that could offer sport courts, picnic areas, shelters, band stands, orchards, playground, and urban gardens for the adjacent community.
3 Lansdowne Drive is realigned to connect into Parkside Avenue and relieve South Concourse from thru-traffic.
4 South Concourse Drive is treated as a park road or converted into trail-only access.
5 41st Street and South Concourse Drive are de-paved or removed to give pedestrian access priority into West Fairmount Park.
6 The roundabout on Lansdowne Drive is a pedestrian gateway to the park. It celebrates East and West Fairmount Park’s mission to provide clean water, has safe pedestrian crossings on Lansdowne to slow cars down and legible signage to guide patrons to the West Fairmount Park “rim trail.”
7 A new play space is built between Kelly Pool and School of the Future to provide new recreation opportunities for nearby youth of all ages.
8 Cedar Grove Drive becomes a gravel park drive that is used a service road for the mansions.
9 Warner Creek is highlighted and celebrated: its headwaters are widened into a larger wetland, the new Cedar Grove Drive and the Creek Walk bridge over it.
10 Black Road gets a sidewalk on its north side and a crossing at MLK Drive.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS 1 Convert the auto access from Girard Avenue to Parkside Avenue into a pedestrian island to provide safer access across multiple busy roads for youth accessing the School of the Future.
2 Improve 40th, 41st and 42nd Streets south of the park as key links for neighborhood residents to access West Fairmount Park.
3 The School of the Future and the Zoo parking lots no longer act as islands or barriers to the park, but as gateways to Sweetbriar Ravine and Creek. A right of way through the parking lot allows East Parkside residents to access Sweetbriar Ravine and the park.
4 Remnants of 19th century stairs and fountains in Warner Creek are restored and highlighted. The wetland created by the cut-off stream is widened and celebrated for its habitat value.
5 Access from Warner Creek to the Schuylkill River is restored via a highway and railway overpass that takes advantage of the topography to successfully bridge these two barriers.
6 Cedar Grove has a clear address on the Creek Walk, and offers park amenities and programming.
7 A signature pedestrian-only bridge now connects East and West Fairmount Park. Kelly Drive and MLK Drive trail users can now also connect to the upper trails of the park. The bridge allows easy pedestrian access between three of the park’s large attractions: Please Touch, the Zoo and Smith Playground all become within walking reach of each other. The new walking distance from Please Touch to Smith Playground is less than one mile.
8 The new bridge allows park patrons to access the newly enlivened water recreation amenities along MLK Drive: Belmont Intake wetlands, boathouse, pool and grandstands on Peter’s Island.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS LANSDOWNE CREEK IS ONE OF THE MIGHTIER CREEKS IN THE PARK, LONG ENOUGH TO FULLY CONNECT NEIGHBORS TO THE RIVER, PASSING MANY OF THE BEST MOMENTS IN WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK ALONG THE WAY.
2 Concourse Lake is a community landmark 1 Parkside-Evans Recreation Center at Parkside and Belmont Avenues. is a key community anchor at 52nd Street and Parkside Avenue.
3 The allée of cherry trees between the Mann Center and the Horticulture Center is cut off by Belmont Avenue. 4 Centennial Lake on a day of flooding along 5 Riverfront green space along Belmont Avenue. the Schuylkill at Black Road.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS 1 Access to George’s Hill Drive is turned into a gravel park road and bike path. 2 A new extension of the Cynwyd Trail would link Wynnefield, Overbrook, and Lower Merion to West Fairmount Park. 3 The old trolley route is converted to a bike and pedestrian trail connecting Parkside-Evans Recreation Center, the new Philly Pumptrack, West Parkside, Belmont Plateau, and the Recycling Center Woods.
4 The Abstinence Fountain is restored to become a park gateway that celebrates East and West Fairmount Park’s mission to protect and celebrate public water.
5 West Parkside’s stormwater is collected in rain gardens on the edge of Fairmount Park, helping frame the entrance to the park, and providing runoff relief. The edge is further augmented with neighborhood park amenities according to community input: bocce courts, volleyball courts, playgrounds, spraygrounds, barbecue areas, shade structures.
6 South Concourse Drive is turned into a gravel drive with limited access. Avenue of the Republic is made pedestrian friendly. 7 Centennial Lake is improved as a habitat reserve, and a portion of it is turned into a public swimming and fishing pond with supporting amenities.
8 Studies are undertaken to understand the consequences of re-routing Belmont Avenue, both on car traffic and on patrons’ experience of the park.
9 East Memorial Hall Drive is decommissioned and converted to park land. The grounds in front of the Please Touch Museum and Kelly Pool are activated to offer new reflective gardens, opportunities for outdoor play, and ways for adjacent neighbors to engage with the park.
10 Black Road gets a sidewalk on its north side, and a signalized pedestrian crossing at MLK Drive.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS 1 Improve Belmont Avenue, 50th Street, and 52nd Street south of the park as key links for neighborhood residents to access West Fairmount Park.
2 Add signalized crossings at Parkside Avenue’s intersections with 49th and 50th Streets to slow traffic down and allow for a safer pedestrian connection to West Fairmount Park.
3 Concourse Lake doubles as a stormwater overflow pond for the neighborhood’s stormwater runoff. It also offers habitat and passive programming and educational signage.
4 Shofuso is given more visibility as it now has an address both on the West Fairmount Park “rim trail,” and on Lansdowne Creek’s water course.
5 Lansdowne Creek is given room to breathe: a widened underpass under I-76 and the rails provides space for a pedestrian path and allows daylighting of Lansdowne Creek. Please Touch Museum offers outdoor opportunities to play and learn about natural systems.
6 The western bank of the Schuylkill is made active: as a pre-intake wetland for Belmont Intake, as the site for a community boathouse, as a public river swimming pool and with new grandstands on Peter’s Island.
7 The entire course of Lansdowne Creek, from its headwater meadow to its mouth, is restored and rendered continuous by the re-routing of a segment of Belmont Avenue.
8 The site of the old George’s Hill Reservoir becomes a hiking destination within a healthy forest. A viewing tower allows visitors to gain a full view of the park. Interpretive signage explains the history of the site as a piece of early water infrastructure.
9 The Ohio House gains an address on Lansdowne Creek’s restored course.
10 The Cherry Tree Allée is restored, connecting the Mann Center and Horticulture Hall across the new, continuous sweeping Landsdowne landscape .
11 The Horticulture Center is redesigned and upgraded to become one of the park’s signature crown jewels, with spectacular views to the river and to the city. It becomes connected to other park assets though the West side’s version of the Boxers’ Trail.
12 Lansdowne Creek and Montgomery Creek are both made visible as they flow into the Schuylkill River.
13 By the end of the wetland sequence, the Schuylkill River’s water is clean enough to allow public swimming.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS A BURGEONING ACTIVITY CENTER IN EAST FAIRMOUNT PARK HAS TWO CREEKS RUNNING THROUGH IT: HARRISON CREEK AND MOUNT PLEASANT CREEK.
1 The entrance into East Fairmount 2 Open lawn and SEPTA bus turnaround at Park at 33rd and Oxford Streets. 33rd Street and Cecil B Moore Avenue.
3 The future site of the Discovery Center at Strawberry Mansion 5 The southern terminus of the Boxers’ 4 Most of Reservoir Drive does Lake along Reservoir Drive. Trail at Fountain Green Drive does not have sidewalks or bike lanes. not have safe off-road access.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS 1 Runoff from 33rd Street and the adjoining neighborhood is channeled into the open space at the northwest corner of 33rd and Oxford, which doubles as an activate park edge with the potential for seating, sport courts, and play opportunities. Crosswalks and curbcuts allow safe and easy crossings on 33rd St.
2 The John Coltrane House is renovated and linked to East Fairmount Park’s trails. Jazz events can be hosted in East Fairmount Park’s new gathering spaces at either 33rd and Oxford or Cecil B. Moore.
3 The edge of the reservoir leading up to the Discovery Center is designed for active uses and offers opportunities for active outdoor learning and play.
4 33rd and Oxford Streets at Strawberry Green acts as a gateway to the park with maps, enhanced transit shelters, new facilities, and expanded recreational uses.
5 The new Discovery Center allows patrons to view the reservoir’s unique habitat, as well as provide educational opportunities and amenities. Trails along and between the reservoir allow patrons to access the reservoir throughout the park’s open hours.
6 Smith Playground receives a new gateway with sprayground and improved circulation. It also marks the headwaters of its two adjacent creeks: Harrison and Mount Pleasant Creek.
7 The intersection of Fountain Green Drive and Kelly Drive places pedestrians and cyclists first. It is a legible trailhead to the Boxers’ Trail, and is safe to cross.
8 A new 1.7-mile trail along the edge of the Reservoir provides a new exercise loop for Strawberry Mansion residents.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS 1 Improve Oxford Street and Cecil B Moore Avenue east of the park as key links for neighborhood residents to access East Fairmount Park. A bike lane is added to Cecil B Moore Avenue to provide safe access for bicyclists between the Delaware Riverfront and East Fairmount Park.
2 Speed bumps at the entrance notify car drivers that they are entering a park, and must drive slowly. Reservoir Drive is treated as a park road, with limited speeds, de-paving, and parallel parking on either side. The fountain is restored and welcomes patrons.
3 Parking lots are consolidated to create shared infrastructure for Strawberry Green, Sedgley Woods, Smith Playground, and the Discovery Center to maximize available park land and encourage users to explore the park on foot.
4 New trails through the interior of the Reservoir allow patrons to engage with the reservoir’s unique habitat, as well as be separated from cars.
5 The extended Boxers’ Trail allows hikers to experience Harrison Creek and Mount Pleasant Creek’s ravine. It loops around Smith Playground, Sedgley Woods Disc Golf, the Discovery Center and the Cliffs meadow.
6 A trail alongside the rail right of way allows the existing Boxers’ Trail to connect to Lemon Hill.
7 The wetland currently created by Harrison Creek’s culvert is designed as a habitat with native riparian and wetland plants. The fountain marking it on Kelly Drive is restored and celebrated. A path along the creek allows park patrons to follow the creek, passing through Sedgley Woods Disc Golf.
8 The Kelly Drive trail splits into two paths when possible: one “fast” lane for bikers and roller bladers, and one “slow” lane for pedestrians.
9 Mount Pleasant Mansion serves an active role for Fairmount Park, providing amenities, information, opportunities to engage with the park and learn its history.
10 A new signature pedestrian bridge near the base of Fountain Drive connects the attractions of East and West Fairmount Park including Horticultural Hall, Please Touch Museum and the Zoo on the west side and Smith Playground and the Discovery Center on the east side.
CONTEXT SHORT-TERM VISION LONG-TERM VISION
STRAWBERRY MANSION GATEWAY BREWERYTOWN GATEWAY EAST PARKSIDE GATEWAY WEST PARKSIDE GATEWAY 33RD STREET GATEWAY
HOME WHY FAIRMOUNT PARK THE BIG VISION FIRST STEPS FOCUS AREAS