Green2015 Advisory Group Conveners and Participating Organizations Michael DiBerardinis, Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner, co-convener Alan Greenberger, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, co-convener Amtrak Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future Delaware River Waterfront Corporation Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Fairmount Park Conservancy Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust Friends of the Wissahickon Greenspace Alliance Natural Land Trust Neighborhood Gardens Association Next Great City Coalition Office of City Councilman Darrell Clarke Office of Councilwoman Anna Verna Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Pennsylvania Environmental Council Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations Philadelphia City Planning Commission Philadelphia Department of Commerce Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections Philadelphia Department of Public Health Philadelphia Department of Public Property Philadelphia Department of Revenue Philadelphia Housing Authority Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation Philadelphia Office of Housing and Community Development Philadelphia Office of Sustainability Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Utilities Philadelphia Orchard Project Philadelphia Parks Alliance Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commission Philadelphia Water Department Redevelopment Authority of Philadelphia School District of Philadelphia Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority United States Forest Service William Penn Foundation Green2015 An Action Plan for the First 500 Acres by PennPraxis for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation supported by the William Penn and Lenfest Foundations GREEN2015 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 CHAPTER 1 74 CHAPTER 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ThE FIRST 500 • We’re Well on Our Way 18 CHAPTER 2 • Recreation Centers and PHILADELPHIA LOVES ITS PARKS Underused PPR Sites • The Benefits of Parks • Public Underused Land • What’s Your Park? • Schoolyards • The Time Is Right • Private Underused Land • Implementation Costs 28 CHAPTER 3 ThE GOALS OF GREEN 2015 102 CHAPTER 7 • Greenworks Philadelphia Mandate: WHAT WE CAN DO TODAY 500 Acres • Immediately Achievable Steps for • What Does 500 Acres Look Like? Philadelphia Parks and Recreation • Green2015 Process • Citizens: What You Can Do Today • Citizen Principles • Parks on the Near Horizon 36 CHAPTER 4 110 CHAPTER 8 PRIORITIES FOR NEW PARKS BEYOND 2015 • Fair and Equal Access to Parks • Connecting to PHILADELPHIA2035 within Walking Distance • A Vision for the Future of • Stormwater Management in Philadelphia’s Green Network Our Neighborhoods • Looking Ahead • Environmental Benefits of Regional Significance 126 APPENDICES • Transportation and Land Use • A. Acknowledgements • Healthy Living • B. Interview List • Partners on the Ground • C. Additional Implementation • Site-Selection Criteria Matrix Research • D. Endnotes 54 CHAPTER 5 • E. Image Credits OppORTUNITY SITES • Recreation Centers and Underused PPR Sites • Public Underused Land • Schoolyards • Private Underused Land 2 LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR PennPraxis is pleased to submit institutional partners has proved Philadelphia’s long tradition of an Green2015: An Action Plan for the the power of collective action. And interconnected system of parks First 500 Acres to the Philadelphia we’ve learned that we can create and green public spaces dates to Department of Parks and Recreation an equitably distributed network of its founding. Green2015 aspires to and the Philadelphia City Planning park spaces using funding sources build upon this legacy—creating Commission. that already exist to support other new types of parks that will help related policy objectives. us meet the challenges of our Over the past year, we have had the generation while connecting privilege of working in partnership This study was generously funded Philadelphians and their parks with with these city agencies, along by the William Penn Foundation the world beyond. with many other colleagues, to and the Lenfest Foundation. The help establish criteria to guide the Penn Project for Civic Engagement city in adding 500 acres of greened and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Harris Steinberg, FAIA public space by 2015. This goal was Society skillfully crafted a civic- Executive Director, PennPraxis put forth in the “Equity” section of engagement program for Green2015 Greenworks Philadelphia, the City that allowed Philadelphia citizens December 2010 of Philadelphia’s sustainability plan. to inform the plan. The Philadelphia One of its major aims is to provide Water Department was a valued park space to residents who don’t partner, lending both technical have a park within a half-mile walk expertise and professional insight of their homes. The target number into how to create green infrastruc- of 500 acres of greened public space ture. And a host of advisory group is considered the minimum amount members, experts, policy makers, that will advance the city’s objective advocates, and citizens contributed of becoming more fair, livable, and their knowledge, skills, and plans competitive. toward the effort. We are grateful for everyone’s contributions. Already, we are well underway in our efforts to achieve this Greenworks The benefits of green public space goal. are abundantly clear. Be it for social, economic, ecological, or Since the start of the Nutter public-health reasons, creating ac- Administration in 2008, many cessible, green public space adds people across the city have real value to the lives and welfare been creating parks. In fact, as of our citizens, our city, and our Green2015 demonstrates, a range region. Taken together, the impact of public, private, nonprofit, and of these benefits is exponential. GREEN2015 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Chapter 1 GREEN2015 5 CREATING PARKS FROM VaCANT AND UNDERUSED LAND The goal of Green2015 is to unite city government and neighborhood res- idents to transform 500 acres of empty or underused land in Philadelphia into parks for neighbors to enjoy by 2015. As we all know, vacant lots hurt our communities. Transforming these empty spaces into parks and green places creates important new oppor- tunities for kids to play and neighbors to gather. Most of the land that can be greened is already publicly owned and there- fore requires no money to acquire. The planning, implementation, and maintenance of these parks will be a collaborative effort among many part- ners, including neighbors, businesses, nonprofit organizations, developers, and the city. In the past, greening has been a suc- cessful strategy for addressing every- thing from blight removal to water quality in Philadelphia. Green2015 shows how parks can again be used to improve our city and neighborhoods. 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY What’s Your Park? What park do you visit regularly when you want to walk your dog, play with your child, or sit on a bench and watch the world go by? Chances are that your park plays many roles to help your neighborhood. In addition to their many recreational uses, parks help manage stormwater runoff, provide healthy habitats for local plant and animal species, remove greenhouse gases, and offer land to plant fresh food. But in Philadelphia today, over 200,000 residents can’t answer the question “What’s your park?” because they have no parks in their neighborhoods. Green2015 is necessary to ensure that every resident has fair and equal access to a park. Green2015 will only succeed, however, if it creates parks that are clean, safe, and ready to use. The new Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation (PPR) has made “clean, safe, and ready to use” a priority and is committed to achieving these standards for existing and new park spaces. PPR is studying ways to manage costs, involve com- munity members, and ensure long-term maintenance. Solutions will include new ways to generate maintenance revenue and new park designs that are easier to maintain. PPR will be working with community members every step of the way as new opportunities for city parks are identified. PRIORITIES FOR NEW PARKS Greenworks Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter’s sustainability IMPROVING HEALTH Green space improves our overall plan, prioritizes new parks for neighborhoods that have little or no health, reduces health-care costs, access to parks or green space. There are currently more than improves air quality, and saves lives. The new green stormwater infrastruc- 200,000 Philadelphians, about 1 in 8 residents, who do not live ture created through Green City, Clean Waters, to which Green2015’s acreage New parks on within a 10-minute walk of a public green space. will contribute, will improve air quality formerly vacant land will transform neighborhoods, create jobs, help sufficiently to reduce the number of premature deaths in the city by reduce crime, and provide access to fresh food. Access to parks is an average of one to two annually, essential to the health of every community across the city. prevent about 20 asthma attacks per year, and reduce work loss or school absences by up to 250 days per year.3 CREATING ACCESS businesses, residents, and tourists. About 202,000 Philadelphians do not As a result of the Philadelphia Water PROTECTING AND live within walking distance of a park, Department’s Green City, Clean Waters RESTORING NATURE which represents about 12 percent program, which will utilize green Green space saves money by catching of the city’s total population. This is infrastructure