LOWER NORTH PHILADELPHIA

Community Input from Phase 1

Several hundred people participated in GreenPlan Philadelphia community meetings, responded to survey questions, and provided comments and suggestions on this website's blog. All of this public input has been cataloged and organized as an important step in the planning process, and is summarized below for this planning area and on a citywide basis for comparison.

The information presented here does NOT constitute recommendations of GreenPlan Philadelphia, but instead simply reports back what participants identified as important open-space issues, concerns, and/or locations they believe the plan should consider. Some of these suggestions will become plan recommendations, others—for reasons ranging from being too specific to financially infeasible—will not. For an in-depth look at what participants had to say, please download the full summary report for this planning area.

Next steps: This public input—along with various technical analyses (including demographic, public-health, and environmental factors) and research on best practices in other cities—is being "synthesized" into draft GreenPlan Philadelphia recommendations to be published in the fall. Check the website during the summer for updates and information on how you can review the recommendations when they are ready.

Top Issues of Interest

Lower North Philadelphia vs. Citywide
  • Improve transit system and infrastructure
  • Improve maintenance of vacant properties
  • Change planning policies on reuse of vacant properties
  • Provide new open space
  • Invest in Streetscapes
  • Use vacant properties for new open space
  • Provide new community open space
  • Provide new open space for ecological purposes
  • Provide open-space programs for youth
  • Encourage community stewardship
  • Plant more trees
  • Provide new open space
  • Provide new community open space
  • Improve maintenance of park, recreation and other facilities
  • Change planning policies on new development
  • Improve neighborhood communication and coordination
  • Improve maintenance of vacant properties
  • Improve lighting
  • Improve appearance of transit stops and corridors
  • Improve access to parks by transit
  • Improve sanitation services

Most Frequently Cited Locations of Interest



Reading Viaduct
Delaware River
Hancock Recreation Center
Francisville Recreation Center
Vine Street/Expressway
Benson Park
I-95
Martin Luther King Drive
Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center
Schuylkill River / Park
East Poplar Playground
Hank Gathers Youth Activity Center
Penn Treaty Park
Penrose Park (outside of map)
Cruz Recreation Center
Thomas Hart Park
Mander Playground




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