Lower North Philadelphia

Neighborhood Open Space Planning Profile for Lower North Philadelphia

1) Open space concerns, issues or challenges

• Management & stewardship of existing open space
• A lack of community space
• Safety of equipment
• Security and crime
• Questions about the transparency of the eminant domain process

2) Community open space interests and desires

• Safe places for children & senior citizens
• 'Family spaces'
• Dog parks
• Community open spaces that accomodate both active & passive functions
• More community gardens for ownership/longevity
• Horse stables/riding trails
• Database for brownfield information
• School gardens

3) Compliance or regulatory issues

• Brownfield development
• Combined sewer overflow (CSO) into surrounding bodies of water
• Clean Water Act regulations regarding pollutant discharge into waterways
• 100-year floodplain requirements for regulating land & property damage, as well as safety
• PA stormwater management & sediment erosion control
• Philadelphia Zoning Code, landscape buffer requirements: need for improved enforcement

4) Demographic trends or changes

• Increased market-rate housing development has attracted young professionals & empty nesters who
  have settled among long-time North Philadelphia residents.
• New merchants tend to cater to the preferences of new residents

5) Market demands or pressures

• The growth of Temple University's student population has stimulated private investment in student-
  oriented residential development near the University.
• In neighborhoods close to Center City, private investors are building high-density, market-rate
  residences. However, in areas where public funds are used for residential development, low-density
  housing is more common.

6) Specific environmental issues

• Brownfields- former industrial sites

7) Major developments and/or open space opportunities

• Vacant lots where dangerous buildings were demolished by the City
• Few existing development projects include significant open space or green space.
• Open space in the form of 'hardscape' in the "Piazza" project near 2nd Street & Germantown Avenue.

8) Other important information that should be noted?

• In this planning section, neighborhoods with significant amounts of vacant land for redevelopment often have residents who oppose additional community space in the belief that there are too many that already exist (e.g. community gardens). They may also cite a lack of open space management in the past, or fear of crime as reasons for not wanting more open space. Conversely, residents of new or revitalized communities want green space, but find that the cost of vacant land is too high for community-based non-profit organizations who purchase the land as open space.
• There are some open spaces that appear to be underutilized by residents who live in the area including East Park near Strawberry Mansion and Norris Square in Kensington. An effort to schedule events or additional activities in the parks might help increase usage.