In the nineties, community groups are challenged to take on more and more responsibilities.
Community Empowerment refers to initiative, leadership and accomplishment by and for the citizenry.
Schuylkill West Bank is a district where the growth of Center City and the universities will bring about a transformation that will be recognized by citizens throughout the region.
The district that is centered at 46th & Market Streets will be an area of mixed-use development. Unlike the older areas that surround it, this zone will be able to accommodate the automobile. New housing, offices, schools and retail stores will have plentiful off-street parking.
Along City Avenue, the beautiful, landscaped residential zone will continue to lend prestige to the corridor. The busy and successful commercial zones are the subject of recommendations pertaining to transportation and design.
If West Philadelphia has an "image problem," the deteriorated condition of the major highway corridors is surely a factor.
The condition of West Philadelphia's physical environment has declined over time in some sections of the district. In other sections, the appearance of the physical environment fails to reflect the importance of the location or the activities that are taking place there. In this part of The Plan for West Philadelphia, deficiencies and potentials in the district's physical environment are explored, and strategies for improvement are presented.
Creating a more attractive urban environment is a goal in The Plan for West Philadelphia because the quality of the physical environment has a direct impact on the livability and the economic health of the district. Here in Part Four of the Plan, the most promising opportunities for improving the quality of West Philadelphia's physical surroundings are addressed. These opportunities fall into five categories: (1) communities, (2) districts, (3) corridors, (4) nodes and landmarks, and (5) gateways and image-making locations.
Communities can project a positive appearance in many ways. Certain types of physical improvements are inexpensive and relatively easy for communities to implement on their own, and these actions can create a dramatic change for the better. Active and organized civic groups and block clubs are often the reason why particular areas are attractive and desirable places to live.
Community empowerment, and the pride and diligence of each property owner, are keys to enhancing the physical environment of West Philadelphia. In The Plan for West Philadelphia, community empowerment is seen as a big part of the solution to the problems of neighborhood decline and decay.
West Philadelphia contains four large districts that occupy strategic locations, and that are susceptible to considerable growth and change in the future. For the most part, the districts are not neighborhoods, but the interface with adjacent neighborhoods is an important issue. The four districts are "Schuylkill West Bank," the 46th & Market area, West Parkside Enterprise Zone, and the City Avenue corridor.
The discussion of corridors is called "Corridors in Decline" because of a trend that characterizes the physical environment of many sections of West Philadelphia: conditions along major streets and major roadways are often noticeably worse than the conditions along other streets. From West Parkside to Cobbs Creek and from Walnut Hill to Overbrook, the smaller residential streets are generally in good condition, while the major arterials that residents must travel to arrive at their homes are in poor condition.
Deterioration along major roadways such as Market Street, 52nd Street, Lansdowne Avenue and Lancaster Avenue dampens the morale of many residents who keep their own homes in excellent repair; and it creates a negative image among people who are travelling through the area. The Plan for West Philadelphia proposes strategies to renew the physical environment along these highway corridors because a large proportion of West Philadelphia's population is affected by "Corridors in Decline."
These types of physical features are intrinsic, and in many cases unique, elements of West Philadelphia's physical fabric.
A "node" is a site that functions as a focal point for community life. From among the dozens of nodes in West Philadelphia, five nodes have been identified which are major parks and squares in the neighborhoods of West Philadelphia. These parks and squares combine with adjoining streets, sidewalks, homes, shops and institutions to create special places in their respective neighborhoods.
"Landmarks" are physical structures that, by their significance, identify a particular precinct of West Philadelphia or lend identity to West Philadelphia as a whole. They exist in every section of West Philadelphia. They include churches, synagogues, schools, rail stations, museums and historical sites. Most have architectural and historical significance; and because West Philadelphia is so rich in historical and architectural features, there are many in the district. In the discussion of landmarks, seven West Philadelphia landmarks are given special mention.
In Philadelphia, the business community and local government recognized long ago that the experience of arriving in Philadelphia has a major impact on the way the City is perceived. In keeping with the saying that "the first impression is a lasting impression," projects affecting Philadelphia International Airport, 30th Street Station, the Market East rail station, Interstate 95, the Schuylkill Expressway and the Vine Street Expressway have succeeded in dramatically improving Philadelphia's "gateways."
West Philadelphia's gateways must also function effectively. West Philadelphia has attractive and noteworthy gateway locations such as the Philadelphia Zoo and Thirtieth Street Station. However, many gateways to West Philadelphia create a negative image from the outset. An example is Baltimore Avenue at its bridge over Cobbs Creek. Here the inbound traveller sees a used tire vendor, a broken and grafitti-strewn "Welcome to Philadelphia" sign and parkland that is strewn with litter.
Improving the arrival experience along Baltimore Avenue and other key points of entry involves inexpensive and maintenance-oriented measures that may seem insignificant in the context of a 14-square mile district of the city, but this type of initiative will make a big difference in the way West Philadelphia is perceived by visitors and residents alike. Several important gateways and image-making locations are recommended for improvement in this Plan.
The Foundation for Architecture, as part of its "Direction Philadelphia" signage system that was recently implemented in Central Philadelphia, has installed a new welcome sign at the intersection of Marshall Road, Cobbs Creek Parkway and Spruce Street -- a gateway to West Philadelphia from Delaware County. This attractive sign, accompanied by new landscaping provided by the Philadelphia Green organization, is a prototype for signs that could grace many more gateways to Philadelphia. The Foundation for Architecture is seeking funding to install more of the signs, and the Marshall Road prototype demonstrates the effectiveness of the idea.
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