Concept for Neighborhood Transformation Initiative

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Vacant Land Management and Community
Revitalization through Greening
The City of Philadelphia
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Philadelphia
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Strategic East Coast Location
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History, Arts Culture
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Thriving Business Districts
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Diverse Housing
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Rivers and Green Spaces
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The City of Neighborhoods
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Philadelphias Challenges
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Philadelphias Challenges
Vacant Residential Structures in 2001
10.6 vacancy rate
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Housing Markets, 2001 Source The Reinvestment
Fund
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Housing Markets, 2003 Source The Reinvestment
Fund
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Mayor Streets Vision
All neighborhoods should be great places to live,
work, learn, shop, and play
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Guiding Principles

• Market Oriented
• Standards Accountability
• System change

• Citywide
• Long-term vision
• Data Driven
• Cost Efficient
• Partnerships

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306.6m Investment in Neighborhoods
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Accomplishments
NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE SUMMARY OF ACHIEVEMENTS 2000-2007 NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE SUMMARY OF ACHIEVEMENTS 2000-2007 NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE SUMMARY OF ACHIEVEMENTS 2000-2007
Activity Five-Year Goal To Date
BLIGHT REMOVAL BLIGHT REMOVAL BLIGHT REMOVAL
Vacant Lot Cleaning Clean 31,000 vacant lots. Keep lots free of debris. 85,467 vacant lot clean-ups
Demolition 8,000-10,000 demolitions 7,713 demolitions
Abandoned Car Removal 33,000 cars in 40 days. Keep abandoned cars off streets. 275,000 cars removed
Hazardous Tree Removal Remove 8,500 dead and dangerous street trees 15,000 trees removed
Tree Pruning Prune 14,000 trees in FY03 and FY04 41,000 trees pruned
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Accomplishments
NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE SUMMARY OF ACHIEVEMENTS 2000-2007 NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE SUMMARY OF ACHIEVEMENTS 2000-2007 NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE SUMMARY OF ACHIEVEMENTS 2000-2007
Activity Five-Year Goal To Date
HOUSING INVESTMENT HOUSING INVESTMENT HOUSING INVESTMENT
Market Rate Housing Development (40 Units) 6,000 new units 13,000 units
Affordable Housing Development 3,500 new units 8,931 units completed
Housing Preservation (Repair Grants, Loans and Settlement Assistance) 4,500 units 31,315 units assisted
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PHILADELPHIA GREEN
Creating, restoring, and caring for open spaces.
Building Community through Horticulture since 1974
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The Philadelphia Green Process

• Engaging Community
• Building Partnerships
• Educating
• Leveraging Resources

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Green City Strategy Quality open space promotes
urban revitalization
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Vacant Land Management Research 1995
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• Cost Benefit Analysis
• 30,900 vacant lots
• 1.8 million spent annually with little impact
• A 20 year investment cost of 106.7 million could
  yield 158.7 million tax revenue benefit

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Vacant Land Management
All vacant lots clustered together represent
an area the size of Center City Philadelphia.
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VACANT LAND
Turning a Liability into an Asset
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Why manage vacant land?

• Improve Curb Appeal
• Retain existing residents
• Attract new residents
• Attract community investment

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New KensingtonTesting a Neighborhood Model
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New Kensington 2000 Comprehensive Plan
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The Situation in New Kensington 1996

• Over 50 population decline in 40 years
• 1,100 vacant lots
• More than 70 of vacant property - privately
  owned and tax-delinquent
• Despair and anger in neighborhood

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New Kensington Project Goal

• Create a community-based vacant land management
  system to address local problem and test a model
  for other neighborhoods

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Community Gardens
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Sideyards
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Community Garden Center
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Urban agriculture Greensgrow
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New Kensington 2000
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• New Kensington Results
• Out of 1100 vacant parcels.
• 370 parcel cleaned and greened
• 108 parcels converted to sideyards
• 62 parcels as community gardens
• Community Garden Center
• Greensgrow Hydroponic Farm

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• 50 of vacant lots maintained by
• New Kensington CDC and community residents

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Demonstrated dramatic effects of vacant land
management on the neighborhood
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The American Street Empowerment Zone Adapting
the Model
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American Street Empowerment Zone

• Clean and Green vacant lots along corridors and
  business areas
• Partners city agencies, Philadelphia Green and
  community-based organizations
• Funded by the Philadelphia Empowerment Zone and
  State of Pennslyvania

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Ready Willing Able
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American Street Empowerment Zone Results

• 423 Parcels /13 acres
• Maintained by landscape contractor and Ready,
  Willing Able
• Support from Empowerment Zone and local businesses

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• The Neighborhood Transformation Initiative (NTI)
• Going to Scale

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Mayor John F. Streets Neighborhood
Transformation Initiative
A five year plan to rebuild Philadelphias
neighborhoods as thriving communities with clean
and secure streets, recreational and cultural
outlets, and quality housing.
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NTI Investment 16 Million 2003-2007
Additional funding from Department of the
Interior/US Forest Service Housing and Urban
Development
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Six Target Areas

• South Philadelphia
• West Philadelphia
• Eastern North Philadelphia
• North Central Philadelphia
• Mt. Airy/Germantown/ Tioga
• Frankford

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NTI Vacant Land Stabilization
Criteria for Site Selection

• Major thoroughfares
• Pedestrian routes
• Size of lots

• Prominent locations
• Community interest
• Adjacent to development

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Reclaiming Vacant Land

• Community Land Care organizations include
• Centro Pedro Claver, Inc.
• East Park Revitalization Alliance
• New Kensington CDC
• Ready, Willing Able
• SELF, Inc.
• Susquehanna Clean Up/Pick Up
• Tioga United, Inc.
• Nicetown CDC
• Village of Arts and Humanities
• Mantua Community Improvement Committee
• Men of Mill Creek
• Friends of East Park
• Francisville NDC
• HACE
• Impact Services Corporation

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• NTI Results
• Vacant Land Management
• 7000 lots clean and green
• 3000 cleaned lots maintained
• 100 residents hired through Community Land Care

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• Opportunities
• Planning for open space
• Stormwater Management

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Philadelphia LandVisions - An International
Design Competition
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Planning for Quality Open Space
Green Plan Philadelphia
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GreenPlan Philadelphia
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• Challenges
• Long term maintenance
• Dedicated funding stream
• Attracting private investment

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Impacting the Urban Environment
The Impact of Greening

• Physical
• Social
• Environmental
• Economic

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Impacting the Urban Environment
Public Investment Strategies How They Matter
for Neighborhoods in Philadelphia Identification
and Analysis
Effects of Greening on Home Values in Philadelphia Effects of Greening on Home Values in Philadelphia
Variable Value
Adjacent to blighted Vacant Lot -20
Adjacent to Clean Green Lot 17
lt 50 feet of New Tree 9
Conducted by Professor Susan Wachter, Wharton
School, University of Pennsylvania Funded by The
William Penn Foundation
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For more information visit our website

• www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org