Logan square Neighborhood plan by Dhruvi Kothari

GAN SQU ARE

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

PENNDESIGN CITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING PLANNING WORKSHOP 2018

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN WORKSHOP 2018 Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Tasked with improving a neighborhood full of assets and attractions, the following report attempts to lay out a future for Logan Square that develops the good and curbs the bad. With a menu of interventions, this neighborhood plan stitches together the urban fabric of a historic district and allows its multiple users to enjoy its amenities concurrently. Logan Square is a vibrant economic and cultural center that boasts a variety of amenities, important not only regionally, but nationally. Its draws are diverse, including one of the largest collections of Impressionist paintings and one of the largest providers of internet and television, in the nation. As the spine—and the lungs, with its trees and greenery—of the neighborhood, along with greater Philadelphia, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway is an important traffic corridor and one of Philadelphia’s essential event spaces. The plurality of uses and users creates tensions in the neighborhood. The following analysis first attempts to understand these tensions, and then negotiate them through a series of proposals. Each one has a user in mind, but all aim to make Logan Square a more appealing area, be it for living, working, or playing. Through a combination of research and site-visits,

this analysis aims to understand the set of interests in Logan Square and create a comprehensive development plan in reaction to our findings. Logan Square is strategically located, but it is conflicted by overlapping uses that stem from fragmentation of the neighborhood. The multiplicity of building forms that exist within Logan Square and the economic momentum arising from its location within Center City creates a distinct character but these are implicated in both strengths and weaknesses. This presents a unique opportunity to rethink the role of the public realm in planning. Carefully dissecting the economic, cultural, and residential character of Logan Square, we propose five goals that include a range of interventions that prioritize certain users in specific areas of Logan Square in order to better serve residents, tourists, and commuters alike. Driving this is a need to calibrate the Logan Square that serves all of Philadelphia, providing jobs and attractions, and the one that serves its residents.

region, and drawing out potential from underutilized spaces. Interventions within neighborhood pockets look to foster community activity. Those for the region recognize that Logan Square must continue to bring in outsiders, but seek to make life easier for those visitors and residents alike. Proposals to reactivate vacant or abandoned spaces aim to give assets to all users by creating something from nothing. Sensible improvements to the public realm can allow Logan Square to accommodate more people while becoming more pleasant. In summary, this plan seeks to make Logan Square better for residents, tourists, and commuters by achieving balance among each user’s needs. There is latent energy Logan Square, so gains to one group need not come at the expense of another.

The proposals throughout this report fall into three main categories: serving the community, serving the

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

CONTENTS

Source: Author

Introduction

History

Site Analysis

SDOC, VISION & Goals

Alternative & Conceptual Plans

Interventions & Projects

Phasing & Budgeting

Conclusion

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

INTRODUCTION photograph by Shepard Ritzen, flickr

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

Philadelphia

Regional Context

Center City District FAIRMOUNT

OLD CITY RITTEN HOUSE

Logan Square

Logan Square is located in the center of Philadelphia, towards the northwest, on the banks of Schuylkill River. With Fairmont to its north, Old City to the west, and Rittenhouse to south, Logan Square is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city. Moreover, it is regionally connected, with access ramps to two highways in I-76 and I-676, along with a regional commuter-rail line. The neighborhood is home to Suburban Station within the district and 30th Street Station nearby, the area draws both commuters and supercommuters. The Market Frankford Line and Broad Street Line, Philadelphia’s twin subways, are adjacent to the southern and eastern edges of the neighborhood, making for easy travel into and out of the area. Logan Square is home to a constellation of institutions that serve Greater Philadelphia, like the central branch of the Free Library and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Neighborhood Context Logan Square benefits from important corridors at its edges, with Broad Street, Market Street, along with Spring Garden Street, and even the Schuylkill banks serving key paths. The most important feature of the neighborhood, though, is the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, an iconic boulevard and one of the largest open spaces in Philadelphia. This combination of park and boulevard—in which grass divides pavement in intervals—cuts diagonally across the district. The Parkway serves a dual purpose: drawing large numbers to its events and acting as a major link to the highways and other major streets in the neighborhood as seen in the map. To the south of the

Parkway, the historic row homes are situated between the commercial business district and the institutions along the Parkway. These residential streets meeting commercial ones, in JFK and Arch, to the south. Similar to Parkway the Vine Street Expressway (I-676) cuts across the neighborhood, creating fragmented pockets with distinct characteristics.

SPRING GARDENT NEIGHBORHOOD

MUSEUM OF ART

SPRING GARDEN STREET

MAP 1 Basemap

EAKIN OVAL HAMILTON STREET

Rodin Museum FR

Green Spaces

Barnes Foundation

CALLOWHILL STREET

Parcels

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CALLOWHILL NEIGHBORHOOD

Free library

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Franklin Inst

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Academy of Natural Sciences

Buildings

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INTRODUCTION Logan Square is unique among Philadelphia neighborhoods in that it is not one neighborhood, but many. The area, roughly stretching from Market Street to the South and Spring Garden Street to the North, between the Schuylkill River and Broad Street, touches the economic core of the city, the museum district, and comprises two distinct residential neighborhoods, bifurcated by the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It is central, bounded by the two streets that divided William Penn’s plan for the city into quadrants, in Market and Broad streets, and contains one—and indeed is named after—one of the original five parks that Penn designed into the cityscape. The constellation of institutions situated along and around the parkway is vast. In in the arts, they include the Barnes Foundation, the Rodin Museum, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art; in the sciences, there is the Franklin Institute and the Academy of Natural Sciences.

11,655 people (Residents) Data source: 2012-2016 ACS 70,000 people (Day time) 150,000 people (Events)

Data source: Dv

Yet despite its status as one of Philadelphia’s prominent neighborhoods, the area is not without difficulties. On weekdays, with a daytime population that quintuples from its nighttime one, commuters strain the stations and stops that line the business district. On weekends, tourists move from one museum to another not by foot, but by automobile, perhaps cutting across the neighborhood for a meal in Rittenhouse Square or en route to Washington Square and some of the city’s historic locales. Annual events that can double the population from those elevated levels—like music festivals or, recently, the Philadelphia Eagles championship parade—refocus the services of the neighborhood toward the Parkway or the Art Museum’s steps. All the while, ten thousand permanent residents go to work, eat at the restaurants in the area, and walk their dogs. They wake up in Logan Square whether or not thousands of commuters are traveling toward Suburban Station—whether or not hundreds of thousands of onlookers are traveling toward the Parkway. Thus Logan Square is pulled from user to user, with one displacing the other frequently: the parade celebrating the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory was held on a weekday, complicating commutes as SEPTA adjusted its schedule, and employees come and go from office towers attached to Suburban Station regardless of whether or not locals need to using the same station to set off on vacation. There is a symbiotic connection between these groups: many restaurants exist, first and foremost, for business lunches and happy hours, but host residents on the weekends. The museums are tourist destinations, but the Franklin Institute, the Barnes, and the Art Museum among the 25 largest

meeting spaces in the city, rented out to businesses for conventions and or charities for functions. Each group also brings troubles that frustrate the other residents: crime spikes during festivals and parades, to the chagrin of residents, and tourists who amble through Suburban Station while businesspeople hurry around them. As a neighborhood whose identity is marked by contradiction and, sometimes, confusion, Logan Square represents a planning challenge. Proposals for the neighborhood must espouse the needs of all of these three users—the tourist, the commuter, and the resident. In this document, we attempt to distill their needs and balance them, proposing interventions that improve the lives of one group or many without hindering the existence of the others.

SPRING GARDEN STREET

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PA RK RE PA WA SIDE RK NT RE COLLEGE Y I A S WA ID L RE EN M COLLEGE SID PA COMMUNITY Y UTSIAL MAP 2 R EN KW RESID RESIDMU EUConflicting M TIA COLLEGE PA EN S E AY N E R Needs S RE TI COLLEGE WA L SIDAL TIAL UKM Y MU ENT S MU I A SE SE L UM RE U COMMERCIAL SID S M EN S TIA COMMERCIAL

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HISTORY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD photograph by Bill Cannon, fineartAmerica

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

HISTORY OF NEIGHBORHOOD As one of the four quadrants that William Penn put forth in his famed plan, Logan Square and its history are entwined with the historic arc of Philadelphia as a whole. In 1682, when William Penn laid the foundation of Philadelphia’s grid, the eponymous Square was chalked out as garden space situated within the northwest quadrant of the city. During the 1700s, this part of town remained largely untouched since settlers clustered predominantly around the Delaware River, which served as the engine of trade. For decades, Logan Square was pasture land for cattle and later a graveyard.

Industrialization brought development to Philadelphia, and by the 1830s it had become the “workshop of the world” with people arriving in droves from rural areas. This period of rapid growth was coupled with demand for housing. In 1850, the city expanded its street networks in the north to further develop warehouses and Italianate-style row houses. By 1854 the neighborhood had its own identity and boundary. The large number of Roman Catholic immigrants also led to the construction of several cathedrals, many of which still exist. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Philadelphia’s colonial nature faded and the city transformed into an industrial giant. The Pennsylvania Railroad and Broad Street Station played a major role in shaping the physical character of the Logan Square neighborhood as it became a regional transportation hub.

neighborhood experiences major changes

photograph from Encyclopedia of great philadelphia

URBANIZATION PERIOD

ESTABLISHMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD

Past

1682

William Penn laid Grid Layout

1834

1825

NORTH WEST SQUARE renamed to LOGAN SQUARE

Completion of Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad

However, transportation infrastructure began to divide the neighborhood. The establishment of the “Chinese Wall”, a massive, blockwide stone viaduct linking the station with a new bridge across the Schuylkill, imposed a physical and psychological barrier between Logan Square and adjacent neighborhoods to the south.

1881

BROAD STREET STATION opens Major Transportation investments & DIVDING CHINESE WALL

1850-1854

Furthers the extent of Grid Layout & NORTHERN INCLUSION new neighborhood BOUNDARY

photograph from PlanPhilly archives

In the 1900s, the advent of automobiles, in conjunction with rising poverty, precipitated the City Beautiful Movement. The most iconic project of this era was the construction of the Parkway—a tree lined boulevard for “Ford cars” leading to City Hall. Later, when the Parkway was renamed the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, its cultural importance burgeoned photograph by Bill Cannon, fineartAmerica with the construction of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, making it a regional and national destination. However, the construction of the Parkway led to the massive demolition of working class residential buildings from Fairmount Park to Logan Square. Population trickled out, and with the construction

URBAN RENEWAL CITY BEAUTIFUL MOVEMENT

1907

PARKWAY CONSTRUCTION

1901

of the Chinese Wall along North Broad Street, the neighborhood was left to languish for decades as a blighted enclave. By contrast, the Parkway quickly became a busy and vibrant gateway. It was intended to be lined with grand buildings organized in three groupings: commercial buildings, educational

“ In 1907 construction of iconic Benjamin Franklin Parkway began, giving the neighoborhood a new cultural identity “ institutions, and cultural institutions. A number of landmarks were built along the Parkway and still exist today.

Completion of City Hall

Neighborhood experiences height restriction

GROWTH of TRANSIT

1928

BROAD STREET METRO LINE construction

1934

Est. Franklin Institute Parkway renamed as BEN-FRANKLIN

1922

Completion of MARKET-FRANKLIN LINE

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

HISTORY OF NEIGHBORHOOD In 1930, Suburban Station replaced Broad Street Station, integrating the regional lines with the subway lines and putting Logan Square onto the regional map. Transportation investment continued in the second half of the twentieth century as well, but it happened alongside urban planning. In 1934, the city for the first time approved zoning regulations, which was followed by a detailed comprehensive development plan. This legal document, along with several other neighborhoods also included Logan Square. The construction of Penn Center and the widening of Filbert street changed the neighborhood significantly. In 1959, the neighborhood witnessed the completion of the Vine Street Expressway, which further fragmented the neighborhood.

Yet with improved accessibility the neighborhood experienced a massive development boom in early 1960s. These new developments were mostly dense apartment blocks, including Parkway House and the Park Towne Place apartments. The neighborhood also became home to large institutions: the community college of Philadelphia laid its foundation in this decade. To address the needs of residents in the face of commercial development, in 1962, denizens formed Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA). In 1987, the construction of Liberty Place broke the ‘silent’ gentleman’s agreement limiting new buildings to the height of city hall, and high-rise development

Demolishes CHINESE WALL and develops PENN CENTER

1952

1934 First Comprehensive Plan of Philadelphia includes LOGAN-SQUARE DEVELOPEMNT

1933 First Zoning Approval

1957

construction of SUBURBAN STATION , replacing the Broad St. Station

spread across the neighborhood. Four skyscrapers rose along the southern border: the twin towers of Commerce Square, the Independence Blue Cross building, and Bell Atlantic Tower. With the new millennium, commercial and residential buildings continued and Logan Square became the focus of many proposals. In 2009, a neighborhood plan featured an extensive resident survey to identify the three most important attributes (the walkability of the neighborhood, access to the Schuylkill River Trail, and access to transit) and proposed to enhance the diverse functions of Logan Square, including a thriving Center City residential neighborhood, downtown office and employment center, and international

1959

CONSTRUCTION and COMPLETION of

VINESTREET EXPRESSWAY

1962

Est. of LSNA & New ZONING code

2013

cultural destination. In 2013, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission proposed a central district plan to integrate the various neighborhoods within Center City, including Logan Square. The plan proposed multiple recommendations to connect and renew the district by improving four focus areas. Among the four focus areas, West Callowhill had a plan to be transformed into the Cultural Corridor Line, and City Hall Square was proposed to become a more cohesive public space and create more pleasing pedestrian spaces.

2012

CENTRAL DISTRICT PLAN adopts under the Citywide Vision 2012

NEW ZONING CODE

2009

Logan Square Neighborhood-Parkway Plan establishment

photograph from phillyhistory. org

INTENSE MORDERN GROWTH

REAL ESTATE MARKET BOOM

1987

Breaking of GENTLEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AGREEMENT No-Height restriction

1990

CENTER CITY DISTRICT includes 50% of neighborhood

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

SITE ANALYSIS People

Cultural amenities & Public Art

Employment Industry

Mobility

Recent Development Trends

Parks & Public open spaces

03.1 PEOPLE

Residents

photograph from CenterCity District

Tourist

photograph by Gene Smirnov, Wellness

Commuters

As mentioned earlier, Logan Square’s population can fluctuate substantially during both weekdays, with commuters, and weekends, with tourists. Since more land area is used for commercial and institutional purposes rather than residential, there is a limited supply of housing, which makes this neighborhood very expensive. More specifically, the median gross rent of $1,301 from 2012 to 2016 (according to American Community Survey data), is 34% more expensive than most places in Philadelphia. While the presence of such a substantial number of tourists and commuters make this area unique, Logan Square’s residents differ greatly from Philadelphia on average. While Philadelphia is tremendously diverse, residents of Logan Square are 71% white. Also, the bachelor’s degree attainment rate of Philadelphia as a whole is 26%, but 75% of Logan Square residents hold at least a bachelor’s degree. This high level of education therefore might explain why 95% of Logan Square residents are above the poverty line compared to only 52% of Philadelphians. In summary, Logan Square is used daily by tourists and commuters, who often total more than residents by a factor of five, and due to the many amenities in Logan Square, only wealthy residents can afford to live here.

photograph Jessica Griffin, Philly.com Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

MUSEUM OF ART

SPRING GARDEN STREET

MAP 3 Cultural Amenities

Eakins Oval HAMILTON STREET

Rodin Museum

CALLOWHILL STREET

Barnes Foundation

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Franklin Institute

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Academy of Natural Sciences

NORTH BROAD STREET

Parkway Tourist Infrastructure Hotels Parcels

Pennsylvania Convention Center

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LOVE PARK JOHN F. KENNEDY BOULEVARD

CITY HALL

MARKET STREET

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03.2

CULTURAL AMENITIES & PUBLIC ART Logan Square is home to an abundance of historic and cultural amenities. The Parkway has a range of centers for the arts, such as the Rodin Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Barnes Foundation; in the sciences, there is the Franklin Institute and the Academy of Natural Sciences. Logan Square is also home to Philly’s iconic City Hall, which sits at the southwest corner of the neighborhood.

photograph source, wikipedia

The Fairmount Park National Register Historic District is bordered by North Broad Street and Spring Garden Street, and the Parkway south to and including Logan Square. The neighborhood is home to historic institutions such as the Free Library, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Family Court, and many others which have played an important role in shaping the neighborhood. The presence of art institutions is well represented through various sculpture, fountains, and murals. A few notable examples of these are the ‘Government of the people’, the beautiful Swann Memorial Fountain, and the Parkway itself. The Fairmount Art Association manages the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and supports the public arts and murals along the parkway. As of today, the neighborhood houses 40 murals, with notable ones such as “You Will Go Far” and “Lifelong Learning.” These cultural and historic institutions are not only assets to the neighborhood but also promote tourism activities. photograph by Steve Ives, flickr

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

SPRING GARDEN STREET Spring Garden Stn HAMILTON STREET

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MAP 4 Commercial Uses Commercial Broad St Line Market Frankford line Trolley Regional Station

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Family Court

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Blue cross

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Temple Campus Building

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03.3

EMPLOYMENT Logan Square, central in its location, is Philadelphia’s leading job center. According to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) employment statistics, Logan Square accounts for 10% of the region’s and 11.1% of philadelphia’s jobs—more than any other neighborhood. Further, it is growing: the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) reported a leap in the number of jobs, from 52,017 in 2003 to 72,629 jobs in 2015.

11.1% LOGAN SQ JOBS 73K

43.7% PHILADELPHIA JOBS 655K

CENTER CITY DISTRICT JOBS 290K

Connected regionally, it is hub of commercial movement. With only a small share of residents, 73,000 people commute to the neighborhood daily and are employed at leading corporate entities such as Comcast, Hahnemann Hospital, and Independence Blue Cross. With customers in 40 states, Comcast is the nation’s largest provider of cable television as well as its largest provider of

internet, providing telephone service as well. The conglomerate occupies a 58-story tower in Logan Square’s business district and is finishing a second 60-story tower this year. These two towers have millions of square feet of office space. As Comcast expands its position in Center City—and, within that, Logan Square—the area will need to adjust. Going forward, Logan Square will need to manage more and more commuters, and it will also need to bolster its competitiveness, both locally and globally. Apart from the corporate agencies, the neighborhood is also home to tourism assets such as hotels. Upscale hotels such as The Logan and Sheraton are clustered around the Parkway and the Swann Memorial Fountain. Supermarket chains such as Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Target, and Wawa have also positioned themselves in the neighborhood’s. Besides these large-scale operators, small-scale neighborhoodlevel commercial businesses are well distributed across the neighborhood serving both residents and nonresidents. The top three industries—professional, scientific, and technical services; finance and insurance; and educational services—remain unchanged in recent years, and the sum of these three industries makes up more than half of all jobs within the area. Specifically, professional, scientific, and technical services take 21.3% of the total share. Though public administration only ranks fourth for Logan Square, it composes a large share of Philadelphia as a whole, suggesting that the area’s corporate anchors are unique within Philadelphia. Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

photograph source, wikipedia

MOBILITY Each day, thousands of employees descend on Logan Square. Among the Center City offices that stretch along a corridor following Market Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Comcast stands out as a magnet. With almost 30%1 of the area under transportation infrastructure, Logan Square is well connected both locally and regionally. The regional commuter rail-line tunnel passes underneath the area, connecting Logan Square with rest of the region. The neighborhood houses the regional Suburban Station, and is close to a mile away from 30th Street Station. Suburban Station receives close to 75,000 in- and out-bound riders and is one of the regional assets that augments tourism as well. It has twelve marked private and public

According to SEPTA ridership data, 15th Street Station on the Market Frankford Line (MFL) and City Hall Station on Broad Street Line (BSL) move a majority of travelers compared to trolley stations. However, there are no subway stations between 30th Street Station and 15th Street Station. The areas around the crossing of 22nd Street and Market Street are underutilized, with surface parking as well as low-slung residential buildings. This creates an opportunity VINE STREET EXPRESSWAYfor denser development that may be stimulated by a closer station.

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photograph by Author source, wikipedia U YL

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JOHN F. KENNEDY BOULEVARD

Center City business District 2035 Plan Ridership counts, SEPTA and DVRPC

Ridership Broad St Line Market Frankford line Trolley

MARKET STREET 1

NORTH BROAD STREET

entrances across City Hall that lead to an underground concourse (fig. ). Yet, unless one is local to the city, the wayfinding is illegible and often disguised. It is easy to see that there is transit, but difficult to see what transit is available, or that the various access points lead to Suburban Station and not simply a subway or trolley line.

Regional Station 240

Data source: SEPTA and DVRPC count

03.4

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SEPTA bus routes Broad St Line Market Frankford line Trolley Regional Station

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PHLASH Tour

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MOBILITY: Barriers

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Riverfront development No Development trend

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Residential development trend Residential developmen

MAP 6 Activity/ Movement Movement Mobility Activity/ Barriers 1 Complex Junction

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Complex Junction Movement Barrier Barriers

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While analyzing the complexity of junctions along parkway, we found that at almost all junctions, especially at Eakins’ oval and the Rodin museum, visitors are requiring to make multiple turns, stops, and adjustments to cross. Furthermore, where this corridor meets City Hall, past Love Park, although not as forbidding in scale, is busy and complicated.

Riverfront development

• INCOMPLETE

With smaller block size and adequate street infrastructure, Logan square is a walkable neighborhood. The sidewalks are wide and in good condition, and calm. This walkability ceases at the Parkway, at 260 feet wide street and with 11 lanes in total. The scale of the Parkway and its active edges are less comfortable for pedestrians. With three lanes in each direction on the main strip, and service lanes adjacent, it is overwhelming to walk—acting as a physical barrier and also a mental barrier, making activities along and across the parkway inaccessible.

NORTH 22ND

MOBILITY: Barriers

JOHN F. KENNEDY BOULEVARD

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MOBILITY: Barriers The neighborhood has painted bike lanes along the Schuylkill trail, Parkway, Spring garden street, and 21st street, traversing the neighborhood in all directions. These lanes are designated with signs, and are often along the curbside of the street. Two new protected lane are proposed along Market and JFk boulevard as pilot project. With 9 indego bike docks, the neighborhood has access to public bike share program.

Though the area has this infrastructure, it is broken and disconnected. Cyclists may find themselves needing to move to a different lane, pull over to make a turn, or they may suddenly not have a painted bike lane at all for periods. Such disconnected infrastructure, coupled with heavy tourist movement and the need for north-south flows across the Parkway, presents both a challenge and opportunity for improvement.

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MAP 7 Mobility Barriers 2

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Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

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MAP 8 Development Trend

1800 Buttonwood sq Rodin Sq

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1839 Callowhill St

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Hanover North Broad

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Museum estates

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Surface parking lots Under-Utilized Plots Recently Developed Under Construction Proposed Development

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Comcast Innovation &JOHN Tech F. KENNEDY BOULEVARD Center NORTH 18TH

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03.5

RECENT DEVELOPMENT TREND

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Arch st (286 units with retail ground floor) properties. Barnes Foundation- New construction Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple – New construction, 58k SF temple, 24k SF Meetinghouse Comcast Innovation & Technology Center – New construction, 1.5M SF office tower Family Court – New construction, 500k SF courthouse 1919 Market St – New construction, a 28 story mixed use building with 321 apartments Under Construction 440 N 15TH St – New construction, a 10 story structure above an existing parking garage structure Kimpton Hotel – Redevelopment of historic Family Court building 1801 vine street Museum Estates – New construction, 8 single family dwellings Proposed Construction 1839 Callowhill St – New construction, a 63 unit mixed-use apartment 2000 Arch St – A parking lot RiverWalk – New construction, mixed-use towers Marketplace Design Center – Redevelopment of 490k SF building into mixed-use tower

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Each day, thousands of employees descend on many new residential and mixed projects are going Logan Square. Among the Center City offices that up across the Parkway—Rodin Square being one stretch along a corridor following Market Street and example, but others are following. John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Comcast stands out as New development abounds. Three sites have a magnet. With customers in 40 states, Comcast is approved plans, including the Marketplace Design the nation’s largest provider of cable television as Center, which would be the redevelopment of a well as its largest provider of internet, providing 490,000 square feet building into a mixed-use tower. telephone service as well. The conglomerate The Riverwalk, twin mixed-use towers, is awaiting occupies a 58-story tower in Logan Square’s approval of a final design plan. business district and is finishing a second 60-story The neighborhood also presents a variety of tower this year. These two towers have millions of opportunities for development in the form of both square feet of office space. As Comcast expands new construction and adaptive reuse. Though many its position in Center City—and, within that, Logan of these projects are west of 20th Street, that same Square—the area will need to adjust. Going forward, area is also home to many surface parking lots. The Logan Square will need to manage more and more area around existing 22nd Street trolley station SPRING GARDEN STREET commuters, and it will also need to bolster its remains low-density and lacks existing development competitiveness, both locally and globally. momentum, presenting a sharp contrast with Residential HAMILTON STREET Logan Square has been a vibrant neighborhood, the other areas in Logan Square. Surrounding Industrial development B with plenty of new construction projects recently underutilized sites, identified EN developmentas mainly one-story spillover JA finished as well as ongoing. MThese include the retail establishments and surface parking lots, offer IN F CALLOWHILL STREET Comcast Innovation & TechnologyR A NCenter, Rodin great potential for higher-density redevelopment. KL IN PA Square, and the Barnes Foundation, which have Recently Finished Construction include RK W A brought jobs to the neighborhood as well as added Multi-family Residential apartments such as Rodin Y Museum VINE STREET (293 EXPRESSWAY to its cultural assets. While previously, development development Square units), Buttonwood Square (270 units), concentrated in the historic central business district, The Granary (229 units with retail ground floor), 1900

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Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

03.6

PARKS & PUBLIC OPEN SPACES Public spaces are abundant in Logan Square. Or instead, they portray themselves as being abundant. The neighborhood features 9 identified parks including Love Park, Logan Square (which is bisected by the Parkway’s rotary to create Aviator Park, Sister Cities Park, and Logan Circle), Coxe Park, Matthias Baldwin Park, Cret Park, Levy Park, Eakins Oval and all other properties along the Parkway. Park land in Logan Square covers 24% of all land uses, which is the second largest land use after mixed use commercial buildings (27%).

Logan Square Maintained by the Fairmount Park Commission and named after James Logan, who was William Penn’s secretary and the Chief Justice to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. As the neighborhood grew, so did the square. Jacques Greber’s parkway plan of 1919 changed the face of the square, converting it into a humongous traffic circle with space for gardens. Logan Square consists of the Swann Memorial Fountain in the center surrounded by the Aviator park and the Sister Cities park. It connects the Square to Center City and the upper Parkway.

LOVE Park Love Park, a public park constructed in 1917, originated from Edmund Bacon’s original plan originated from Edmund Bacon’s original plan Love Park, a public park constructed in 1917, originated from Edmund Bacon’s original plan

Photograph by Amber DeRosa

for the city that was designed in the 1950s. After many renovations, the park appears more aesthetically pleasing and welcoming to users. However, it is quite often crowded and home to a very large homeless population. Similar open parks that are maintained by the Department of Recreation are Coxe Park and Von Colln Memorial Field. Coxe Park is located in the southern residential enclave off Logan Square at the corner of Cherry and Beechwood Streets. It is a pocket park with benches and playground equipment, whereas Von Colln Memorial field is an athletic field that is used by youth baseball leagues. Large masses of public green space appears underutilized in areas that border the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, creating an illusion of plentiful park space. However, these spaces are underutilized by all types of users because the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and surrounding properties isolate itself from adjacent enclaves based on its 260 feet road and largely scaled blocks, which fragment the northern and southern enclaves of Logan Square. One of the user groups affected by this divide and deception are the residents. The residential enclaves of Logan Square are densely packed concrete jungles that lack communal spaces or even green space for air. The developed blocks of brick rowhouses, though architecturally harmonious and aesthetically pleasing, demand a breakout space and relief from its characteristic monotony.

03.6 â&#x20AC;˘

Demand of open spaces According to the Logan Square Neighborhood Associations Resident survey, which looked at the type of green spaces residents wanted, it was found that small pocket parks with benches and parklets were in high demand, with around 29% of the survey respondents denoting that they wished for such spaces. This was followed by landscaped gardens, playgrounds, dog parks and the like. From this we can deduce that rather than large masses of green spaces that are dysfunctional, what the residents in particular desire are small, intimate spaces that will give them a sense of community and wellbeing. Maybe what Logan Square lacks is that small little space to sit with your family on a Sunday afternoon and sip that lemonade after all.

Data source: LSNA neighborhood survey Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

240

Photograph by Author

SDOC ANALYSIS VISION & GOALS

STRENGTHS DEFFICIENCIES OPPORTUNITIES & CONSTRAINTS Logan Square is different from most neighborhoods in Philadelphia in that it is not primarily residential, which results in many strengths and a set of unique challenges. As mentioned earlier, one of its strengths is that it is the economic core of Philadelphia and also home to a great number of cultural amenities such as the Franklin Institute, the Museum of Art, and the Barnes Foundation. However, this multiplicity of building uses combined with the dominating force of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway results in the challenges of fragmentation and conflicting needs between residents, tourists, and commuters. While these assets exist, they are located along the parkway and not within residential areas, which leaves a deficiency of community assets within residential areas since residents feel that the parkway museums belong more to the tourists than to them. After all, Logan Squareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interconnectedness to Philadelphia as a whole makes it sometimes easier for tourists to get to these amenities than residents. More specifically, it is connected to larger Philadelphia by stops on the Market Frankford Line, the Broad Street Line, and the trolley, as well as extensive SEPTA bus service. Suburban Station is also located here, making Logan Square easy to get

04.1

to from the suburbs and hubs like the airport. While this regional rail station is an asset, it lacks legible signage, making it difficult to access and navigate. While many major roads run through the neighborhood, such as the Vine Street Expressway, the Parkway and Market Street, their presence gives priority to the automobile, which is a challenge, since so many pedestrians frequent this area and there is a sidewalk count of over 10,000 people per day. While portions of this neighborhood have a strong pedestrian presence, certain underutilized regions like vacant land along the parkway, excess parking spaces in residential areas, and low density development around 22nd and Market Street lack activity, which is the neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main deficiency. These underutilized regions also offer an opportunity to create new nodes of activity that will promote the continuity and walkability of Logan Square as a whole.

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

VISION STATEMENT In 2038 the TOURISTS of LOGAN SQUARE will be guided along a distinct path linking all cultural institution, RESIDENTS will have access to community amenties near their homes, and COMMUTERS can efficiently navigate to and from their places of work place with ease.

04.2

GOALS & STRATEGIES

#1 Continue to

support and strengthen Logan

Square as one of Philadelphia’s leading cultural centers. • Propose a cultural trail to augment the cultural identity of Logan Square • Improve tourist accessibility to various Institutions • To reinstigate the importance of Logan Square and Eakins Oval

#2 Humanize the scale, design, and

function of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Activate and reclaim underutilized

spaces

Ensure that Logan Square remains as a regional hub of professional jobs

#5 Prioritize other modes of

• Activate the the edges of Parkway

• Build small scale public open spaces in coalition with the community and residents

• Improve the accessibility of Commuters to Neighborhood

• Improve the pedestrain environment in and around Logan Square

• Leverage the existing effort of the Art institutions and associations to promote Public Art • Promote Walkability

• To stimulate optimal space utilization of underlitized parcels

transportation above the automobile

• Build new bike-highway to promote biking culture and improve the existing network

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

PROPOSED PLAN ALTERNATIVES 240

05.1

Resident Logan Square

Employee Logan Square M

Towards Fairmount

US EU

Tourist Logan Square

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In the Tourist Alternative, Logan Square was reimagined as if resident and commuter needs were no longer relevant. Therefore, through the creation of a cultural trail linking all tourist destinations together, the insertion of a new diagonal crosswalk between City Hall and Love Park, and the placement of a hotel and public plaza on Eakins Oval that would be programmed with public activities year round, the needs of tourists were prioritized over all other users in an attempt to make Logan Square more active and walkable.

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The Residential Alternative prioritizes the needs of residents in Logan Square above all other users. In doing so, it proposes that multi-family housing be developed on vacant plots of land along the Parkway with community ammenities behind and commercial space on the first floor, that Eakins Oval be used for a recreation center, and that parklets be dispersed throughout the neighborhood. All of these interventions would help to address a set of resident needs that are currently overpowered by the needs of tourists and commuters.

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The Commuter Alternative focused on the needs of commuters since Logan Square is a regional hub of jobs. Consequently, by adding a Market Frankford Line stop at the 22nd Street to increase the accessibility and stimulate the development in the west Market Street, proposing a cycle superhighway along the Callowhill Cut to provide a safe and pleasant route for cyclists to get to work, closing down the 17th Street between JFK Boulevard and Arch Street for a grand entrance to Suburban Station, the commute to Logan Square and commutersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience within Logan Square were improved. Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

1,920 Feet

INTERVENTIONS & PROJECTS

Photograph by Author Logan Square Neighborhood Plan 37

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MAP 9 Proposed Interventions

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â&#x20AC;˘

OVERVIEW OF ALL INTERVENTIONS

06.1

01 Reactive Spaces

02 Reclaim underutilized spaces

03 Connectivity

1.1 Cultral Trail

2.1 Logan Square

3.1 Improving wayfinding: Legibility

The creation of a trail that will serve as a wayfinding mechanism linking all cultural institutions together while offering new nodes of activity will tie together the currently fragmented Museum District and make it more walkable as a tourist destination.

To prioritize the pedestrians and strengthen the logan square as a landmark of Center City, this intervention proposes to reclaim the underutilized roads for creating larger programmed public spaces.

In order to improve the legibility of entrances to Suburban Station, this plan proposes several modifications to the existing signage system.

2.2 Eakins oval Rotary & Plaza

3.2 Bike Highway

To enhance the utilization of the Eakins Oval, this intervention proposed to reclaim the under utilized, dividing street to make a continuous plaza that connects the Museum of Art to Eakins Oval.

A contiguous and protected path from Fairmount Park to Broad Street and down to the business district will allow many who would prefer to bike to work to do so, and advance Philadelphia as a world leader in active commuting.

2.3 Parklets

3.3 22nd St MFL station

In order to provide residents with the much soughtafter community spaces that they crave, this plan proposes the creation of parklets that will be located on currently underutilized parking spaces within residential enclaves.

To enhance the accessibility and stimulate dense development of west Market Street, this plan proposes to add a new Market Frankford Line station at the 22nd Street.

TH ET

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

CULTURAL TRAIL

SPRING GARDEN STREET

HAMILTON STREET

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AY VINE STREET EXPRESSWAY

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Photograph by Author

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Photograph by Author

06.1 Although Logan Square is home to many cultural institutions along the Parkway, the automobile-centric nature of this area, along with pockets of inactivity along the parkway, deter tourists from walking from City Hall to the Museum of Art. Therefore, in order to ensure that Logan Square remains as a cultural hub, a cultural trail should be created linking all institutions together. This trail will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will be the closing of the service lanes along the Parkway and the application of colorful stripes of paint from City Hall to the Museum of Art, each stripe representing a different institution. For example, one would be able to follow a blue stripe from City Hall to the Franklin Institute or a pink stripe to the Rodin Museum. Large sculptures will also be installed along this path to activate regions that currently offer no draw to pedestrians. In the second phase, seating areas will be integrated to the trail and small studio, gallery, and vendor pods that are 20 feet by 20 feet will be placed along this path. The studio and gallery spaces will be rented on a weekly basis, offering a low-cost solution for up-and-coming artists. The vendor pods will provide residents and tourists with food and beverage options in an area lacking commercial establishments. In total, the cultural trail will connect a currently fragmented neighborhood and create new nodes of activation in order to stimulate pedestrian movement through the entirety of Logan Square.

CULTURAL CENTER HUMANIZE PARKWAY ACTIVATE & RECLAIM REGIONAL JOB HUB DEPRIORITIZE AUTOMOBILE Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

250 vehicles per hour CAPACITY: 3000 vehicles per hour

3 LANE in each direction SHAKESPEARE MEMORIAL

Reclaimed Service Lane 4 LANE ROW

AVIATOR PARK 6 LANE ROW

Integrated places

SISTERS PARK

6 LANE ROW

350 vehicles per hour CAPACITY: 3000 vehicles per hour

Reclaimed Square Lanes

3 LANE in each direction

330 vehicles per hour CAPACITY: 1500 vehicles per hour

2 LANE in each direction

New Public Plaza

Improved Pedestrian Crossing

Four specific steps: 1. Remove the semicircle on the north side, but still keep the lower Benjamin-Franklin Parkway and change it to two lanes for each direction. 2. Remove the lower Vine St 3. Remove the outer service lanes of parkway 4. Improve the intersection on 20th St and Winter St. Case study: Cheonggye Freeway removal in Seoul, South Korea

Data Source: DVRPC traffic count

06.2

RECLAIMING LOGAN SQUARE SEATING

Based on its Walk Score, Logan Square is the 6th most walkable neighborhood in Philadelphia with a walk score of 97. But, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway occupies a large proportion of land around Logan Square that makes it difficult for citizens to reach and use it. As time goes by, people will no longer judge the area as a landmark of Center City and the identity of Logan Square as a neighborhood will be diminish. In order to prevent a lack of accessibility from forcing Philadelphians to abandon the area, improvements are necessary. However, there can be no significant change as long as the Benjamin Franklin Parkway dominates the landscape.

CULTURAL CENTER

NS RDENS GA

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EN RD GA TY I N MU OM SPRING GARDEN C

SEA AL TRA

G TIN

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CULTUR

The road space allocated to carry a small fraction of the city’s traffic, along the parkway, can be used instead for programmed public spaces that are acts major enhancement to the city’s life. BE

HAMILTON STREET

ACTIVATE & RECLAIM

Source: Author

M The DVRPC traffic count survey reports a 350 vehicle I N F RA per hour frequency, despite the capacity of 1500-3000 NK LIN vehicle per hour. Therefore, based on the emperical PA RK findings, we propose to reclaim the road space W AY along the northern segment of parkway to propose community gardens, while turning the southern segment into a two street

CALLOWHILL STREET

SCH

While Aviator Park acts as a stand-alone public open space, the newly created Shakespeare park and Sister’s park are widely disconnected. By reclaiming the land and reprogramming it, the newly created public space and community gardens will serve both residents and tourists. UYL

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RECLAIM 3

REGIONAL JOB HUB DEPRIORITIZE AUTOMOBILE

18TH

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan 20TH

22ND

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JOHN F. KENNEDY BOULEVARD

REDESIGNING EAKINS OVAL ROTARY & PLAZA ART MUSEUM

STEPS

ART MUSEUM

Junction Conﬂict

PLAZA

6 Lanes ROW

708 vehicles per hour CAPACITY: 1500 vehicles per

6 Lane ROW 2 Lane ROW 2 Lane ROW

EAKINS OVAL

3.5 Lane ROW Median Parking

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SKATE PARK

STEPS 2.5 Lane ROW

PLAZA

250 vehicles per hour CAPACITY: 3000 vehicles per hour

3 Lane in each direction

NEW PEDESTRIAN PLAZA

2 LANE In each Direction

1 LANE In each Direction EAKINS OVAL

2 LANE In each Direction

1 LANE In each Direction

3 LANES In each Direction

Data Source: DVRPC traffic count

06.3

RECLAIMING EAKINS ROTARY & PLAZA Currently, Eakins Oval is programmed only for one month during the summer out of the entire year. Its prime location next to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, large size, and presence as the crown of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway makes it of vital importance to Logan Square. However, with a six lane wide street dissects the connectivity between the Museum of Art Plaza and Eakins oval, making Eakins oval merely a rotary. Therefore, this plan proposes to reclaim the underutilized Martin Luther King Jr. driveway and redesigning the Eakins rotary to create a larger Plaza spaces.

HUMANIZE PARKWAY ACTIVATE & RECLAIM

REGIONAL JOB HUB

SPRING GARDEN STREET

C RE

This intervention will take place in two phases. The first phase will use temporary road closures to conduct traffic redirection studies, thereby weighing the feasibility of permanently connecting the Museum of Art to Eakins Oval through the creation of a public plaza in the Second Phase. Both phases will also include the programming of Eakins Oval for public events like ice skating in the winter, art markets and craft fairs in the spring and fall, and concerts in the summer. This programming combined with the new ease of access that Eakins Oval will enjoy due to its potential contiguous relationship to the Museum of Art will ensure that this important public asset becomes a destination in and of itself.

CULTURAL CENTER

3 HAMILTON STREET

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Logan Square Neighborhood Plan VINE STREET EXPRESSWAY

NORTH BROA

DEPRIORITIZE AUTOMOBILE

PARKLETS: COMMUNITY SPACES

SPRING GARDEN STREET

Spring garden greenway project- Sam Schwartz

HAMILTON STREET

Community College CALLOWHILL STREET development project PA

VINE STREET EXPRESSWAY

SC H U YL

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Rail park Project

China town Neighborhood Plan Project (PCDC)

IV E R KI L L R

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06.4

Even though Logan Square has plenty of open space, residents often complain about the lack of open spaces. The Parkway is removed from their daily lives and targeted interventions are needed. To resolve this a total of 5 parklets are provided in the southern residential enclave and 2 in the northern.

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The parklet strategy helps resolve the lack of communal space in the residential enclaves and helps bring together the residents. It provides more intimate and scaled spaces that are spread throughout the residential enclaves, making it more accessible.

CULTURAL CENTER

Community College CALLOWHILL STREET development project

SC H

Streets Department. For our parklet strategy, we are proposing that the design of the parklets be done by student volunteers from the Moore College of Art and Design and the Community College of Philadelphia. Parklets can cost up to $20,000 but donations can defray the cost, allowing us to build some for $5,000 or $10,000. Our parklet strategy is subdivided into two phases, the first phase is the introduction of up to three temporary parklet spaces and collecting user feedback on these installations, and the second includes incorporating the feedback and developing more permanent parklets that are integrated into the residential community.

Spring garden greenway project- Sam Schwartz

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MARKET STREET

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B E we are proposing For the provision of the parklets, N that the resident community take Jinitiative through AM I N the Logan Square Neighborhood Association. FR A N the The Parklet Application is submitted through KL Philadelphia Parklet Application system, and permits IN are given by the City of Philadelphia through itsP A

SPRING GARDEN STREET

Rail park Project

HUMANIZE PARKWAY China town Neighborhood Plan Project (PCDC)

ACTIVATE & RECLAIM

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06.5 In order to connect several areas of the city and position Philadelphia as a city for cyclists, we propose a bicycle superhighway in what is now the Callowhill Cut and extant City Branch, along with a protected bike lane from an existing ramp at 21st Street to proposed lanes—also protected—along JFK and Market. The City Branch stretches from Fairmount Park, while the Callowhill Cut joins the Rail Park—due to be completed this year—opposite Broad Street. This contiguous trail, along with the protected lane, will create a corridor free from automobiles. The upshot: those that want to bike to work will no longer be deterred by the threat of traffic collisions.

Though the Rail Park is set for completion, its cost is prohibitive if the remainder of these tracks are to be converted to trails. Thus the first phase of this project proposes as utilitarian intervention, cleaning the Cut and Branch while paving a multilane “highway”. Phase two, as development continues around Rodin Square and nearby, will involve more greening and beautification in the larger pockets. Even these additions, though, will be far less involved than those in the current Rail Park.

PHASE 1

CLEAN + LIGHT TUNNEL RESTORE RAMP ADD PROTECTED LANE

PHASE 2

ADD ADJACENT AMENITIES

CULTURAL CENTER HUMANIZE PARKWAY ACTIVATE & RECLAIM REGIONAL JOB HUB DEPRIORITIZE AUTOMOBILE

photograph by Author Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

CONNECTIVITY: SIGNAGE LEGIBILITY CHERRY STREET

ARCH STREET

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LOVE PARK SUBURBAN Stn

JOHN F. KENNEDY BOULEVARD

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photograph by Author

The wayfinding of Suburban Station has been a big problem in Logan Square. Currently there are 12 entrances in total, including two elevator entrances, nine staircase entrances, and one with a staircase and an elevator side by side. Though the colors indicating different transit lines are consistent and the signage system inside the concourse is clear, the signage system above ground lacks consistency and legibility.

Problems:

• Finger posts are too small to read the characters on them. • Confusion between “Regional Rail Lines” and “Suburban Station”. • Underground crossrails are hard to see from above the ground.

CHERRY STREET

CULTURAL CENTER

ARCH STREET LOVE PARK

NORTH 18TH

• Add a finger post indicating Suburban Station to the existing SEPTA fingerposts. It would be colored according to the SEPTA color scheme.

SUBURBAN Stn

JOHN F. KENNEDY BOULEVARD

• Re-paint the elevator entrances to make them more legible. Switch the places of station name and advertisement.

• Move the underground cross rails to above the ground and add them to the top of the existing historical signage, to make it easier to identify.

HUMANIZE PARKWAY ACTIVATE & RECLAIM

• Paintings of station names are not legible.

Proposals:

06.6

REGIONAL JOB HUB

DEPRIORITIZE AUTOMOBILE CITY HALL

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

06.7

CONNECTIVITY: 22nd St MFL STATION FEASIBILITY STUDY The parcels around the existing 22nd Street trolley line are underutilizedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as parking lots or low density development. In order to bring the area to its highest and best use, according to its zoning, we propose a 22nd Street MFL station. The new proposed station would not only stimulate dense development around the transit corridor but will also improve neighborhood accessibility. Furthermore, it could share part of the trolley concourse to save costs, and making the scheme more attractive. However, a subway station is a substantial transportation investment, both in terms of public monies and time. Therefore, we propose a feasibility study of the proposed area for adding a new stop. This will allow City Hall to determine if the potential for development outweighs the costs.

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Sr. No. 1

Recommendation

Time Frame

Estimated Cost

Cultural Trail

Phase 1

1-3 year

$50,000

Temporary road closure Colorful painted Strips Installation of Sculptures

TH T

Phase 2

3-10 year

$6,600,000

Permanent road closure Building Studio Pods Installation of Street Furniture

Fairmount Park Conservancy, Mural Arts, Parks + Recreation, Streets Department, Revenue from Hotel + Parking Tax, Towne grant for Place- based Projects

Reclaim Logan Square

Phase 1

1-3 year Temporary road closures Traffic redirection studies programming through temporary furniture Phase 2 3-10 year Permanent reclaimation of roads Park Integration Creating community gardens

Potential Source of Funds

$100,000

$28,000,000

Penn DOT, Vision-Zero Funds, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Philadelphia's Horticulture Budget, Federal Highway Administration

Eakins Oval Rotary and Plaza Design

Phase 1

1-3 year

Temporary road closures Plaza programming with temporary furniture Traffic redirection feasibility study Phase 2 3-10 year Creating Plaza through permanent road closures Programming of Plaza Permanent traffic redirection

$200,000

$50,000,000

Penn DOT, Vision-Zero Funds, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Philadelphia's Horticulture Budget, Federal Highway Administration

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan

Sr. No. 4

Recommendation

Time Frame

Estimated Cost

Residential Parklets

1-3 year

$80,000

3-10 year

$2,000,000

10-20 year

$7,000,000

Create space using pots and cones Turf designed parklets 5

Potential Source of Funds Moore College of Art, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Center City District

Bike Highway Phase 1 Remove debris Add lighting Phase 2 Create bike rest and stops Add supporting green infrastructure

Suburban Station Signs

1-3 year

$20,000

22nd St MFL station feasibility study

3-10 year

$80,000

PennDOT, Rail Park Booster Association, Developer Fees, Parking Tax Revenue

DVRPC, SEPTA, Center City District SEPTA or PennDOT

Endword In the preceding report, we have probed the issues and opportunities in Logan Square, a neighborhood whose rich mix of resources is pulled in tension by the complex mix of people who depend upon it. An assessment of the area reveals a strong and vibrant community, a thriving business environment, and a wide set of tourist draws. Any one of these assets would portend a bright future; together, they make Logan Square one of the most attractive neighborhoods in Philadelphia. What it needs, more than more jobs, more residents, or tourists, then, is the unification of these individual components. To determine how best to do this, we reasoned from extremes. We laid out alternative futures for Logan Square that catered to one group above the others, one alternative for each user. From here, we selected the interventions that provided the most improvement for that groupâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and sometimes the others in an ancillary capacityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;without coming at the expense of the other two groups. Having culled these proposals in service of a coherent vision, we conclude by showing the path forward. Logan Square will doubtless continue to be a hub in Philadelphia, but there is ample opportunity to make it work for everyone who uses it. We would like to thank our instructors, who contributed time from their jobs and worked with us through missed edits or forgotten changes. Commenting and grading no doubt often drifted into the night. We are grateful for the efforts of Andrew Dobshinsky, who looked over hundreds of pages and slides, offering valuable critiques on each one. The Southwest Philadelphia Group, as well, practiced with us and gave plenty of valuable feedback. Finally, we thank the professors who joined us at our presentations.

Logan Square Neighborhood Plan