Lower Eastwick Public Land Strategy

from Lower Eastwick Public Land Strategy

Planning for an inclusive and resilient future in Eastwick

THANK YOU to the stakeholders who contributed to The Lower Eastwick Public Land Strategy by participating in an interview, roundtable discussion, or a public meeting. A special shout out to the volunteers to distributed thousands of flyers to spread the word about upcoming events. Hundreds of local voices helped shape this study: neighbors, businesses, community organizations, institutions, students, grassroots activists, City staff and leadership, and Eastwick champions—your words and ideas in this document.

The Eastwick neighborhood, in the far southwest of the City of Philadelphia, was the site of a major 1960s-era urban renewal project to build a "City within a City".

To realize the plan, the Redevelopment Authority acquired almost 5,800 properties -- of which 2,500 had structures on them -- across 2,300 acres. Many of the properties contained occupied residential homes, requiring the use of eminent domain and relocation of over 8,000 residents. Multiple phases of the original redevelopment plan were implemented over several decades, including construction of two schools, 4,200 new housing units, and the Penrose Plaza Shopping Center. However, the full vision of the redevelopment plan was never realized, and approximately 128 acres remained vacant for decades.

**1945 What was - Street network before the urban renewal plan**
Interface Studio

**1957 What was supposed to happen - Planned street network for the urban renewal plan**
Interface Studio

2018 - What actually happened - 60 years after the urban renewal plan, much of the land remains vacant, leaving behind deep scars for the Eastwick community. This study looks at the areas shown in yellow above, totaling 185 acres.
Interface Studio

This study was designed to take a broad look at the issues that impact the parcels, including issues of flooding, access, equity and social justice, environmental problems and market challenges. It was designed to bring a broad array of stakeholders into conversation with one another, so that they might understand both the issues and each other’s perspectives.

For each site, this study addresses three major questions:

1. What are the community’s goals?

2. What are the environmental and site constraints?

3. What can the market support?

In considering the market analysis, environmental analysis, and the community’s’ desire for both more resources and alleviating environmental concerns, is it possible to do responsible development in Eastwick?

The short answer is, yes, it may be feasible to build in some areas and accomplish the following:

Adhere to a baseline: New development should not make any of the flooding issues worse.

Preserve the opportunity to study flood mitigation in low lying areas.

Leverage development to improve existing conditions where it’s appropriate and possible.

THE VISION

Eastwick has the soul of a village. People love its proximity to nature and its quiet, pastoral setting. But Eastwick lacks the organization of a village -- it has no Main Street, with a set of inviting shops that serve as a gathering places and crossroads. Becoming a real village involves enhancing both of those parts: enhancing the connection to nature and developing a Main Street that brings together civic, commercial, and cultural life. Becoming a “Village in the City” involves strengthening connections to citywide processes, services and organizations. Finally, becoming a “Village in the City” means solving the numerous disconnections -- within the neighborhood and between the neighborhood and the rest of the city -- that would make Eastwick easy to navigate, hospitable and charming.

It is possible to create a leafy, charming village in Eastwick. We already know it can be done because we can see the model of charming country lanes and pleasant gardens in the Eastwick Community Garden. What can be done on the small scale can be replicated on the larger scale. It takes time, elbow-grease, a vision, and a refusal to let past neglect shape the future.