The Trust for Public Land in Action: 2020 C E L E B R AT I N G W HAT YO U M A D E P O S S I B L E IN PHILADELPHIA, CAMDEN, AND BEYOND
The Trust for Public Land
Underway schoolyard Completed park or schoolyard Completed research
Pennsylvania / New Jersey border Parks and open space
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Anna L. James R. Lowell Lingelbach Elementary School School
Hank Gathers William Dick Recreation Center School
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Conestoga Community Playground
Alexander Adaire Elementary School
Alain Locke School
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AMY Northwest Middle School Mary McLeod William Cramp Bethune Elementary School School
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Benjamin Franklin Academics Plus School
Jose Manuel Collazo Playground North American Street Fishtown Recreation Center
37th & Mt. Vernon Playground PHILADELPHIA 13 £ ¤ Edwin M. Stanton School 76 George W. Nebinger School CAMDEN Lanier Southwark School Playground Mifflin Square John H. John M. F. Amedee Taggart 676 Patterson Bregy School School School
Add B. Anderson School
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Dominick Andujar Park Mastery Charter High School Cooper's Poynt School Molina School Benjamin Franklin Bridge Underpass
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Parks for People - Philadelphia and Camden C O M P L E T E D A N D U N D E R W A Y P A R K S A N D S C H O O LY A R D S August 13, 2020. Copyright © The Trust for Public Land. The Trust for Public Land and The Trust for Public Land logo are federally registered marks of The Trust for Public Land. Information on this map is provided for purposes of discussion and visualization only. www.tpl.org
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Thank you so much for partnering with us in Philadelphia and Camden! Close-to-home green spaces are vital to communities in today’s rapidly changing world. The coronavirus pandemic, its economic fallout, and the ongoing realities of systemic racism have created unprecedented hardships for everyone. We know that great parks and green spaces can transform communities from the ground up: they improve public health, advance economic opportunities and learning outcomes, and connect people to nature and to each other. We see firsthand how well-designed parks are more than a place to play; they change people’s lives. Our new strategic plan places community at the center of our powerful land-for-people work. The impact of our mission is not only the creation of great parks, public lands, trails, and green schoolyards, it’s also the strengthening of the social and civic, personal and emotional connections upon which our communities depend while addressing some of the most pressing
problems across the country—climate, health, and equity. Over the next five years, we aim to accelerate the transformative impact of our mission—impacting 300 additional communities with our work and improving the lives of 85 million people nationwide. We are rising to the challenges of this unprecedented moment with an increased resolve to bring parks and green spaces where they are needed most. In South Philadelphia a new park at Southwark School will be available to more than 22,000 students, teachers, and neighbors when we can gather publically again. In Camden, we are working with students to reimagine the Mastery Charter High School campus to include a green jobs incubator. Because of people like you, we’re strengthening communities all across the country by innovating parks and green schoolyards, connecting people to trails and the outdoors, and advocating for increased public funding for the places we need to thrive. Thank you!
JENNA STAMM
E.M. Stanton School Philadelphia, PA
Resolving climate injustice in Philadelphia with creativity
Mosher had a successful career as a studio artist. But the more she learned about climate change, the more she worried about how her city would suffer. In 2007, she drew a chalk line 70 miles through Brooklyn and Manhattan, following a map marking ten feet above sea level. The project— which she titled HighWaterLine—was a vivid, approachable depiction of New York’s future on a warmer planet, a line of demarcation showing the parts of the city predicted to be under water. She’s since grappled with the climate crisis through participatory art, partnering with scientists, storytellers, and communities from Miami to Honolulu to Bristol, U.K. Now, Mosher is collaborating with The Trust for Public Land on a new public art project called Heat Response, to draw attention to rising temperatures in three Philadelphia neighborhoods. We caught up with her to talk about creative approaches to the climate crisis.
COURTESY OF EVE MOSHER
Eve Mosher had been following the news, studying the science, and burrowing into the reports: She learned that the planet was warming, and that the seas surrounding her New York City home would rise. Areas of the city that had been known to flood once in a century—areas now ten feet above sea level—could start to expect inundation every four years.
Eve Mosher
Why do you think HighWaterLine made such an impression? In part because it was so approachable, and it sparked curiosity. At first, some people who encountered me were sort of antagonistic, like, “What are you doing? Are you with the city or something?” But many people were just genuinely curious. And we could connect because I’m the same way. I’m not a scientist; I just want to find out: what do you know? And how can I use what I’ve learned and the resources I can bring to help you?
JAYME GERSHEN
There is a deep knowledge that exists in communities about the effects of climate change. Decision-makers need this information, as do other impacted communities and activists who can use these stories and knowledge as a tool to advocate for policy improvements. Art is one more way we can share the community’s hard-earned knowledge and perspective more widely.
the heat is on
With temperatures rising and quality parks too few and far
What do you have planned for your next project in Philadelphia? In Philadelphia, climate change is an environmental challenge stacked on top of a history of pollution, disinvestment, and discrimination. And people there are already suffering its effects.
Why approach climate threats with art instead of science or policy? Art can facilitate valuable conversations that build social resilience within communities and between communities. And social resilience is a key factor in weathering the changes that we’re facing.
The Trust for Public Land has mapped how heat and flooding affect the city. Through data and the relationships the organization has developed over working in public space, we know that not all Philadelphia neighborhoods experience heat equally. We’re in three neighborhoods where The Trust for Public Land has built parks: Gray’s Ferry, South Philadelphia, and Fairhill. These three neighborhoods have less shade and more concrete than the city average or happen to be in low spots that trap heat.
What does social resilience have to do with weathering climate change? When you’re in times of stress, that’s when you need stronger relationships most. I get a little woo-woo about some of this stuff, but I really believe that whatever happens in the future, it won’t be scientific breakthroughs or government policy that will make the most difference for people—though those are critically important. It’ll be our relationships. Our relationships will see us through.
We’re starting with a hypothesis that public space is a resource that can be used to build social resilience. We’re not going into this project with a predefined outcome in mind , so we’re not sure how the work will turn out yet. It really is about the community and strengthening their ability to advocate for themselves. I can’t wait to see what direction this work takes. PETE BEDWELL
HighWaterLine New York
Southwark Schoolyard TPL STAFF
The Trust for Public Land brought diverse and passionate neighbors and students together to design a new public green space in South Philly at Southwark School. There are 27 different first languages spoken by the kindergarteners through eighth-graders who attend Southwark. To ensure everyone had a voice in the design, we worked with Mural Arts Philadelphia to develop a game to help the community articulate their desires for the future space. The new schoolyard park provides access to nature and a safe play space to the 750 students who attend Southwark and over 22,000 people who live within a 10-minute walk.
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TPL STAFF
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Southwark School Philadelphia, PA
Our work is made possible thanks to the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations like you. Current funding opportunities include: • Our land-for-people work across the country
• Heat Response: Creative Action for Philly’s Rising Temperatures
• Our work in Philadelphia and Camden
• Philadelphia Green Schoolyards
• Philadelphia Stewardship Endowment
Greening Camden MASTERY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL To prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, we need to invest in them today. With a coalition of partners, we are transforming Mastery’s campus into a vocational outdoor learning laboratory.
Parks and public green spaces provide a variety of benefits: they absorb stormwater, offer shady places to escape the summer heat, create neighborhood gathering places, and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation. We are working with communities across Camden, New Jersey, to develop parks and green schoolyards.
Soon, native plants and vegetation in the rain garden will flourish and prevent flooding in the schoolyard and surrounding streets. The new schoolyard will include an outdoor classroom and safe play equipment for the entire community to enjoy.
JENNA STAMM
R A FA E L C O R D E R O M O L I N A S C H O O L Safe green space is not easily accessible in the neighborhood surrounding the Molina School, and 90 percent of residents live below the poverty line. When it rains, the schoolyard quickly floods, forcing students to spend their recess inside.
Students will work with The Trust for Public Land to design, maintain, and operate a variety of features preparing them for green jobs. New green infrastructure, solar panels, resilient shoreline features, and green roofs will create a sustainable campus for students to manage with support from industry professionals.
TPL STAFF
Cooper’s Poynt School Camden, NJ
Patterson Elementary School Philadelphia, PA
JENNA STAMM
Thank you
for joining us as we reimagine and realize the power of land for people to create stronger communities. We couldn’t do it without you.
Join us. The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.
tpl.org
Owen Franklin Pennsylvania State Director 215.240.7685 | owen.franklin@tpl.org Samantha Piccolo Director of Philanthropy 215.873.1429 | samantha.piccolo@tpl.org 1608 Walnut Street, Suite 302 Philadelphia, PA 19103
COVER: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ANTONIO BULL, JENNA STAMM, JENNA STAMM, TPL STAFF, TPL STAFF.