9 “A central Delaware riverfront greenway will protect natural, cultural and scenic resources, provide recreational benefits, enhance natural beauty and quality of life in neighborhoods and communities, and stimulate economic development opportunities.”
cleaning the River
Create a 100-foot greenway along the water’s edge In many cities, land at the river’s edge is reserved for birds, plants and people
Joining our peer cities in establishing a 100-foot greenway is
rather than for buildings. Whether at the Jersey shore or along the Delaware
important for the health of Philadelphia’s central Delaware. The
River, there are many reasons for requiring that buildings be set back from
popular Schuylkill River Banks trail is wonderful, but with only 12 feet of
rivers. Space along the central Delaware River’s edge can be preserved as a
available land at various points along the river, the trail could not allow for a
public recreational space, offering trails and other activities that open up the
greenway to create new habitat or reduce river pollution. The Schuylkill River,
riverfront to Philadelphians. When the space at the water’s edge is filled with
however, does have the protection of Fairmount Park, which was established
trees and plants, it becomes a greenway. A greenway improves river water
in the 1850’s to protect the city’s water supply by creating a natural border
quality, creates new habitat and generally contributes to a healthy river in
around the river. Philadelphia has not created any similar green space to protect
64
which fish and other wildlife can thrive. A greenway attracts investment and
the Delaware River. While the city’s optional Waterfront Redevelopment District
raises the value of surrounding properties by 10 to 20 percent.65 In addition, a
guidelines call for a 50-foot greenway, which will contribute to the health of
greenway can manage the immediate area’s stormwater and limit the negative
the river, Sarah Thorp, executive director of the Delaware River City Corporation,
economic effects of river flooding, which some predict will increase in coming
says that this narrow width significantly limits options for creating habitat or
decades due to climate change.
filtering pollution and at times is too narrow a setting for a recreational trail.
An economic study estimates that the development and remediation of a greenway on the northern Delaware will create between $828 million and $1.4 billion in private capital investment.66 Cities such as New York City limit any construction or pavement within 100 feet of a river, and other cities and states have enforced much more extensive greenways.67 The width of a greenway determines its effectiveness in filtering pollutants out of the river and absorbing stormwater. The width of 100 feet is recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency and respected scientists.68
Michael DiBerardinis, secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
44 Action Plan for the Central Delaware
The zoning for Philadelphia’s Waterfront Redevelopment District currently calls for only a 50-foot setback and does not require that the setback be planted with shrubs and grasses, which filter pollutants and improve water quality.