Place and Possibility: A Tactical Approach to the Regeneration of Urban Spaces

PLACE AND POSSIBILITY: A TACTICAL APPROACH TO THE REGENERATION OF URBAN SPACES

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Philadelphia University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Sustainable Design

by Dominic Cacioppo August 2013

© 2013 Dominic Cacioppo

ABSTRACT

The evolution and decline of cities is a well-documented process. Cities in the United States are a unique case study as they have experienced an unprecedented rise and fall in less than a two hundred year span. Postwar population growth and suburban development in the last sixty years has caused lasting effects as thriving urban cores have been replaced by blight and widespread disparity.

This project explores the condition of urban blight in postindustrial cities, deconstructing the holistic extent of its effects on American society and analyzing existing methods of urban regeneration with the intent of creating a new paradigm for urban development that is responsive to the economic, social, and environmental challenges of the 21st Century. This project uses a hypothetical design, on a blighted, former industrial site along the Delaware Waterfront in Philadelphia, to test new methods for achieving neighborhood regeneration and to determine whether these methods can create the conditions needed for wider scale growth.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I could not have completed such a major undertaking without the help of many incredible people. Over the course of this research, Professors Robert Fryer and Robert Fleming each advised me on separate occasions. Their expertise in sustainability and steadfast support of my subject matter allowed me to find confidence in the work that I was creating. Professors Geeta Mehta and Scott Shall provided me with insight in the early stages of this process, as two other great minds from outside of Philadelphia University.

Professor Jason Crook provided guidance in the creation of a survey that I used to decipher current trends in Philadelphia. He was so kind and gracious in helping me start and distribute a survey from scratch. Matthew Emerson gave me much needed guidance on the Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association and regarding current site context. He assisted me occasionally on questions relative to the site. Brian McLaughlin of Provenance Architecturals also provided excellent insight on the site, alongside knowledge provided by Ben Gallman and the fine folks at Yards Brewery.

Josh Butz and Ryan Dillon were also kind enough to help me with site surveying. Katina Wright provided some landscape design guidance during the design stages. I would like to thank individuals or institutions that operated as hosts during the charrettes; this includes Philadelphia University, the Paradisos’ (Liz and Owen), the NLNA, and Alex Hillman at Indy Hall. A great group of subject matter experts helped me understand critical points regarding information needed to fully understand this project. These kind folks include iii

Mike Lydon, the Dekalb Market Vendors, Jason Crook, James Mascaro, and David Fecteau.

Other young professionals like Gage Duran and Sam Sero assisted with Revit program assistance and film editing for my presentation. I would also like to give special thanks to individuals who took the time and participated in my design charrettes and survey. These efforts were a great learning process. Lastly, I also would like to give praise to other wonderful minds that participated in other capacities along the way: Chris Robinson, Sean Campbell, Tia Conte, Pier Ignozzi-Shaffer, Liz Elam, Steven Pedigo, Adam Teterus, Danielle Dinacci, Phil Jenkin, Lisa Cooper, and the Ramas Family (Chris, Tristan, Dolly, and Edgardo) for allowing me to work in their coworking space.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................iii .................................................................................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................................vii LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................................................................................... viii ................................................................................................................................................................................................ x

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER 2: A TIMELINE TO POSTINDUSTRIAL AMERICA ......................................................... 3 The Age of the Compact City.................................................................................................. 4 Technological and Cultural Shifts ........................................................................................ 9 through the Mid-Twentieth Century The Baby Boom and Postwar Expansion ........................................................................................ 14 Understanding Deindustrialization ....................................................................................... 24 in Advanced Countries A Brief History of Northern Liberties........................................................................................ 26

CHAPTER 3: POSTINDUSTRIAL CITIES IN THE MODERN ERA ................................................. 31 America’s Emerging Cultural Shift................................................................................................ 32 The Creation of “Three Americas” ....................................................................................... 38 The Vacancy Problem in Philadelphia ........................................................................................ 41 Design and the Human Condition ........................................................................................ 44

CHAPTER 4: DEFINING SUSTAINABILITY ......................................................................................... 49 What is Sustainability? ................................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER 5: THE CITY AND URBAN REGENERATION ................................................................ 58 Sustainable Urbanism ................................................................................................... 58 Methods of Urban Regeneration ......................................................................................... 60 Philadelphia in Detail.......................................................................................... 68 Barriers and Challenges, Pt. 1 ....................................................................................... 75

CHAPTER 6: THE ROLE OF TACTICAL URBANISM ....................................................................... 78 v

Tactical Urbanism..................................................................................................... 78 Case Studies Oyster Bay, Long Island ........................................................................................... 80 Green Light for Midtown .......................................................................................... 84 Dekalb Market............................................................................................ 89 Benefits and Downsides............................................................................................ 98 of Tactical Interventions

CHAPTER 7: DESIGN CASE .....................................................................................................................105 Design Precedence and Existing Plans .................................................................................................105 Tactical Regeneration: A New Approach ......................................................................................... 110 Connector 23 Project Parameters ......................................................................................... 113 Design Process and Concept ......................................................................................... 113 Survey Analysis and Design Outlook ........................................................................................ 122 Barriers and Challenges, Pt. 2 ......................................................................................... 129

CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 131 REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................... 135 APPENDICES...................................................................................................................................... 156 Appendix A: Subject Matter Experts ....................................................................................... 156 Appendix B: Process Work/List of Participants ....................................................................... 159 Appendix C: Site Analysis ...................................................................................................... 174 Appendix D: Survey Template and Results ............................................................................... 199

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: “Your Driving Costs” study findings ................................................................................. 34

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LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 2: Figure 1: Street Scene in New York City, 1897 .................................................................................... 5 Figure 2: A Horsecar in 1917 .................................................................................................................. 7 Figure 3: On the Omnibus [Maurice Delondre, 1880] ......................................................................... 7 Figure 4: The Elevated Railway, Third Avenue, New York [Maggie Land Blanck Collection] ..... 11 Figure 5: A Streetcar on the San Diego Electric Railway, 1922 ........................................................ 11 Figure 6: Margaret Gorman in Birmingham car, 1921 ...................................................................... 12 Figure 7: Immigrants arrive at Ellis Island, Late 19th Century ......................................................... 12 Figure 8: A Suburban Family in Levittown, PA, 1950 ....................................................................... 15 Figure 9: Subdivision Housing in Levittown, NY .............................................................................. 15 Figure 10: Robert Moses plans the Battery Bridge, 1939 ................................................................... 19 Figure 11: Freeway Interchange, Los Angeles, 1967 [Ansel Adams] ................................................ 19 Figure 12: Urban Realms Model [Adapted, by Z. Bouras] ............................................................... 20 Figure 13: A Bird’s Eye View of the Delaware Waterfront and Philadelphia, 1840. ........................ 28 Chapter 3: Figure 14: The Real Cost of Vehicle Ownership ................................................................................ 34 Figure 15: Is the McMansion Era Over? ............................................................................................ 35 Figure 16: Gen Y Driving the Future of Real Estate .......................................................................... 36 Figure 17: City and Suburb Growth Shifts ......................................................................................... 37 Figure 18: City and Suburb Growth Rates, 2010-2011 ...................................................................... 37 Figure 19: Vacant Warehouses in North Philadelphia, 2012 ........................................................... 42 Figure 20: Vacant Row Home .............................................................................................................. 42 Chapter 4: Figure 21: The Triple Bottom Line [Recreated by D. Cacioppo] ...................................................... 50 Figure 22: Shear Zones [Recreated by D. Cacioppo] ......................................................................... 51 Figure 23: Carbon dioxide concentration at Mauna Loa Observatory ............................................ 54 Figure 24: Temperature, Jan-Aug. 2012 ............................................................................................. 55 Figure 25: Precipitation, Jan-Aug. 2012 ............................................................................................. 55

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Chapter 5: Figure 26: The Fresh Grocer at Progress Plaza, Exterior and Interior ............................................. 63 Figure 27: Pre-site conditions at Borneo Sporenburg ....................................................................... 65 Figure 28: Aerial of Borneo Sporenburg, Post-redevelopment ........................................................ 66 Figure 29: Borneo Sporenburg, Site Plan ........................................................................................... 66 Figure 30: Images of Borneo Sporenburg, 2011 [by the Author] .................................................... 66 ............................................................................................................................................... 67 Figure 31: Philadelphia Population 2000-2012 .................................................................................. 70 Figure 32: Philadelphia’s Changing Age Profile ................................................................................ 70 Figure 33: How Residents of Three Cities Get to Work ................................................................... 70 Figure 34: Number of Philadelphians Who Bicycle to Work ........................................................... 71 Figure 35: Philadelphia Delaware Riverfront Master Plan, Site Map .............................................. 75 Chapter 6: Figure 36: Tactical Interventions, Guerrilla Gardening .................................................................... 79 Figure 37: Tactical Interventions, Phone booth Reboot ................................................................... 79 Figure 38: Plans from 48 hours, 48 weeks, 48 years ........................................................................... 83 Figure 39: Billy Joel’s 20th Century Cycles ......................................................................................... 84 Figure 40: Green Light’s Pilot Tests (I). Before and After Photos ................................................... 86 Figure 41: Green Light’s Pilot Tests (II). Before and After Photos .................................................. 87 Figure 42: Cool Water, Hot Island [Molly Dilworth, 2010] ............................................................... 88 Figure 43: Images of Dekalb Market (I). ............................................................................................. 90 Figure 44: Vendors - Alison Lucien and Rebecca Cherewka ........................................................... 92 Figure 45: Vendors – Michael Spitz .................................................................................................... 94 Figure 46: Images of Dekalb Market (II) ............................................................................................ 94 Figure 47: Design/Build of 20K House ............................................................................................. 102 Figure 48: Design/Build Footbath intervention at Chiyoda Platform Square .............................. 103 Chapter 7: Figure 49: Northern Liberties Neighborhood Plan, ........................................................................ 106 Conceptual Design Plans and Rendering Figure 50: DRWC Master Plan – Spring Garden Zone, Site Plan ................................................. 108 Figure 51: DRWC Master Plan – Spring Garden Zone, Festival Pier Rendering ........................ 108 Figure 52: Core Realty Inc. – Penn Treaty Village, Site Plan ......................................................... 109 Figure 53: Tactical Regeneration, Concept Diagram ...................................................................... 111 ix

Figure 54: Connector 23, Concept Map ............................................................................................ 118 Figure 55: Connector 23, Site Plan ..................................................................................................... 118 Figure 56: Aerial from North Delaware Avenue .............................................................................. 119 Figure 57: East (Front)Elevation, looking west from N. Delaware Ave..........................................120 Figure 58: South Elevation .................................................................................................................. 120 Figure 59: West Elevation, looking down Connector 23 extension ................................................121 Figure 60: Streetscape improvements along Germantown Avenue .............................................. 121 Figure 61: Entrance to pathway along Front Street .......................................................................... 121 Figure 62: Shipping container shops & pocket park along walkway .............................................. 122 Figure 63: Merger into Connector 23 Redevelopment Zone .......................................................... 122 Figure 64: Connector 23, Impact Assessment .................................................................................. 126

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Chapter One: Introduction Since the beginning of the Industrial Age, cities have experienced more rapid changes in technology, culture, and growth patterns. The United States became a manufacturing powerhouse, reaching its height during the nineteenth century and continuing strong until the end of World War II. Historic population growth in the postwar decades increased the demand for housing as technological advancements and standards of living gave way to an era of expansive, sprawling developments.

At the same time, thriving cities lost their prominence and declined as people left for the suburbs and manufacturing in the United States dissipated.

Marked cultural and

generational shifts over the past decade have shifted the dynamic of cities towards a resurgence in status. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that a majority of the world’s population now lives in cities, setting a milestone moment for human history.1

These simultaneous shifts have collided with the growing demands and new

realities of the modern era.

American cities are stuck now at a crossroads as they

determine how to reconstruct new identities that address the scars of postindustrial decline with the new cultural norms of a high-tech, knowledge economy.

Philadelphia is a prime example of this dual reality as recent population growth is coincided by immense urban blight and disparity. The city is undertaking ambitious 1

Global Health Observatory (GHO).Urban population growth. [accessed, 08/19/13]. http://www.who.int/gho/urban_health/situation_trends/urban_population_growth_text/en/

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sustainable redevelopment plans and has targeted the Delaware Waterfront as an area that can help transform the city to a prominent destination. The waterfront has a rich and industrious history that sparked innovation and prosperity along its river wards, but has declined like the typical manufacturing cities in the United States. Recent regeneration and economic growth in Northern Liberties has given the city hope to replicate these efforts going forward.

North Delaware Avenue is a desolate section of Northern Liberties that is an interesting juncture between the Fordist patterns of the past and the cultural changes of the present.

This design research looks to determine how this site can play a role in the urban regeneration process.

It asserts that the adaptive reuse of existing vacant land and

buildings along the Philadelphia Waterfront will improve the local economy through the use of sustainable urban planning, phased development, and a bottom up top down approach to neighborhood regeneration. These measures will help serve the city as a catalyst towards re-establishing the Delaware River Waterfront as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship by creating a dynamic environment that works to meet the growing needs and challenges of the modern city, millennials, the creative class and local neighborhood members.

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Chapter Two: A Timeline to Postindustrial America

While traveling through numerous sections of the United States, the everyday American

will notice something rather fascinating. As they board their local rails or take longer treks on the lines of Amtrak across the Midwest or up and down the Northeastern seaboard, the businessmen and women, the family, and the young adults will all be spectators to this widespread phenomenon. Postindustrial America gleams through their railcar windows in the form of eminent factories of all shapes and sizes, still standing tall in the modern era, their dignity and character still intact.

These buildings, however, lie empty within larger expanses of barrenness. Gone are the factory workers, the manufactured products and commerce, and the distinct neighborhoods full of people that surrounded them. Riding through these former hubs is both overwhelming, in scale and reality, and inspiring to those with deep imaginations.

Cities like New York City, Cleveland, Detroit, Bridgeport, and Philadelphia are essentially vacant souls where one can travel through on an exploration of layers upon layers of history.

The present reality is that industrialization has come and gone. Times have clearly changed. Philadelphia is an intriguing case study as the city is in the process of a transition period as it moves forward from its industrial roots. One of the major challenges facing the city is the vacancy problem created by the loss of industry and shifts in development patterns. Large concentrations of vacant buildings and land stretch across many sections of 3

the city, causing a number of pervasive problems that will need to be addressed.

In order to fully understand this specific predicament, we must look back and trace the process of how the modern American city developed into its current state. Urban evolution in the United States has been determined by “the intraurban transportation system and particular movement technologies and network expansion processes that shaped distinctive patterns of spatial organization.”2 Geographer John S. Adams has categorized these events into a series of four eras. These include the Walking-Horsecar Era, the Electric Streetcar Era, the Recreational Automobile Era, and the Freeway Era.3 The Age of the Compact City In the early nineteenth century cities were more compact with high densities of people living within smaller localities. The urban core was infused with diverse groups of people and building types. Factories, residential, and civic spaces were all integrated into mixed use neighborhoods. Different social classes also lived together in the same quarters. For this reason, American cities from the period of 1820-1860, in particular, were known as walking cities.4 The pedestrian oriented structure of the city was an arrangement made more out of necessity than anything else. Various industrial buildings needed to be close to natural

2

Muller, P. O. (2004). Transportation and Urban Form: Stages in the Spatial Evolution of the American Metropolis, pp. 59.

3 Adams, J. S. (1970). Residential Structure of Midwestern Cities. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, pp. 44-46.

4 Chudacoff, Howard B., Smith, Judith E. (2005). The Evolution of American Urban Society (6th Ed.), 63-78.

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resources such as water, and people needed to be close to their places of employment. Basic amenities such as shops, markets, municipal offices, and libraries naturally emerged near these areas of high activity. At the time individual citizens relied heavily on walking as the transit technology did not exist for them to live further away from the central district.4

Figure 1: Street Scene in New York City, 1897.

Grand Army Plaza, NY [Museum of the City of New York]

Smaller agrarian cities grew on the outskirts of larger urban areas where farmers developed specific resources to supply to their metropolitan neighbors. For a period of time, many of these towns operated as independent entities. New groups of people from Scandinavia and Central Europe became the initial class of immigrants to flock to the New World. Free African Americans migrated as well to northeastern states where they could obtain more freedom and access to manufacturing jobs.4 Divergence away from the ultra-compact, pedestrian urban model occurred over the century for a number of reasons. One prominent cause of this shift was the intensifying effects of the industrial revolution. Cities rapidly industrialized. Manufacturing and 5 Â

population expansion placed the city in a new dynamic as incoming urbanites were thrown into competition with each for coveted factory jobs.

New ethnic compositions

simultaneously stirred social tensions and led to the development of segregated quarters.4 The introduction of the horsecar in 1827 was a pivotal advancement in transit at that time because it allowed greater mobility. During the following decades, citizens used the omnibus, or horse drawn carriage, to travel between specific points of activity.

Improvements in transportation allowed for better communication and travel between cities. Both local and long distance routes soon formed to meet the needs of cargo trading and commuting.5 The prospect of commuting was a novel and constant factor in land settlement habits.

Mass industrialization brought intense changes that were new to the urban habitat.

Pollution stemming from human and animal waste and industrial processes caused harm to the natural environment. These new synergies created unsanitary conditions that caused outbreaks of disease. The increase in density of new ethnic and racial groups, as well as the growing concerns over rising epidemics, hastened the affluent class’ desire to leave the urban core.5

5

Chudacoff, Howard B., Smith, Judith E. (2005). The Evolution of American Urban Society (6th Ed.), 84-108.

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Figures 2-3: A Horsecar in 1917; On the Omnibus [Maurice Delondre, 1880]

The horsecar’s presence in the city alone did not equate to full accessibility to all walks of society. This was because “fares on most omnibus lines ranged from six to twelve and a half cents per ride, and few laborers could afford twelve to twenty-five cents a day for transportation.”6 As the century moved along, the upper class effectively isolated itself in closed off private residences further away from the urban core while “the rest of the population resided in tiny overcrowded quarters.”7 These land development patterns were exacerbated by the introduction of the railroad at midcentury. Omnibus drivers strategically coordinated their routes based on demand as stops near railroad lines became popular.5 With the railroad and horsecar available at their service, the wealthy aptly spent more of their time residing in the suburbs. Land settlement grew adjacent to horsecar and rail stops. Geographic nodes, known as horsecar and railroad suburbs, were the country’s initial instances of the suburban concept.7 Pressure mounted from different forces as the city met increasingly deplorable

6 7

Chudacoff, Howard B., Smith, Judith E. (2005). The Evolution of American Urban Society (6th Ed.), 85.

Chudacoff, Howard B., Smith, Judith E. (2005). The Evolution of American Urban Society (6th Ed.), 84-108.

Muller, P. O. (2004). Transportation and Urban Form: Stages in the Spatial Evolution of the American Metropolis, pp. (64), 64-67.

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conditions amidst crowded spaces in the inner core. The expanding population and need to service growing districts in the hinterlands, led the state government to annex smaller towns outside of major metropolises.

These maneuvers allowed municipalities to

efficiently streamline governmental responsibilities. Over the second half of the nineteenth century many major cities reached their manufacturing peaks. The result was a repetition of the events that happened at midcentury.5 New transit technology took the horsecar off of cobblestone roads and placed it on rail tracks, greatly increasing travel times. The second influx of immigrants from Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe, subsequently, started after 1880.8 More challenges arose from tensions between established Americans and new ethnic groups in an even more populated country.

Pressure to improve urban health conditions and public transit

reoccurred.9 The differences now from the previous timespan were twofold. On one hand, the middle class strove and actively worked to leave the city center. They were able to move as far away as their means would allow them. Settlement patterns again branched out according to the location of transit line stops and their distance from the city’s core.

Secondly, the new concentric spatial structure, with the wealthiest residents living on the outermost ring, the middle class living on the middle ring, and the poorest population

8

United states immigration before 1965 — history.com articles, video, pictures and facts http://www.history.com/topics/united-states-immigration-to-1965 [accessed, 05/16/13].

9 Muller, P. O. (2004). Transportation and Urban Form: Stages in the Spatial Evolution of the American Metropolis, pp. 64-67.

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living in industrial area quarters in the urban core, meant that even with the massive spike in the population, cities were now less dense as increasing numbers of Americans grew accustomed to living dispersed across a newly formed suburban geography.10 Technological and Cultural Shifts through the Mid-Twentieth Century Advancements in industrial energy sourcing were important breakthroughs towards the end of the nineteenth century. Frank Sprague’s invention of the electric traction motor in 1888 led to the proliferation of the electric trolley and subways and elevated lines in the following decades. Electric traction also made it possible for railroad trains to move off of steam power. The contributions made by Sprague and his counterpart, Thomas Edison, with advancements in electrical power, provided the city with new tools and an overall new perspective. Street lights, for one, lit the dank city streets and changed the manner in which people experienced and viewed the urban environment.11 Electric trollies made travel via public transit faster and more convenient as it reached speeds over 15 mph. Land development patterns continued to span the outer urban periphery.

The transportation industry’s deployment of lines based on social class,

however, essentially acted as a system of segregation. Distinct delineations were now apparent in residential settlements as streetcar suburbs were separate from the worker

10

Muller, P. O. (2004). Transportation and Urban Form: Stages in the Spatial Evolution of the American Metropolis, pp. 64-67.

Chudacoff, Howard B., Smith, Judith E. (2005). The Evolution of American Urban Society (6th Ed.), 84-108, 208-215.

11 Muller, P. O. (2004). Transportation and Urban Form: Stages in the Spatial Evolution of the American Metropolis, pp. 67-69.

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towns that were built to house workers and their families close to factories. America’s increasing numbers of immigrants and its changing social context also successively led to the creation of ethnic districts.11 Economic forces effectively altered the face of the business market with the development of mass production techniques. Department store chains such as Filene’s and Macy’s soon appeared and gained great influence in cities. The quick production of goods made everyday service sector products cheaper and more readily available to many Americans. Cities responded by creating central business districts to promote themselves.

Department chains, meanwhile, promptly seized the opportunity by using mass marketing campaigns to increase sales and solidify the foundation of the nation’s growing consumer culture.12 The new building method of balloon frame construction allowed the construction industry to develop mass housing following the 1880’s. Low cost housing options, such as the cottage, soon became viable to the middle and even lower class. African American and European American manufacturing workers found access to affordable housing both independently and through their employers, as workers’ quarters and towns were built near workplaces. Many Americans found comfort in these developments as they effectively made the concept of home ownership more obtainable. These rapidly growing social trends made the notion of upward mobility a driving force that resonated in the mindsets

12

Chudacoff, Howard B., Smith, Judith E. (2005). The Evolution of American Urban Society (6th Ed.), 203-219.

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of all Americans, and increasingly, with citizens at the very bottom.12

Figures 4-5: The Elevated Railway, Third Avenue, New York [The Collection of Maggie Land Blanck]; A Streetcar on the San Diego Electric Railway, 1922 [sandiegoyesterday.com]

Subway and elevated line systems were first used at the beginning of the twentieth century; however, only large cities with enough capital such as New York, Philadelphia, and Boston could afford to implement these options into their city planning schemes.

Additional factors such as protests from other transit lines, city politics, and the start of WWI blocked the expansion of subways around the rest of the United States until the 1930’s.12 The perpetual development of sprawling housing settlements moved Americans away from the urban core. This resulted in the initial development of CBD’s in these areas just outside of the city. Municipalities in many states continued to annex suburban towns for a period of time, however, these places gained more power and autonomy as they grew in size, ultimately leading to their ability to remain separate from annexation and the bureaucracy of the city.11 The decade known as the Roaring Twenties started off on an important note, as the population of the United States reached its highest level in the country’s young history.

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America’s top twenty cities combined to have a population just shy of twenty million people.13 This period signified a milestone in the progression of American cities. Cities peaked as the cultural scene thrived with sporting events, motion pictures, and other forms of entertainment.

Consumer goods were also in production and now more readily

available to the middle class.12 This newfound urban nirvana, however, was short-lived as a gamut of evolving forces set the stages for a distinct metamorphosis. Ford’s invention of the Model T and assembly line process in 1908 was an innovational triumph for U.S. industry. Automobiles were quickly manufactured and delivered to a newly focused population that was now back from the war and ready to enjoy life. Increased leisurely activities caused cars to gradually integrate into American society.14

Figures 6-7: Margaret Gorman in Birmingham car, 1921. Washington, D.C. [shorpy.com]; Immigrants arrive at Ellis Island, Late 19th Century [nycxploer.com]

New faces also appeared in cities in higher numbers. Farmers and African Americans

13

Population of the 20 largest U.S. cities, 1900–2010 - infoplease.com. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922422.html [accessed, 04/16/13].

14 Muller, P. O. (2004). Transportation and Urban Form: Stages in the Spatial Evolution of the American Metropolis, pp. 69-75.

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left their roots in the countryside and Deep South to find employment in urban factories.

These opportunities increased as immigration restriction policies were enacted during different periods during the twenties and thirties. A converging melting pot of both new and old groups now lived side by side in competition for jobs and a better quality of life in the city.15 Legislation passed on the federal and local levels that supported development of the suburbs, effectively laying the foundation for a major, more permanent restructuring of American society. The nature of this shift caused a prominent mutation of the urban built environment. Euclidean Zoning laws began this process by separating land use by building function. Streets, meanwhile, were widened and highways were added to accommodate the automobile and further development outside of the city.16 Developers were emboldened by governmental policies, such as the Federal Housing Authority and Veterans Affairs low interest loans, which made housing cheap and readily available. Cities soon lost factories and businesses to suburban locations as the higher populations of people in these locations needed services and goods. Private developers no longer had a reason to invest in the city, so they pulled out their businesses and subsidies for infrastructure. Local municipalities took control of public transportation, but the drastic decrease in demand led to a rapid decay of urban amenities and public transit

15

Muller, P. O. (2004). Transportation and Urban Form: Stages in the Spatial Evolution of the American Metropolis, pp. 69-75.

Chudacoff, Howard B., Smith, Judith E. (2005). The Evolution of American Urban Society (6th Ed.), 227-246.

16 Chudacoff, Howard B., Smith, Judith E. (2005). “The Evolution,” 227-246.

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companies.15 The Baby Boom and Postwar Expansion In the years following the turn of the mid-twentieth century, life in America took a considerable shift in a new direction. The cultural impetus that favored consumerism and anti-urban sentiments were nothing new as Americans became predisposed to these attributes over the past century. A major sea change, nevertheless, was upon the United States in terms of scale. America was moving into an era of unprecedented population growth and land development.

Technology and federal policies opened the door for social equity in the post-WWII decades of the forties, fifties and sixties. Land development policies, technology, and social status were essentially all interconnected. In the early 1940’s, the real estate developer Abraham Levitt started his family owned company, Levitt and Sons. The Levitts successfully devised building construction techniques that allowed them to rapidly construct new suburban homes and communities at a pace of “150 houses per week and one (house) every fifteen minutes.”17 From 1947-1951, the Levitt family developed the planned community known as Levittown in New York. Levittown was the first prototype of the contemporary suburban housing subdivision. It featured 17,400 individual houses (with a population of 82,000

17

Chudacoff, Howard B., Smith, Judith E. (2005). “The Evolution,” 253.

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people) spread over 4,000 acres of former farmland.18 Housing subdivisions are distinct residential developments that consist of large, separate single family houses clustered and dispersed within isolated communities.19

Figures 8-9: A Suburban Family in Levittown, PA, 1950. [Bernard Hoffman/Time Life/Getty Images]; Subdivision Housing in Levittown, NY [som.gmu.edu/]

After the Second World War ended, the Federal Government enacted a series of legislative policies that were conducive to suburban development. The Federal Housing Act (FHA) of 1949 and the Veterans Affairs (VA) loans programs provided loans to veterans and their families.

These government backed policies provided the newly

burgeoning middle class with loans for low-rate, long-term mortgages while dually subsidizing land and housing development.19 The direction of the United States at this time was shaped by the Baby Boomer Generation and reinstatement of immigration. These changes both spiked the U.S. population with an increase of 53.4 million during the fifties

18

Levittown - history and overview of levittown. http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/levittown.htm [accessed, 04/27/13].

19 Duany, A., Plater-Zyberk, E., & Speck, J. (2010). Suburban Nation: the Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream, 5, 7-9, 59-83.

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and sixties.20 The Interstate Highway Act of 1956 was the last critical piece of the equation. It provided municipalities funding to add built roadways and freeways between major cities and developments in the suburbs.

Cities started widening streets and constructing

extensive freeway systems to accommodate suburbanite families.21 The automobile, “which was introduced in the 1920’s and 30’s at a leisurely pace,”22 was now affordable to larger numbers of the population. Favorable federal subsidies allowed developers like William Levitt to continue to build massive housing developments where they could sell homes for $8,000-$12,000 each with low monthly payments of around $57.23 The combination of new building methods, federal policy, and the growing middle class provided a majority of the American population with all the tools necessary to finally live the life they wanted outside of the urban core. At previous points in time, individuals were always limited by some element, be it, technological or economical. Only the super affluent could afford to live in the nicest rural estates in the countryside outside of the city. Middle class groups could follow them to a degree, but they could not afford the costs of public transit and the price of high end residences. Both the upper and middle class were still ultimately limited by technology. The poor, who could find some sort of solace in working

20

Myers, D., & Pitkin, J. (2009). Demographic Forces and Turning Points in the American City, 19502040. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, pp. (98), 97-99.

21 Duany, A., Plater-Zyberk, E., & Speck, J. (2010). Suburban Nation: the Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream, 85-98.

22 Muller, P. O. (2004). “Transportation and Urban Form,” pp. 70.

23 William Levitt. http://www.topbusinessentrepreneurs.com/william-levitt.html [accessed, 04/27/13].

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communities or towns, had the least mobility and remained mostly in and around the urban core.

In this new American landscape, there were no longer any limits for those of financial means. The magnitude of this new society resulted in a sudden and momentous, rapid exodus from cities across the country, leaving an aftermath that is still engrained in the everyday lives of Americans today. Cities now began the full shift away from their roots as walkable, industrial hubs for innovation and prosperity. The composition of metropolitan areas also now had a new look.

Cities and suburbs each experienced even broader transformations during this societal shift. As the suburbs were gaining prominence, powerful city officials were experimenting with ways to cater to this emerging suburban lifestyle. To accomplish this, city planners began large-scale redevelopment and expansion projects throughout the United States.

Federal policies and cultural demands aided the speedy formation of infrastructure development.

In New York City, Robert Moses rose to power and eventually took the reins of most of the expansion plans for the city and state. From 1947-1954, he directed an unprecedented scale of freeway, building, and housing projects that garnered him the nickname, “Master Builder.”24 As an unelected official, Moses rose to become the City’s Commissioner of Parks and Planning. His ferocious appetite for development lead to the creation of projects such

24

Glaeser, E. (2007). Great cities need great builders - the new york sun. http://www.nysun.com/arts/great-cities-need-great-builders/47012/ [accessed, 04/28/13].

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as the Cross-Bronx Expressway, the Triborough Bridge, Shea Stadium, Jones Beach State Park, and numerous other notable works. At one point, Moses simultaneously held an astounding twelve state and local positions in the State of New York.25 Increasing power and reach gave Moses the ability to swiftly move forward with his vision. The federal and state governments enabled this process by providing him with vast funding and zero regulation or approval from local authorities. Moses proceeded to use loopholes in the Housing Act of 1949 to take control of large tracks of blighted and viable land in urban neighborhoods under the powers of condemnation and eminent domain.

Land was obtained and neighborhood blocks were then bulldozed to make way for expressways and new business parks. The end outcome matched his desire to restrict public transit and provide the middle class with the means to access residences, state parks, and amenities in suburbia.26

25

Sarachan, S. (2013). The legacy of robert moses - need to know (PBS). http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/environment/the-legacy-of-robert-moses/16018/ [accessed, 4/28/13] Ballon, H., & Jackson, K. T.Robert. Moses and the Modern City (exhibition website). http://www.learn.columbia.edu/moses/ [accessed, 4/28/13] 26 Chudacoff, Howard B., Smith, Judith E. (2005). “The Evolution,” 260-261.

Glaeser, E. (2007). Great cities need great builders - the new york sun. http://www.nysun.com/arts/great-cities-need-great-builders/47012/ [accessed, 04/28/13].

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Figures 10-11: Robert Moses plans the Battery Bridge, 1939. [C.M. Stieglitz]; Freeway Interchange, Los Angeles, 1967 [Ansel Adams]

The resulting “white flight” from cities occurred quickly and left deep impacts. Kenneth Jackson notes how city planners and developers used zoning laws and exclusive business strategies to discriminate against African Americans and immigrant minorities. Suburban municipalities, for example, used land-use zoning restrictions to keep factories and apartments from being built in or near their boundaries. Developers like William Levitt, meanwhile, prohibited the sale of houses to minority families.27 The culmination of these forces transformed the suburbs and cities into starkly contrasting entities over the period of 1950-1980. Suburbs created their own CBD’s to supplement the needs of their expansive housing subdivisions. Strip malls and shopping centers soon formed alongside industrial business (or office) parks and civic institutions in town centers. Each component of the modern suburban community revolved around sprawl, a highly spread out land use density that required large parking lots and freeways to

27

Jackson, K. T. (1985). Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States, 234-245.

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accommodate heavy automobile usage.28 Cities experienced a great decline during this timeframe. Urban theorists reported large concentrations of blight and social decay in zones defined as “gray areas,” or sections of the city where residential, business, and industrial quarters once operated.

These zones

morphed into desolate places that exacerbated the conditions of urban decline.29 The new boundaries of the suburb and city, prompted urban planning professionals to extensively study land development patterns. Over the twentieth century, major theories were released

by E.W. Burgess, Homer Hoyt, and other urban practitioners.30

Figures 12: Urban Realms Model, T. Hartshorn and P.O. Muller.

[Adapted with permission by Z. Bouras]

28

Duany, A., Plater-Zyberk, E., & Speck, J. (2010). Suburban Nation: the Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream, 5-9, 85-98.

29 Hoover, Edgar Malone; Vernon, Raymond,,. (1959). Anatomy of a Metropolis; The Changing Distribution of People and Jobs within the New York Metropolitan Region, pp. (93), 93-95, 105-107 30 Guttenberg, A., & American Planning Association. Pathways in American Planning History: A Thematic Chronology. http://www.txplanning.org/media/files/page/Planning_History_1785_to_2000.pdf [accessed 5/2/13].

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In 1964, James Vance, Jr. proposed a thesis which adapted previous studies and pinpointed the new conditions of the built environment.

His Urban Realms Model

reiterated that suburban areas diverged from urban centers, yet recognized that the growing outward expansion relinquished the importance of the Central Business District.

Sprawling developments in the outer zones (formerly known as concentric rings), created isolated realms of higher importance which included new suburban CBD’s, downtowns, exurbs, and edge cities. Exurbs are settlements too far away from the city core to be considered suburbs. They highlight the extent of suburban development in postwar planning.31 Urban redevelopment efforts and the changing housing market contributed to constant swings in the growth of cities and suburbs in the following decades. The period between 1970 to the present witnessed a series of swings in urban decline, renewed apartment construction, and continued expansion in the suburban areas. A housing boom occurred in the 1990’s and continued until 2007. At this point in 2007-2008, the housing bubble collapsed and nearly brought down the U.S. economy.29 In retrospect, the powerful actions of William Levitt, Robert Moses, and their cohorts should not be fully scorned, no matter how negative and far-reaching the effects from their decisions are felt in society today. The advent of the modern suburban culture marked a critical point in American history because a series of major, underlying forces converged to

31

Bouras, Z. (2010). : Urban realms V.2. http://www.lewishistoricalsociety.com/wiki/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=44 [accessed 5/2/13].

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drastically change the physical and socioeconomic structure of American society through the proliferation of suburban sprawl. The mentality of the postwar generation of Moses and the Levitts were predetermined by cultural values and coinciding factors that developed over the previous century.

Shifts in American land development were determined by culture, geography, technological advancement, federal policies, and population expansion. The American anti-sentiment towards the industrial city was strong, dating back to the days of Thomas Jefferson. British colonies, and later American states, were always agrarian in nature. The primary reason major cities were formed because of the sudden inception of industrialization. The yeoman values of individualism, health, self-reliance, and connectivity with nature, that were championed by Jefferson struck a chord with most common Americans and became ingrained in their views of the world.32 The rural lifestyle coveted by the American populace was also the byproduct of circumstance. Specific social and geographic factors helped cultivate the cultural norms that became a staple of modern American values.

Jackson points out America’s

advantageous position in terms of geography and social well-being. He notes that the United States had access to “almost literally endless” amounts of land, full of natural resources such as forests and green lands. Wages in the country were also high and the

32

Jackson, K. T. (1985). Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States, 45-86, 128-137, 231-245.

Hofstadter, R. (2011). The myth of the happy yeoman - american history lives at american heritage. http://www.americanheritage.com/content/myth-happy-yeoman [accessed, 05/02/13].

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price of land was cheap.

The federal government, as aforementioned, aided land

development through policies favorable to residential settlement. These elements were nonexistent in Canada, Russia, and individual European countries.33 It should be less surprising to understand how much of an impact rural values had on American societal norms. Moving forward, these standards were influential to the likes of historian Frederick Jackson Turner and the architect, Frank Lloyd Wright; both of whom were Midwesterners. Turner wrote about the significance of rural life in his Frontier Thesis in 1893.34 Wright used the Jeffersonian principles to create his hypothetical vision for the Broadacre City master plan in 1934. The ever tenacious architect proposed developing vast parcels of lightly populated, self-sufficient agrarian cities where every individual would own one acre of land, an automobile, be active farmers, and have access to nearby institutional centers and amenities.35 Architect Anthony Alofsin has stated that while Frank Lloyd Wright’s Broadacre City may have shared some similarities with suburban living, it was not a precursor to the present day suburb, as “it is not like the suburbs at all.” He adds that “Broadacre had a variety of building types and social and cultural activities within a very limited population

33

Jackson, K. T. (1985). Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States, 128-137.

Frederick Jackson Turner’s “Frontier thesis” - the gilder lehrman institute of american history. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/development-west/timeline-terms/frederick-jackon-turnersfrontier-thesis-0 [accessed, 05/17/13].

35 Waldheim, C. (2010). Notes toward a history of agrarian urbanism: Places: Design observer. http://places.designobserver.com/feature/notes-toward-a-history-of-agrarian-urbanism/15518/ [accessed, 05/17/13].

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frame that is different from what we think of as a conventional suburb.”36 With that said, this concept is still an intriguing window into how societal values translated into the built environment. For all his greatness, even Wright could not predict the extensive shifts in population, culture, and the after effects of technological advancement and inefficient land planning.

It is these forces that have played a large hand in determining the course of

modern America.

Understanding Deindustrialization in Advanced Countries Economists from around the world have varying opinions on the causes of deindustrialization in advanced industrial countries. Extensive research on the topic has led finance experts to agree on some key causes and disagree on others.

Theorists,

however, largely believe in a primary set of factors that revolve around changes in the economic sector, technology, and productivity.

Robert Rowthorn and Ramana

Ramaswamy summarize these sentiments by noting that the United States, in particular has shifted away from a manufacturing nation and into a service based economy. Employment rates in manufacturing in the U.S. have fallen from 28% in 1965 to 16% in 1994.37 Current figures show that the American economy is composed of 70% in the service based or tertiary sector.38 Rowthorn and Ramaswamy state that increases in the

36

Anthony Alofsin as quoted in Don, K. (2010). Frank Lloyd Wright’s utopian dystopia – next city. http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/frank-lloyd-wrights-utopian-dystopia [accessed, 05/17/13].

37 Rowthorn, B., Ramaswamy, R. & International Monetary Fund. (1997). Deindustrialization Its Causes and Implications, pp. 1-3, 4-11.

38 Sanders, J. (2010). The american illusion of wealth - economy in crisis. http://economyincrisis.org/content/american-illusion-wealth [accessed, 05/06/13].

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expenditures of domestic services means that there is a higher output in services vs. manufacturing production. The United States, in reality, simply does not make much of anything anymore. Technological advancement additionally contributes to employment loss through displacement of manual labor with higher productivity in manufacturing processes. This increase in productivity results in a need for fewer workers.37 Rowthorn and Ramaswamy conclude that the primary factor in U.S. deindustrialization is the country’s growing trade deficit in manufacturing and subsequent loss in value added to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). They do not, however, believe that manufacturing loss has much causation with North-South trade, which is referred to as globalization.37 North-South trade occurs when advanced industrialized nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) trade with developing countries.39 One example of globalization is the contemporary global practice of a company shipping its manufacturing operations overseas to a country like India, where the same goods can be produced for a significantly reduced cost of labor.

On the other side of the debate, some economists like Arthur Alderson disagree with this position.

Alderson

tested

the

effects

of

globalization

by

studying

whether

deindustrialization in advanced countries is the result of stagnant post WWII industrial growth or cyclical process.

His research finds that “the net impact of failure and

globalization on manufacturing employment is significantly more modest than is assumed 39

Alderson, A. S. (1999). Explaining Deindustrialization: Globalization, Failure, or Success? American Sociological Review, pp. 701-705, 716-718.

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in critical treatments of deindustrialization.”39 Alderson continues by stating that globalization may shift a country’s investments towards a service based economic model. He believes that over the long term, this shift away from the manufacturing sector will cause OECD countries to fall into a “wealth trap.”

Under this scenario, foreign nations invest in the host country and generate more economic growth than the country could produce on its own. Multinational corporations are common examples of foreign investors in this scheme. They can run a commodity based or an alternate sector business with their own employees and without necessarily needing to be physically located in that home country.39 As Alderson writes in summary, the post-1970 decline in manufacturing is partially the result of unavoidable peak economic growth that would have occurred naturally. The decrease in demand for industrial products would then result in a shift to a service based economy. He proclaims that such a shift is important in the larger scheme of economic growth in former industrial powerhouses like the United States. However, more research is needed to further understand the wealth trap and overall process of globalization.39 A Brief History of Northern Liberties Philadelphia’s waterfront along the Delaware River is an area rich with history and character. It has played a significant role in the city since its early development. In 1682, William Penn arrived from England and founded the City of Philadelphia. His colony of Quakers was met by lush rivers, lands, and the native tribes of the Lenni Lenape Indians.

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Penn signed an historic peace treaty in 1683 along the river near an elm tree at present day Penn Treaty Park.40 William Penn used geographical resources to plan the city between an East and West axis. The dual bodies of the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers were used as valuable points of activity that guided the development of the city from opposite directions.

Specific

partitions of rural land were designated by Penn as areas for farming and estates for the affluent early colonists. These districts included many of the prominent river wards such as Northern Liberties, Fishtown, and Kensington. At this early stage in its history, Northern Liberties was nicknamed the Liberty Lands and operated as independent entity outside of the central city and the adjacent Township of Northern Liberties.41 The Delaware River was always a critical port for trading dating back to its roots. As the Industrial Revolution changed cities around the world, Philadelphia emerged as an industrial hub. Manufacturing and maritime businesses such as mills, tanneries, iron works, and breweries soon rose next to prominent shipyards and centers of commerce.

Northern Liberties capitalized on its natural topographical resources by using smaller tributaries to power industrial factories. Rivers like Pegg’s Run and Cohocksink Creek were also vitalized to transport goods and people to key points across the city.41 During this period, Philadelphia experienced a golden age of innovation and prosperity that lasted much of the nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century. The need 40 41

Kyriakodis, H. G. (2011). Philadelphia's Lost Waterfront, 13-19, 60-84, (77), 156-162.

Kyriakodis, H. G. (2012). Northern Liberties: The Story of A Philadelphia River Ward, 17-39, 69-79, 98-101.

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for skilled labor attracted many artisans from Germany and other parts of Europe.40 The river wards, in particular, garnered vibrancy through its various trading businesses and breakthroughs in ideas. John Fritch and Stephen Girard are two good models of the city’s early magnates.

Fritch predated Robert Fulton to create the world’s first working

steamship in 1786. Girard was a French American shipping and banking entrepreneur and philanthropist. Operating from his helm in Northern Liberties, he innovated the trade industry, owned and curated a grocery store, and eventually became the richest man in America during the 1800’s.42

Figure 13: A Bird’s Eye View of the Delaware Waterfront and Philadelphia, 1840.

[Philadelphia Water Department Historical Collection] The city mirrored the country as a whole as modernity arose and forced dramatic shifts in the built environment. When industrialization and population surges ensued in the mid-nineteenth century, the city annexed Northern Liberties and much of the river wards in 1854 to accommodate this continual growth.41 Mounting cultural and transportation

42

Kyriakodis, H. G. (2011). Philadelphia's Lost Waterfront, 13-19, 60-84, (77), 156-162.

Kyriakodis, H. G. (2012). Northern Liberties: The Story of A Philadelphia River Ward, 17-39, 69-79, 98-101, 145-147.

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pressures led to the creation of the subway system known as the Market East Elevated Line in 1922. It was one of the few subway lines in the United States that operated both under and above ground.43 By the 1940’s, Philadelphia’s population was as diverse as the other top American metropolises.

Eastern Europeans were now integrated with Irish, Italians, Germans,

African Americans, and other ethnic groups. Many minority groups like Jews, Poles, and Blacks remained in the urban core after the decades following the Second World War. Districts along the waterfront remained bustling even despite the suburban migration away from the city. Open air markets like the Marshall Street Marketplace thrived as a hub for trade and community gathering.4041 Northern Liberties is truly a microcosm of the American industrial city’s rise and fall.

Much of the same patterns that plagued the United States repeated themselves here and along the Delaware River. The rise of the Freeway Era was in full force. Historian Harry Kyriakodis recounts the battle over the Delaware Expressway project after its approval in 1956. Philadelphia’s esteemed city planner, Edmund Bacon, led the Regional Planning Commission’s plans to build a freeway through most of the riverfront districts.4041 The architect, Frank Weise loudly opposed the project and offered an alternative underground expressway. Bacon, as Kyriakodis notes, opted to finalize the project without changes because he believed it would be best for the automobile drivers. Protests led by 43

Bond, E. (2012). History - market elevated train - philadelphia urban renewal - examiner.com. http://www.examiner.com/article/history-market-elevated-train [accessed, 05/16/13].

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Weise’s Philadelphia Architects Committee and other preservationist groups continued on.

The battle ended with only minimal changes made in 1967. By 1985, the I-95 Expressway was complete and large pieces of Philadelphia’s prestigious history were destroyed during the process.4041 Urban decline hit districts like Northern Liberties hard as industry disappeared and middle class Americans left the city altogether. Philadelphia became a desolate, run down place during the coming decades. By the 1990’s, Northern Liberties was a district littered by slums, crime, and abandoned buildings. Redevelopment projects like developer, Bart Blatstein’s the Piazza at Schmidt’s project revitalize the area in the post year 2000 era. Light industry, an eclectic art scene, and sustainable architecture currently help to continue this process. 44 Cities like Philadelphia ultimately highlight the measured change of America’s urban centers in a span of just over two hundred years. We can distinctly see how a progression of cultural standards, technological advances, population growth, and reactionary actions immensely transformed the American city. People in power were prone to make horribly misplaced decisions amidst the cultural currents of their generation. The best that citizens can do in the present is to study and learn from the past so that the same great mistakes are not repeated again.

44

Northern Liberties PlanPhilly: Planning philadelphia's future (2013). http://legacy.planphilly.com/neighborhood/41 [accessed, 05/16/13].

Kyriakodis, H. G. (2012). Northern Liberties: The Story of A Philadelphia River Ward, 148-169.

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Chapter Three: Postindustrial Cities in the Modern Era The United States’ postindustrial decline signifies that the country is in the process of moving towards a new economic era. Over the past two decades the knowledge economy has taken center stage, with modern breakthroughs in computer technology and social media outlets. Companies like Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Facebook have redefined the platform for job creation and innovation in the form of software, devices, search engines, and internet apps.

Some cities have already reacted early on to this transition, placing them ahead of other cities still in search of their own identity. At the same time, demographic preferences are steadily shifting towards a new societal mindset different from previous generations.

Socioeconomic and environmental conditions occur in a state of constant flux as new concerns arise and America determines a path to move forward out from the grasp of the ensuing Great Recession. These and numerous other variables point in the direction of cities and their increasing significance as the key to future economic recovery and growth.

With all of this mounting pressure, it is clear that cities must adapt to meet the changing needs and challenges of the modern society. The route to finding the best path forward must start with a closer examination of the existing conditions or “the why.� Looking at the current effects of the postindustrial environment will help us understand the reasons why cities matter again and bring clarity to the methods necessary to address our most pressing problems.

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America’s Emerging Cultural Shift A series of developing patterns point to a generational shift in lifestyle preferences amongst two primary demographic groups in the United States: millennials and baby boomers.

Growing sources of data indicate that these two distinct sections of the

population are currently moving or plan to migrate to cities in the coming decades. This is a trend that real estate developers are taking notice of as both of these demographics currently combine to total 150 million in population with millennials on track to outnumber all other demographics by 22 million by 2030.45 Millennials, also referred to as Generation Y, are the youth demographic born after 1980 and between the ages of 18-29. These growing young adults are making life decisions much differently than their parents’ generation, the Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1963.46 Studies by the Pew Research Center show changes in educational attainment, technology and social media, and consumer behaviors. Pew finds the following regarding millennials:    

They are more formally educated than previous generations 90% of them use the internet or text occasionally while 75% created a social networking profile This generation is more ethnically diverse Is more likely to delay marriage and buying a house until after they finish their education and start their careers46

A deeper look into the subject of ownership yields even more interesting changes. Pew 45

46

U.N., Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2011). Bcg.perspectives - the millennial consumer. Retrieved 7/14/2013 from https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/articles/consumer_insight_marketing_millennial_consumer/ Pew Research Center. (February 2010). Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next (Confident. Connected. Open to Change), pp. 1-38, 51-62.

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reports that between 2007 -2011, individuals younger than 25, have reduced car use and ownership from 73% to 66%, while home ownership has dropped by 6 points to 34%, and credit card debt has decreased by 9 points to 39.47 Some of these behaviors can certainly be attributed to the economic recession. However, more evidence points to the notion that these patterns might be more than just a series of temporary trends.

These preferences more likely signal a change in values, especially on the subject of ownership. As real estate writer, G.M. Filisko notes, millennials “have drastically different views of transportation from those of generations that came before them…and they want to spend as little time as possible (commuting) unless they can simultaneously do things they value, like texting, exercising, or socializing.”48 Richard Florida, the prominent urban studies theorist, adds that “young people today no longer see the car as a necessary expense or a source of personal freedom.” He believes that “in fact, it is increasingly just the opposite: not owning a car and not owning a house are seen by more and more as a path to greater flexibility, choice, and personal autonomy.”49 The decisions of young individuals are often linked to the place in which they live.

Having a car and house is indeed a burden. Living in the suburbs, where housing and services are spread out over numerous miles, creates even more problems. The AAA’s

47

Fry, R., & Pew Research Center. (February 21, 2013). Young Adults After the Recession: Fewer Homes, Fewer Cars, Less Debt. Pew Research Center.

48 How millennials move: The car-less trends | realtor.org Retrieved 7/14/2013, 2013, from http://www.realtor.org/articles/how-millennials-move-the-car-less-trends 49 The great car reset - richard florida - the atlantic. Retrieved 7/14/2013, 2013, from http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/06/the-great-car-reset/57606/

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calculation of the annual costs of vehicle ownership shows that besides increases in fuel prices, car owners must also account for increases in maintenance, insurance, and depreciation. Ownership of a Sedan, for example, saw surges in fuel (up 1.93%) and maintenance costs (up 11.26%). Total costs reached over $9,000 a year (See Table 1 and Figure 14).50

Table 1: “Your Driving Costs” study findings [AAA, 2013]

Figure 14: The Real Cost of Vehicle Ownership [AAA, 2013]

Gaining a clear picture of household size choices is a trickier topic to forecast. In 2010, the real estate firm, Trulia, released a consumer survey report showing that it might be the end of the McMansion era, citing a survey that studied American attitudes on 50

Cost of owning and operating vehicle in U.S. increases nearly two percent according to AAA’s 2013 ‘Your driving costs’ study- AAA NewsRoom Retrieved 7/17/2013, 2013, from http://newsroom.aaa.com/2013/04/cost-of-owning-andoperating-vehicle-in-u-s-increases-nearly-two-percent-according-to-aaas-2013-your-driving-costs-study/

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homeownership. The results showed that 28 percent of those polled favored buying a house between 1,400-2,000 square feet.51 The topic is still up for debate, however, as conflicting statistics in the last two years show. In 2011, the National Home Builders Association predicted that by 2015 smaller homes would signal an end to expansion52, as the Census Bureau reported in 2012 that the U.S. median home size increased to an all-time record high at 2,306 square feet.53

Figure 15: Is the McMansion Era Over? [Trulia, 2010]

The land-use economics firm, RCLCO, released a 2012 report stating that “77% of Generation Y plan to live in an urban core…and that capturing this group will be critical to economic vitality through 2050.”54 This is backed up in part by projections from the Urban Institute estimating that Echo Boomers (Millennials) will form 15.6 to 18.8 million new households and 4.8 to 6 million new renter households between 2010 and 2020 alone, 51

The McMansion era is over: Trulia's latest data about american attitudes toward home sizes Retrieved 7/18/2013, from http://www.trulia.com/blog/taranelson/2010/08/the_mcmansion_era_is_over_trulia_s_latest_data_about_american_ attitudes_toward_home_sizes 52 The shrinking american home - developments - WSJ Retrieved 7/18/2013, 2013, from http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2011/01/13/the-shrinking-american-home/ 53 Home sizes growing again - jun. 4, 2013 Retrieved 7/18/2013, 2013, from http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/04/real_estate/home-size/index.html?iid=HP_LN 54 Kannan, S. (2012). Suburbia, Soccer Moms, SUVs and Smart Growth. RCLCO, pp. 11.

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dependent on economic conditions and levels of individual debt.55

Figure 16: Gen Y Driving the Future of Real Estate. [RCLCO, 2012]

Millennials ultimately want to move to urban centers out of convenience. They do not want to make long commutes to get to services or to own and maintain expensive pieces of property. It is important for them to have access to like-minded people, young and old, social connections, new technology, and alternative transit options56 in diversified environments with unique identities. Their Baby Boomer parents want convenience as well.

They will flock to urban and semi-urban small towns in an Empty Nesters

phenomenon now that their children have moved out and they no longer want or need to drive and own spacious homes. Denser, walkable communities will provide them with the 55

Economic Policy Program Housing Commission. (March 2012). Demographic Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. Housing Markets, pp. 14-19.

56 Norris, N. (April 2012). Why generation Y is causing the great migration of the 21st century. Retrieved 07/14/2013 from http://www.placemakers.com/2012/04/09/generation-ys-great-migration/

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social interaction and ease that is most suitable for their present needs. 57 Some national writers like Joel Kotkin believe that suburbs, and not cities, will be the centers of growth in America. Kotkin references data from the 2010 Census Bureau which show suburban population growth in the last ten years.58 His claim that suburbs continue to grow is not unfounded. However, his point has limitations. Recent research from the Brookings Institute analyzing Census data between 2010-2011 shows that cities grew 1.1 percent compared to that of 0.9 percent in suburban areas. When dissecting the figures of cities with over one million people in size, they found the highest growth rates in Washington, D.C., Denver, Atlanta, New York, and Philadelphia (See Figures below).59

Figures 17-18: City and Suburb Growth Shifts [Brookings Institution, 2012] City and Suburb Growth Rates, 2010-2011

This debate over the future of economic growth will undoubtedly continue until we see

57

Millennials and baby boomers migrating to cities: What it means for the city of the future Retrieved 7/14/2013, from http://www.policymic.com/articles/20130/millennials-and-baby-boomers-migrating-to-cities-what-it-means-forthe-city-of-the-future

58

America's future is taking shape in the suburbs - newgeography.com. Retrieved 7/17/2013, from http://www.newgeography.com/content/002992-americas-future-is-taking-shape-in-the-suburbs 59 Â Demographic Reversal: Cities Thrive, Suburbs Sputter - Brookings Institution. Retrieved 7/17/2013, from http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2012/06/29-cities-suburbs-freyÂ

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more statistics on these activities moving forward. From looking at these different groups of data, the point being argued in this section of this paper is that even if suburbs lose a tiny portion of their growth and cities grow five, ten, or even fifteen points and above, that would be a prominent shift for America’s urban cores. Cities will need to be prepared to effectively respond to these current patterns that likely could be a primary catalyst for these changes.

The Creation of “Three Americas” In his recently released book, The New Geography of Jobs, economist Enrico Moretti released pivotal information on the state of the United States based on his research analysis of 11 million American workers in 320 metropolitan areas. He discovered that the U.S. is composed of three groups of cities he calls “Three Americas,” that differ distinctly.

On the one hand there are the Brain Hubs.

These are cities like San Francisco,

Washington, D.C., Boston, Seattle and Austin that contain a well-educated labor force and a strong innovation sector which are continuing to attract talent and grow new jobs.60 On the other side of the spectrum is the Traditional Manufacturing Hubs, or postindustrial cities like Detroit, Cleveland, and Flint, MI that are in rapid decline, losing jobs and people. In the middle are Transitional Cities that can go either way. Moretti calls this reality, “the Great Divergence” because “the paradox is that the very success of this country’s engine of growth is generating a deep and growing inequality among American

60

Moretti, E. (2012). The New Geography of Jobs, 19-44, (14), 73-120.

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communities.” The deep disparities seen across the nation are steeped in socioeconomic differences that affect all aspects of life from income levels to economic growth, quality of life, educational attainment, life expectancy, civic engagement, and political discourse.60 The key factor that separates the brain hubs from the manufacturing hubs is the social multiplier effect, which highlights the causation that people are a product of their environment. Morretti, for example, points out that poorly educated individuals who live around other people with low levels of education are less likely to lead healthy lifestyles than similar individuals who live around people with higher levels of income and education. The multiplier effect is determined by the amount of highly educated and skilled workers a city has. Every new, high-tech sector job in a city creates five additional jobs in the other two employment sectors. This means that two new jobs will appear in the professional sector, with ‘skilled occupations’ such as teachers and doctors, and three new jobs will be added in the service sector, which is composed of ‘unskilled occupations’ that include waiters and retail clerks.61 Moretti’s analysis shows that the innovation sector has a multiplier effect of 5 versus a rate 1.6 for the manufacturing sector. He examines Cupertino, CA in Silicon Valley where Apple employs 12,000 workers.

The presence of this company alone created 60,000

additional jobs in that specific metro area (36,000 service and 24,000 professional). A multiplier effect occurs for a number of reasons. Highly skilled specialists receive very high

61

Moretti, E. (2012). The New Geography of Jobs, 45-72, 121-153.

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salaries and increase the demand for local services. Jobs are then created in the form of small businesses and other amenities that locate near these high tech companies.61 The innovation sector additionally causes a clustering effect, where businesses in the same sector move next to each other in one concentrated area (agglomeration). Prominent examples of this include Hollywood, CA and Silicon Valley itself. The scientists and engineers then use their discretionary spending in that location, intensifying the multiplier effect. This process also benefits the other economic sectors by increasing the salaries and productivity of all other workers in that given city.6061 These collective benefits stem in large part to both social and human capital. These “are terms used in social sciences to discuss analogous concepts with regard to social resources derived from social interactions (social capital) and individual development (human capital).�62 In this clustered environment, the knowledge of the innovation workers is absorbed by local business workers through the use of new and advanced technologies.

This process is called a knowledge spillover; and these environments form ecosystems that flourish from the density of high tech companies, hospitals, and universities with large investments in research and development.6061 One negative effect of living in brain hubs for professional and service employees is the higher costs of living that subtracts from the increases in the salaries of these workers a bit.

Moretti says that these costs can be limited with progressive urban development policies.

62

 Gamarnikow, E. (2003). Social Capital and Human Capital, pp. 1287-1288.

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However, working in these places with sustainable economies is still better for these individuals. Uneducated Americans who continue to live and work in manufacturing based cities will struggle, as they compete for fewer jobs with other lower skilled workers, and remain constricted by their inability to freely move to better opportunities elsewhere.6063 The Vacancy Problem in Philadelphia According to Moretti’s definitions, Philadelphia seems to fall into the middle range of cities in transition. Despite signs that give the city hope in the upcoming years, which will be discussed more in chapter five, the city is still experiencing serious problems in the face of change. The abandonment of cities in the decades following 1945 left once vibrant metropolises in a state of disarray. Soon this new urban form became an extended reality for the residents who still remained. Over this timeframe the condition of urban blight became synonymous with American inner cities. To fully understand the process of urban blight, it needs to be micro analyzed both through its concept and causes.

Urban theorist, G.E. Breger describes each perspective in detail. He categorizes urban blight as “the designated critical stage in the functional or social depreciation of real property beyond which its existing condition or use is unacceptable to the community.”

Functional and social depreciation act as two different layers that can contribute to blight.

Functional depreciation is the result of the inability for the building or property to properly

63

Moretti, E. (2012). The New Geography of Jobs, 173-177.

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work as designed.

This status stems from disinvestment, non-maintenance, physical

deterioration (structurally and/or aesthetically), and a decrease in the property’s value.

Social devaluation, moreover, revolves around unsanitary and unsafe conditions.64

Figure 19: Vacant Warehouses in North Philadelphia [By the Author, 2013]

Figure 20: Vacant Row Home [Habitat for Humanity, 2012]

When buildings lose occupants and become decrepit, the remaining shell becomes a haven for crime and other unacceptable usages. The specific area falls into a decline, causing larger scale neighborhood decay. Residents soon develop a negative opinion and 42

attitude of the specific property. Changes in social standards and cultural norms also play a role in depreciation. Breger uses the disregard for urban living as an example. These negative perspectives are powerful stigmas because they enable the continued decline of cities and breakdown the social fabric of the community as a whole.64 In the City of Philadelphia the extensive amount of vacant buildings and land is causing significant problems. The Econsult Corporation reported that the city has 40,000 vacant parcels, consisting of houses, former manufacturing buildings, and a high density of barren lots.65 This vacancy epidemic adds fire to the fuel of urban decline by stimulating the two fronts articulated by Breger. The social and financial sides of blight are both taking a tremendous toll on the city.

On the social level, the vast troves of vacant parcels have become havens for different groups of illegal tenants. Squatters are prone to live in abandoned homes and buildings.66 Empty buildings also attract more dangerous groups like vagrants and drug dealers who use the structures for nefarious activities.

These specific areas become hubs where

criminals can gather and maraud as continued sources of trouble.67 Neighborhood cohesion is effectively splintered by fear and the lack of security and sense of community. Recent news brought this matter into the minds of Philadelphians as 64

Breger, G. E. (1967). The Concept and Causes of Urban Blight. Land Economics, pp. (372), 371-376.

Econsult Corporation, Penn Institute for Urban Research, & May 8 Consulting. (November 2010). Vacant land Management in Philadelphia: The Costs of the Current System and the Benefits of Reform, pp. i-iii, 1-30.

66 Jones, S. (2013). Vacant houses bring “squatters� - AxisPhilly Retrieved 5/15/2013, from http://axisphilly.org/article/what-happens-when-vacant-houses-bring-squatters/ 67 Hoffman, S., & Miess, D. (2013). Philadelphia neighborhoods. Retrieved 5/15/2013, from http://philadelphianeighborhoods.com/2013/05/01/kensington-city-attempts-to-fix-abandoned-building-problem/ 65

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a series of fires brought down a number of vacant properties in Kensington. The fire started in a warehouse and then turned into an inferno, spreading into nearby buildings.

Two firefighters died from injuries caused by the collapse of buildings as they fought the fires from inside a nearby structure.68 As these conditions persist and neighborhoods worsen, the city as a whole incurs severe economic consequences. The negative aesthetics of decrepit buildings and lots act as an eyesore to the public. Physical deterioration costs Philadelphia $3.6 billion in lost property values, $20 million in maintenance costs absorbed by the City, and $2 million in annual uncollected property taxes.68 In full context, the vast amount of vacant parcels is a fluid problem that needs to be addressed to help the city understand and reach its full potential.

Design and the Human Condition The resulting conditions that developed in the decades following the Post-Fordist era have left a myriad of evolving, multilayered problems in American society. Some are clear as day, while others continue to fester beneath the surface.

One growing concern that has

garnered the attention of social science experts is the vast decline in community and collective engagement. Sociologist Ray Oldenburg has found that Americans spend too much time at home and work. He notes that they then try to fill the void of constantly being in these environments by either staying home in isolated recreation or going to find

68

CBS Philly. (2012). Firefighters killed in 5-alarm kensington warehouse inferno identified ÂŤ CBS Philly Retrieved 5/17/2013, from http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/04/09/kensington-residents-evacuate-area-near-fivealarm-warehouse-fire/

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meaningful socialization in places of consumption (malls, fast food chains, etc.).69 He believes the reason behind this pattern is the lack of quality informal public spaces.

Oldenburg calls these spaces, third places, or places to meet outside of the home (first places) and the workplace (second places). Third places are the cafés, bookstores, parks, museums, taverns, public squares and other spaces where people can converse and engage with friends, family, and strangers.69 One of the main culprits for our social detachment is the rise of privatized living which results from suburban housing subdivisions and zoning codes that prohibit mixed-use developments and have increased a culture of isolation in American society.70 Third places are important because they are needed to “serve people’s needs for sociability and relaxation in the intervals before, between, and after their mandatory appearances elsewhere.” Cafés, taverns, and public squares provide a series of benefits.

Oldenburg writes that informal public spaces can be characterized by inclusiveness, setting, spontaneity, and aesthetics. They essentially provide a local setting close to an individual’s living quarters where diversity, equality, and spontaneity are welcomed in a less serious, un-commercialized environment. People are able to gain stimulation (novelty), human contact with old and new friends, and a sense of community. These qualities help the greater good by improving civic participation, revelry, and the social fabric of the

69

Oldenburg, R. (1999). The great good place: Cafés, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community (3rd Ed.), 3-19, 20-43, (32).

70 Duany, A., Plater-Zyberk, E., & Speck, J. (2010). Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream, 21-58.

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community.69 The aftermath of these specific societal deficiencies is steadily becoming more apparent in the bigger picture. A recent report by Jonathan Rose Companies and Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC found that the State of Connecticut has lost 30 percent of its 25-34 year old population between 1990 and 2006; the highest percentage by any state in the country. The study found that this outmigration is due in large part to a lack of affordable and convenient housing choices near public transit hubs and amenities; demographic habits that indicate overall changes in lifestyle.71 The propensity of young, skilled adults to flee declining cities for thriving metropolises, known as brain drain72, is an imposing challenge for various leaders in the United States.

This pattern is a common problem that the U.S. will need to face head on because it will directly affect the economic viability of specific cities, metros, and regions. Retaining talented individuals will determine whether or not cities keep a healthy tax base and families who eventually have children and establish long-term roots in the area.73 As a whole, citizens of the United States have drastic reasons to be concerned about the overall well-being of this country. Even as the American economy has improved, the

71

Jonathan Rose Companies, Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC. (December 2009). Together We Can Grow Better: Smart Growth for A Sustainable Connecticut Capitol Region, pp. i, 1-12.

72 Brain drain - easy to understand definition of brain drain by your dictionary http://www.yourdictionary.com/brain-drain [accessed, 07/21/13].

73 American cities fighting to keep millennials from moving to suburbs. [accessed, 07/21/13]. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/03/american-cities-to-millennials-dont-leave-us/1744357/

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unemployment rate still remains high at 7.8 percent.74 More alarming are statistics from Gallup that have determined that with underemployment counted, the true rate of unemployment is 20 percent.75 Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for Americans aged 1829 hovered at 13.1 percent in January 2013 and still remains high for recent college graduates.76 College educated young adults especially face a staggering economic outlook. They will have to deal with this burden on multiple levels. As the unemployment rate has risen, so has the level of college costs and student indebtedness, which now exceeds one trillion dollars.77 Increased long-term unemployment or separation from the workforce will lead to what economists call “scarring effects” that stem from the loss of skills and work experience. These effects decrease the prospects of employment, and when afflicting large numbers of a certain demographic, can create a “scarred” or “lost generation.”78 Expert voices from across the spectrum have commented on the dismaying status of the United States. Economist and Pulitzer Prize winner, Joseph Stiglitz, has questioned the reality of the American Dream, stating that “the growing inequality over recent years suggests that the level of opportunity in the future will be diminished and the level of

74

Bureau of Labor Statistics Data. http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000 [accessed, 07/21/13].

75

Clifton, J. (2011). The Coming Jobs War, 19-20, 37-42.

January jobs report shows young workers falling further behind with serious long term consequences. Retrieved 7/21/2013, 2013, from http://www.policymic.com/articles/24666/january-jobs-report-shows-young-workers-fallingfurther-behind-with-serious-long-term-consequences 77 Chopra, R., & Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (October 2012). Annual Report of the CFPB Student Loan Ombudsman, pp. 2.

78 Morsy, H. (March 2012). Scarred Generation. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2012/03/morsy.htm [accessed, 06/15/13].

76

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inequality will be increased—unless we do something. It means that America of 2053 will be a much more divided society than even the America of 2013. All of our current problems will be much worse.”79 Gallup chairman, Jim Clifton, adds that if changes are not made and the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) continues to grow slowly, then by 2040, China will overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy.75 Many of the societal problems discussed here in relation to cities or broader topics such as income inequality, accessibility to adequate public transportation or education, and sustainable economic growth, are policy issues. These are matters that will need to be addressed by city, state, and federal lawmakers. Of course, when political gridlock ensues on a national level and cities like Detroit go bankrupt,80 it becomes clear that the government has a fair share of limitations. This should by no means prevent a society from questioning its current status or looking at ways to remedy our most pressing challenges.

This is the time for the design profession to take a leadership position in the modern world. There needs to be a collective movement that finds a connection between smart design and social well-being. Designers alone cannot be a panacea for all of the world’s problems. We can, however, work to find ways to alleviate society’s most harrowing challenges. Design may still be able to find its full potential in our everyday lives as a catalyst that can change policy and create a path to a more sustainable quality of living.

79

Stiglitz, J. (April 2013). The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future (1st Ed.), 18.

80

Detroit bankrupt: The largest american city to ever go bust. [accessed, 07/21/13]. http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/07/18/detroit_bankrupt_the_largest_american_city_to_ever_go_bust.html

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Chapter Four: Defining Sustainability The concept of sustainability is complex and in many instances is hard to define. It is a profound subject mainly because it can used to describe multiple themes, issues, and fields of work. Rising anomalies in weather activities across the United States and international arena have raised concerns among scientists about the potential of extensive repercussions from rising carbon emissions levels. Events from 2012, in particular, highlighted a stark new reality for the 21st Century.

What is Sustainability?

The term ‘Sustainability’ or ‘Sustainable Development’ was first coined in a report, Our Common Future by the Brundtland Commission for the United Nations General Assembly in 1987 in response to declining conditions in the natural environment.

The panel,

headed by former Norwegian Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland, defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The committee focused on the concepts of ‘needs’ in relation to “the essential needs of the world’s poor” and “limitations from technology and social organization” on “the environment’s ability to meet present and future needs.” 81 In 1999, sustainability expert, John Elkington made a bold step by adding deeper context and defining sustainable development in terms of what he called, the Triple Bottom Line 81

U.N. Brundtland Commission. (1987). Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, pp. 15-16.

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(TBL). Elkington states that “sustainability is the principle of ensuring that our actions today do not limit the range of economic, social, and environmental options open to future generations.” From this holistic perspective, the societal status and growth is relative to an economic bottom line (economic capital in terms of physical capital, production, human capital, and earnings), an environmental bottom line (natural capital in the form of natural resources provided by the Earth and necessary for life to exist), and a social bottom line (social capital and effects on the human condition). Figures 21-22 show each concept.82

Figure 21: The Triple Bottom Line [Recreated by D. Cacioppo from J. Elkington, 1999]

Elkington explains that each individual sector of the TBL operates through ‘shear zones’ or continental plates. Each plate moves “independently of the others” and “as the plates move under, over, or against each other, “shear zones” emerge where the social, economic, and ecological equivalents of tremors and earthquakes occur.” Each zone, moreover, is a specific area where elements of each sector crosses and has a dual set of needs. This means there is an economic-environmental zone, a socio-environmental zone, and socioeconomic

82

Elkington, J. (1999). Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business, (20), 17-40, 69-98.

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zone.82

Figure 22: Shear Zones [Recreated by D. Cacioppo from J. Elkington, 1999]

In the black and white world of metrics, each branch of the TBL is measured is in what is known as ‘impact measurements.’ For example, the environmental bottom line would be measured in eco/energy efficiency, environmental liabilities and cost accounting, air/noise quality, open space, and liveability.

The economic bottom line is based on

income/spending rates, distribution of wealth (e.g. income inequality), fair trade, and cost benefit analysis.

Meanwhile, the social bottom line depends on social capital, social

cohesion, the unemployment rate, and health and well-being.83

83

Elkington, J. (1999). Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business, (20), 17-40, 69-98, (73-74).

Evans, G., & Shaw, P. (2004). The Contribution of Culture to Regeneration in the UK: A Report to the DCMS, pp. 7.

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Categorizing these various indicators of impact can be difficult because they fall into multiple arenas or shear zones. What makes it harder is that, as Elkington explains, “the three bottom lines are not stable; they are in constant flux, due to social, political, economic and environmental pressures, cycles and conflicts.” The environmental side is the most difficult because the “sustainability challenge is tougher than any of the other challenges in isolation.” In the past decade, arts and culture researchers have added another layer by studying the existence of a fourth bottom line in culture, which according to Graeme Evans and Phyllida Shaw, is measured in two effects – “impacts on the cultural life of a place” such as the effect of building an art gallery or museum in an underserved area and the “impact of cultural activity on the culture of a place or community” through “codes of conduct, its identity, and its heritage.”83 Growing concerns on the environmental side of the TBL have acted as a catalyst in the movement towards global sustainable practice. Scientists and other environmental experts from around the world agree that the phenomenon known as global warming is caused by human usage of fossil fuels and a shift in land use patterns following the industrial age. An increased level of greenhouse gases (GHG), such as carbon dioxide and aerosols, has caused the planet to warm and the climate to become more sporadic and dangerous.84 The Stern Review asserted that “the scientific evidence points to increasing risks of serious, irreversible impacts from climate change associated with business-as-usual (BAU)

84

Working Group I. (2007). IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Summary for Policymakers, pp. 1-11

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paths for emissions.” It goes on to say that “no one can predict the consequences of climate change with complete certainty; but we now know enough to understand the risks.

Mitigation – taking strong action to reduce emissions – must be viewed as an investment, a cost incurred now and in the coming few decades to avoid the risks of very severe consequences in the future.”85 The sentiment on global warming in the United States, however, is split. A series of polls from April 2013 demonstrate this. The firm, Public Policy Polling, found that 3 of 8 registered voters believe that “global warming is a hoax.”86 Meanwhile, a poll by Gallup found that the number of Americans who are concerned or “worry greatly” about global warming rose to 58 percent, up from 51 percent in 2011.87 Even if America is not ready to support the science of climate change, evidence of the matter, on the other hand, is more and more clear every year. In May 2013, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, reported that the atmospheric concentration of carbon reached over 400 parts per million; a milestone not reached in over 2.6 million years ago during the Pliocene Age.88 Figure 23 shows the increase in carbon emissions on the Keeling Curve since 1958.

A perfect example of climate change disruption and John Elkington’s TBL occurred last 85

Stern, N. (2006). The Stern Review on the Economic Effects of Climate Change (Executive Summary), pp. (3), 1-3.

86 Wiltgen, N. (2013). Poll: 3 in 8 americans believe global warming a hoax - weather.com. [accessed, 8/13/13]. from http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/global-warming-poll-believe-hoax-20130403 87 Saad, L. (2013). Americans' concerns about global warming on the rise. [accessed, 8/13/13]. http://www.gallup.com/poll/161645/americans-concerns-global-warming-rise.aspx 88 Kunzig, Robert (National Geographic News).Climate milestone: Earth's CO2 level nears 400 ppm. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/05/130510-earth-co2-milestone-400-ppm/ [accessed, 8/7/13].

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year in the United States.

A year-long heat wave hit the country, primarily in the

Midwestern States with the most severe heat and droughts between January and August 2012. The damages were far-reaching, with the greatest impacts on farmers. A domino effect basically took place over a short timeframe. Important agricultural crops of corn and soybeans were eliminated or damaged by the drought, causing major shortages in production and market price increases in food commodities such as chicken (up 5.5 percent) and eggs (up 6.9 percent). A year that was supposed to produce a near-record of crop yields became “the most severe and extensive drought in at least 25 years.”89

Figure 23: Carbon dioxide concentration at Mauna Loa Observatory [Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 2012]

89

USDA ERS. (2013). U.S. drought 2012: Farm and food impacts. [accessed, 08/08/13]. http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/in-the-news/us-drought-2012-farm-and-food-impacts.aspx#.Ugst2233PGG

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Figures 24-25: Temperature, Jan-Aug. 2012; Precipitation, Jan-Aug., 2012 [National Climatic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, 2012]

Record temperatures and lack of rainfall caused 2,000 plus counties to be designated as disaster areas by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Damages due to crop losses and forest fires led to insurance losses to farmland and forests in states like Colorado. In total, financial losses from severe climate cost over $139 billion89, $60 billion plus for the Midwestern drought90 and $65 billion for Hurricane Sandy91. The National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) reported that of the total damages, the U.S. taxpayers are paying $96 billion in federal disaster relief, crop and flood insurance, FEMA, and food purchasing/costs increases. Private insurance companies only paid $33 billion in losses, marking a shift in disaster coverage practice since 2005.92 The havoc afflicted by extreme weather in the United States in 2012 shows how changes

90

Lashof, D. (2013). Extreme drought is extremely expensive for U.S. taxpayers. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dlashof/extreme_drought_is_extremely_e.html [accessed, 08/08/13].

91 NOAA National Climatic Data Center. (2013). Billion-dollar Weather/Climate disasters. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/ [accessed, 08/08/13].

92 Lashof, D., & Stevenson, A. (May 2013). NRDC Issue Paper: Who Pays for Climate Change? U.S. Taxpayers Outspend Private Insurers Three-to-One to Cover Climate Disruption Costs, pp. 1-12.

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in the natural environment can cause impede the economy, business owners such as farmers, and the public through higher food prices and federal taxes. While, this reality gives proof to the problem of global warming, the green sector is not without its own flaws.

Strong criticism has been placed on environmental scientists for their vague definition of sustainable development. Michael Redclift believes that the objective of sustainability in the Brundtland Commission was unclear and that it became the “property of different discourses” over time. He states that the phrase is inherently contradictive as it seeks to progress both ‘development’ and ‘sustainability,’ as it simultaneously runs into the problem of adapting to the realities of modern issues in science and technology.93 Steve Connelly is analytical along similar lines, criticizing the ambiguity in leading definitions and lack of consensus in the practice and goals of sustainable development. He explains that the movement is weakened by its “everything and nothing” approach and hampered by its simplistic view of the concept itself. Sustainability is composed of different sectors with opposing environmental, economic, and social goals. Connelly proposes that there needs to be “a clear understanding of the tensions and political conflicts between these desirable goals” as he uses his research to develop a comprehensive, overarching map of what sustainable development fully entails.94 For his part, John Elkington did recognize many of these criticisms. He stated that the triple bottom line plates were always constantly 93

Redclift, M. (2005). Sustainable development (1987-2005): An Oxymoron Comes of Age. Sustainable Development, (212), 212-227.

94 Connelly, S. (June 2007). Mapping Sustainability as a Contested Concept. Local Environment, (260), 259278.

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in flux, due to multiple forces. In the end, the overall ability of addressing current problems in each section of the triple bottom line highlights the complicated balance that humanity faces as it figures out how to tackle the impending problems that lie ahead of us.

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Chapter 5: The City and Urban Regeneration

At the city scale, sustainability can take many forms, often at levels within the larger

scale of the city as a whole. In the context of the postindustrial city, regeneration or the rehabilitation of urban spaces has begun to gain traction. This chapter aims to understand how the built environment can work to use sustainability to its advantage and takes a closer look at how it is being implemented in the City of Philadelphia.

Sustainable Urbanism The term ‘urban sustainability’ or ‘sustainable urbanism’ refers to sustainability in the milieu of the city. The Danish Architecture Centre says that “sustainability embraces not one theme, but many themes, all related to the city and sustainable development.” These themes deal with issues such as buildings, transportation, food, water, energy, and education.95 Jan Gehl, the renowned Danish architect planner, believes that the main characteristics of a sustainable city are that they are people-friendly, dense with good public space, a quality pedestrian and bicycle environment with access to public transport, and are full of green spaces and buildings.96 He summarizes by saying that: “A sustainable city is to me a city that is very people-friendly. It is a city with good public space and a city that is relatively close. It is a city that really invites people to walk and cycle as much as possible. A good pedestrian and bicycle environment with good public spaces is also a good environment for public transport, so here is also an important relationship. The strengthening of public transport is essential for the future, so dependence on private cars are getting smaller and the city can become more people-friendly.” “….A further, definitive quality to stress is that we need to make sure that cities become greener and that they have a substantial amount of vegetation, which can clean the air and help cool the city. Certainly, a sustainable city would be

95

Sustainable cities™ - Danish Architecture Centre. http://www.dac.dk/en/dac-cities/sustainable-cities-2/ [accessed, 08/04/13].

96 Sustainable Cities™, Danish Architecture Centre (2012). Jan Gehl: Making healthy cities. [Video/DVD]

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quite green. I am also aware that a sustainable city ought to have many green buildings as well. But, green buildings alone do not create a sustainable city. You could place an endless number of green buildings in Dubai, for example and yet it would hardly ever become a sustainable city, the way it looks now. It would only be a collection of sustainable buildings.”96

Urban Regeneration is a process used by a city to rejuvenate itself. Sustainability collaborators, the European Metropolitan Network Institute and EUROCITIES, define urban regeneration as “a social, economic, physical, sustainable, demographic, financial and collaborative issue…the integrated local redevelopment of deprived areas (neighbourhood, city, metropolitan area) with approaches dependent on a city’s history and policies that must be integrated and area-based.”97 Peter Roberts adds that (urban regeneration) is “an outcome of the interplay between these many sources (physical, social, environmental, economic) of influence and, more importantly, it is also a response to the opportunities and challenges which are presented by urban degeneration in a particular place at a specific moment in time.” And thus explains that urban problems require a place-based response, but that specific universal models of practice work well in all urban environments.98 Roberts stresses that it is important to differentiate urban regeneration from urban renewal, development, and revitalization. He illustrates this in this caption below: “Urban regeneration moves beyond the aims, aspirations and achievements of urban renewal, which is seen by Couch as `a process of essentially physical change' (Couch, 1990, p. 2), urban development (or redevelopment) with its general mission and less well-defined purpose, and urban revitalisation (or rehabilitation) which, whilst suggesting the need for

97

Wassenberg, F., & van Dijken, K. (2011). A Practitioner´s View on Neighbourhood Regeneration: Issues, Approaches, and Experiences in European Cities, pp. 13 EUROCITIES (2013). http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/issues/urban-planning-regeneration-issue [accessed, 07/27/13].

98 Roberts, P. (2000). The Evolution, Definition, and Purpose of Urban Regeneration, 9, 18, 10-25.

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action, fails to specify a precise method of approach. In addition, urban regeneration implies that any approach to tackling the problems encountered in towns and cities should be constructed with a longer-term, more strategic, purpose in mind.”98

Methods of Urban Regeneration Peter Roberts delineates six methods of action that are based on a group of meta themes relative to physical conditions and socio-political response, housing and health, urban growth and policy, and other triple bottom line issues. These actions include physical improvements, economic development, environmental action, neighborhood strategies, and training and education. While, these plans overlap, they each have their own unique methods that work on a specific focus. 98 A good example of physical improvements and a number of these method actions is found in the practice of smart growth development. Smart growth is a component of the Congress for the New Urbanism’s platform for city and town planning. The CNU is a nonprofit organization established by Andres Duany, Peter Calthorpe, and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, among others, which focuses on promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions in suburbs and cities.99 When distilled down to its core meaning, smart growth is really “a response to the crises surrounding climate change, energy dependence, public health, decaying infrastructure, and financial instability resulting from suburban sprawl.” It deals primarily with the design of transit oriented development (TOD), an approach that aims to

99

Congress for the New Urbanism. What is CNU? - Congress for the New Urbanism. http://www.cnu.org/who_we_are [accessed, 07/28/13].

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place buildings close to public transportation options to reduce automobile use and carbon emissions.100 Holistically, smart growth and New Urbanism works to create neighborhoods that are compact with a high density of people and buildings, walkable with a pedestrian friendly scale that allows people to walk five minutes from edge to center, diverse and full of amenities and living choices for people of all incomes, and connected (integrated) into multiple transit options.100 The U.S. Green Building Council© (USGBC), a nonprofit organization that structures the green rating system known as LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)101, has teamed up with the CNU and the NRDC to develop the LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System™, which provides a standard for designing green neighborhoods in cities and towns.102 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency teamed up with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation in 2009 to form the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. This initiative’s mission is to “help communities nationwide improve access to affordable housing, increase transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment” through federal investment in various urban sustainability projects. Below is a set of six livability principles developed by the partnership that further illustrates the tenants of smart growth

100

Duany, A., Speck, J., & Lydon, M. (2010). The Smart Growth Manual, xii-xiii, 6.

U.S. Green Building Council. About LEED - U.S. Green Building Council. http://www.usgbc.org/articles/about-leed [accessed, 07/24/13].

102 U.S. Green Building Council. (2009). LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System. vii-viii, xii-xx.

101

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development103: 1. Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable, and economical transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote public health.

2. Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location- and energy-efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.

3. Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by workers, as well as expanded business access to markets.

4. Support existing communities. Target federal funding toward existing communities—through strategies like transit oriented, mixeduse development, and land recycling—to increase community revitalization and the efficiency of public works investments and safeguard rural landscapes.

5. Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment. Align federal policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding, and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy 6. Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods—rural, urban, or suburban.

Smart growth projects also focus on infill development or the adaptive reuse of previously developed sites.102

These include vacant lots and land, brownfields, and

greyfields. Brownfields are former manufacturing buildings, land, and transportation sites are contaminated from industrial processes and need to be remediated in order to be used for a new purpose.104 Greyfields, subsequently, are similar physical reuse projects, but refer specifically to blighted, obsolete, or dead areas such as strip malls, vacant buildings and parking lots.105 In December of 2009, the redevelopment of Progress Plaza opened adjacent to Temple University in North Philadelphia. Progress Plaza is the nation’s oldest African American

103

U.S. HUD, EPA, and DOT. (2013). Partnership for Sustainable Communities. http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/aboutUs.html#2 [accessed, 08/02/13].

104 Yudelson, J. (2007). Green Building A to Z, 36.

105 CNU.Greyfield Mall Study. http://www.cnu.org/malls [accessed, 08/02/13].

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owned and run shopping center; first opened by the Reverend Leon H. Sullivan in 1968.

The center lost vibrancy when its supermarket moved out in 1999, eventually causing this area of Philadelphia to become underserved in grocery services. Shops remained in the retail strip, but vacancy rates rose and the center became blighted.106 After a ten year battle the property owner, Progress Investment Association, was able to renovate the center with the support of The Reinvestment Fund (TRF), Temple University, and State Representative Dwight Evans. The entire strip center was renovated in three phases.

Now there is 12,000 square feet of new retail shops and office space. The new

Fresh Grocer supermarket is 46,000 square feet and acts as the center’s anchor piece. The redevelopment project cost $16 million in total. TRF is a local Community Development Financial Institution that was the primary financial lender. State and local government money also helped fund the project.107

Figure 26: The Fresh Grocer at Progress Plaza, Exterior and Interior, 2012 [A. Johnson/Bittenbender]

106

Vuocolo, A. Financing North Broad: Progress Plaza and the Reinvestment Fund. https://www.generocity.org/2013/financing-north-broad-progress-plaza-and-the-reinvestment-fund/ [accessed, 08/14/13].

107 Progress plaza. http://www.trfund.com/progress-plaza/ [accessed, 08/7/2013].

Topping off ceremony to be held at progress plaza development. http://cityofphiladelphia.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/topping-off-ceremony-to-be-held-at-progress-plazaredevelopment/ [accessed, 08/07/13].

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The revitalized shopping center is making a major impact in the neighborhood. It meets many of the goals of smart growth development and urban regeneration on a number of fronts. Reestablishing a supermarket in North Philadelphia gives the area sorely needed access to a grocer and fresh foods market. The reutilization of the retail center also benefits multiple parties. It gives both local residents and Temple University students access to a quality grocery store and other amenities that is within walking distance from these areas.

Students and residents previously had to walk or drive miles away to buy their groceries.

Progress Plaza’s integration into the campus and nearby subway lines makes it readily accessible to everyone.108 Temple University’s plans to rejuvenate Broad Street through the Temple 2020 campus redevelopment project109 are aided by the strong business presence of Progress Plaza and the university’s Avenue North strip and movie theater across the street. TRF has reported that the Fresh Grocer has created 272 new jobs and 80 percent of its full-time positions are employed by residents from the nearby neighborhood. The supermarket itself is also a green building as it has energy efficient features such as refrigeration systems that allow it to save 40 percent in energy consumption.107 Urban regeneration took place on a larger scale with the Borneo Sporenburg master plan in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The project involved the redevelopment of former

108

Author’s experience as student at Temple University and customer at The Fresh Grocer.

Temple University. (2009). Temple 2020: A Framework for Campus Development, pp. 2-7.

109

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industrial docks in the Eastern Docklands that had become blighted. Two opposite islands known as Borneo and Sporenburg were transformed into blocks of high density, low rise housing units. The number of dwellings totals 2,500 with 100 units per hectare and 600 units of these which are in three larger apartment buildings.110 Adriaan Geuze and his team at the urban design and landscape architecture firm, West 8, led the project, which was completed in 2000 for the City of Amsterdam. This master plan was a complex undertaking as it featured the collaboration of local real estate developers and international and local architects. Geuze’s design concept uses ‘three sculptural blocks’ to break up the monotony of the repetitive apartment blocks. These buildings are taller residential units that emerge between the lower apartments and above the edge of the waterways.110

Figure 27: Pre-site conditions at Borneo Sporenburg. [A. Geuze, 1995]

110

CABE National Archives. (2011). Case studies - Borneo Sporenburg. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/case-studies/borneosporenburg [accessed, 8/15/13].

West 8.Borneo-Sporenburg. http://www.west8.nl/projects/all/borneo_sporenburg [accessed, 8/15/13].

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Figures 28-29: Aerial of Borneo Sporenburg, Post-redevelopment [West 8] Borneo Sporenburg, Site Plan [sigitkusumawijaya.blogspot.com]

West 8 implemented strict zoning codes that dictated the use of patios and roof gardens.

Geuze called for a framework that dictated individual, street level access, spatial voids in each unit for natural daylighting, private open space, height and plot size, interior ground level parking, outdoor open space, and street design. This allowed residents to have privacy and an intimate living environment along smaller streets and the dockland canals. Sixty parcels were allowed to hire their own architect to design their individual patio flats; a freedom of design that gave owners a sense of individualism and created a dynamic juxtaposition of housing archetypes along stretches of the housing blocks.110

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Figure 30: Images of Borneo Sporenburg [Collection by the Author, July 2011]

Urban design elements like the walk line known as “the Red Bridge” and the elegance of “the Whale,” rising above the water as one rides along the ocean, creates an environment of solace in a city full of hustle and bustle. The concept is effective as it gives residents the 67

ability to walk on calm streets, ride along the water canals, let their kids play with their neighbors’ children, or enjoy the serenity of private spaces. Borneo Sporenburg is a unique project that took barren industrial land and turned it into a lively place that meets the needs of all parties.111 Philadelphia in Detail Since 1998, the City of Philadelphia has undergone a powerful metamorphosis. The city that was “once a traditional metropolitan area with the largest percentage of jobs concentrated in trade, transportation, and utilities supersector, has transformed itself into a leader in the education and health services industry” also increased its amount of professional and business services jobs over the past decade. By 2008, these sectors each grew to higher levels. Education and health services grew 2.1 percent adding 26,736 new jobs, matching the declining manufacturing sector at 18.8 percent as it dropped 0.6 percent.

Professional and business services grew 1.3 percent by adding 59,735 jobs, 30,000 of which sprang up in Montgomery County, whilst, the leisure and hospitality industries had a small growth of 1 percent.112 The United States 2010 Census showed that between the period of 2000-2010, the city grew by 0.6 percent, marking the first time Philadelphia has increased in population since

111 112

Site visit and experience by the Author, July 2011.

Perrins, G., & Nilsen, D. (April 2010). Industry shifts over the decade put Philadelphia on a new road to job growth. Monthly Labor Review, (3), 3-18.

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1950.113 Recent research in 2012 by the Pew Research Center shows that the city has continued to add to its population, which now stands at the fifth highest in the country at 1,547,607 residents.

The city is experiencing a number of new trends.

Shifts in

demographics have shown increases in the Hispanic, Asian, and foreign-born immigrants.

What is even more interesting is the rise of individuals ages 20-34, which is up nearly 6 percent. Many of these millennials are enrolled in a higher education institution or have graduated from college (37.5 percent of 25-34 year olds).114 The trend of rising ridership on public transit and bicycles indicates that these patterns are continuing cultural shifts in American cities. Philadelphians now use public transit 25.6% as their main means to get to work. Walking and bicycling came in at 9.2 and 1.8 percent, respectively. Bicycle ridership may seem meager at such a small number, however, a closer look at the numbers show that commuting to work via bicycle has more than doubled since 2000 (see figures 31 through 33 for city demo changes).114

113

U.S. Census Bureau.2010 Census interactive population searchsave reference. http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=42 [accessed, 07/29/13].

114 The Pew Charitable Trusts. (2013). Philadelphia 2013: The State of the City, pp. 4-20, 42-47.

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Figure 31: Philadelphia Population 2000-2012 [Pew Research Center, 2013]

Figure 32: Philadelphia’s Changing Age Profile [Pew Research Center, 2013]

Figure 33: How Residents of Three Cities Get to Work [Pew Research Center, 2013]

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Figure 34: Number of Philadelphians Who Bicycle to Work [Pew Research Center, 2013]

When pieces of this data were analyzed in the larger context, it showed that the population increased despite factors like the persistent high unemployment rate at 10.7 percent in 2012 and a median income threshold of $34,207. This prompted Pew’s project director, Larry Eichel, to call Philadelphia a test case for a new theory on how cities develop in the twenty-first century.115 The notion that cities are growing without steady employment rates supports urban sociologist, Richard Florida’s theory that a work sector of scientists, computer programmers, teachers, and arts industry based professionals, known as the creative class is flocking to cities based on the “quality of place” over the availability of jobs.116 Florida believes that successful cities grow when they have high levels of Technology (innovation and economic growth), Talent in the form of a highly educated and skilled populous, and Tolerance through places that are inclusive and open to diverse groups like the creative class, immigrants and the gay community, and the free flow of ideas. He states

115

Eichel, L. (June 2013). Philadelphia is becoming a test case for a new theory on how cities develop in 21stcentury america. http://www.philasocialinnovations.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=559:philadelph ia-is-becoming-a-test-case-for-a-new-theory-on-how-cities-develop-in-21st-centuryamerica&catid=21 :featured-social-innovations&Itemid=35 [accessed, 08/05/13].

116 Florida, R. (2002). The Rise of the Creative Class (1st Ed.), 8-12, 67-85, 215-234, (231), 249-267.

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that “the creative class” is drawn to environments that contain other, like-minded people, a rich cultural scene with great amenities, and diversity; “quality places” where creative people want to live. Florida, believes like economist Enrico Moretti, that human capital is important to urban and regional growth.116 The City of Philadelphia’s Chief Cultural Officer, Gary Steuer, asserts that the resurgence of the city is directly linked to the strength of the growing arts and culture scene in areas hotspots like Center City and Northern Liberties. He stated that “virtually all the neighborhoods that have seen huge population increases during this ten year period have also seen large increases in the number of arts organizations and artists living and operating in them.” Steuer believes that economic growth has also come from residential real estate development, retail, culinary establishments as well as cultural investments made by the city and philanthropists.117 The creative economy, as the city calls it, is a sector that should be taken seriously.

Research conducted for the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) by the Econsult Corporation has found that Philadelphia has 48,900 employees in the creative sector. Employment in these industries has increased 6.3 percent between 2001-2011 with $4.97 billion in direct output and $2.7 billion in direct employee earnings.118 This level of

117

Steuer, G. (March 2011). Philadelphia population reverses 50 year decline - how are the arts involved? http://artscultureandcreativeeconomy.blogspot.com/2011/03/philadelphia-population-reverses-50.html [accessed, 07/15/13].

118 Econsult Corporation & Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. (EMSI). (June, 2012). Research Brief – Philadelphia’s Creative Sector Employment. City of Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. pp. 2

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economic vibrancy garnered Philadelphia a Creative Vitality Index (CVI) score of 1.54 in 2010; a rating that is 50 percent above national benchmarks.119 Collaborative spaces such as Nextfab Studio and Global Dye Works have sprung up around the city. These third places serve as multi-use workshops that offer fabrication labs, wood shops, classrooms, and other services.120 Another growing trend in real estate is the rise of the popular shared office concept known as coworking spaces. These spaces allow individuals to rent desk space in an office building and work with other small business entrepreneurs and telecommuters in an environment that offers a strong sense of community. Indy Hall in Old City has become Philadelphia’s popular main hub for collaborative working. 121 In many cases, these types of spaces allow human capital to flow, usually creating new startup businesses in the process. A study by coworking research company, Deskmag, has found working in a coworking space improves workers’ productivity, professional and personal lives, and overall well-being.122 These spaces are an excellent example of a new source of action on the training and education branch of Peter Roberts’ urban regeneration method tree; adapted to meet the needs of our new, high-tech age.

At the city scale, Philadelphia has engaged in numerous sustainability initiatives.

119

Steuer, G. (2010). Creative Vitality in Philadelphia: 2010 Update, 3-6. http://creativephl.org/cviphilly [accessed, 8/12/13].

120 About nextfab studio. http://nextfabstudio.com/about [accessed, 8/15/13].

121 FAQ – What is Indy Hall/Coworking? http://www.indyhall.org/faq [accessed, 8/15/13].

122 Deskmag. (2012). Deskmag's 2nd Annual Global Coworking Survey, pp. 7.

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Multiple plans such as Greenworks Philadelphia, GreenPlan, and Philadelphia 2035 offer guidelines for the city to meet the needs of the environment, economy, and ecology. Upon his arrival into office, Mayor Michael Nutter pledged to make Philadelphia the greenest city in the country by 2015. Each plan has specific but synergistic goals for the city. The Greenworks plan separates these goals by each leg of the TBL. One example of an environmental goal is to reduce greenhouse emissions by 20 percent.123 Potentially the biggest endeavor for the city came with the release of the Philadelphia Riverfront Master Plan in 2011. The plan referred to as the DRWC Master Plan is headed by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, a non-profit organization appointed by the city for the sole purpose of “transforming the central Delaware River waterfront into a vibrant destination location for recreational, cultural, and commercial activities for Philadelphia’s residents and visitors.”

The DRWC’s vision calls the redevelopment of 6

linear miles and 1,100 plus acres of property along Delaware Avenue and on the river itself.

Comprehensive enhancements will modernize the waterfront with new trails, wetlands, parks, and buildings.124

123

City of Philadelphia. (2009). Greenworks Philadelphia. (Executive Summary), pp. 1-2, 4 Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. (2011). Transforming Philadelphia’s Waterfront: Master plan for the Central Delaware (Summary Report), (2), 2-9, 13, 15.

124

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Figure 35: Philadelphia Delaware Riverfront Master Plan, Site Map [DRWC, 2011]

The overarching concept in this project is the implementation of 38 connector streets that will reconnect the inner city back to the waterfront through improved street amenities (new lights, signage, walkways, parks, trees, etc.). Primary connector streets such as Race Street terminate at new spaces like the new Race Street Pier.

Various consultants,

stakeholders, and residents have participated in the project through focus groups and assistance in creating the master plan itself. The DRWC will phase the project over 30 years and it is estimated to cost $770 million in entire costs through the end of this timespan. Multiple avenues of public investment will cover the costs.124 Barriers and Challenges, Pt. 1 Numerous challenges are inherent in any project at the city level. The most foreseeable problems are gentrification, time, and money. Gentrification is the process of increased 75 Â

costs of living in neighborhoods where development has taken place. The aforementioned Pew State of the City report showed that districts of Philadelphia in Center City and Northern Liberties have experienced increases in median income levels125, signifying demand to live in these renewed areas and thus higher property taxes. Northern Liberties has seen massive changes since the days over a decade ago when it was more barren and less populated.

Significant projects like the Piazza at Schmidt’s have spurred economic

progress and became a catalyst for new shops, bars, and restaurants in the surrounding neighborhood(s).

Progress Plaza and the DRWC Master Plan highlight the extent of time and money necessary to complete urban development projects at varying scales. It took a period of close to a decade for the owners of Progress Plaza to find funding and attract a supermarket to return to their shopping center. Loans from a neighborhood conscious firm in TRF supported the financing of the over $16 million needed.

Redevelopment along the

Philadelphia waterfront will be a long and complex process. The scale of projects and estimated costs at nearly $800 million will require time to acquire funding and find designs adequate for the vision of the riverfront.

With this, and the current economic state in mind, it is evident that new methods of action for urban environments need to be created. New approaches are necessary to adapt to the relentless limitations placed upon the built environment in this new age of

125

The Pew Charitable Trusts. (2013). Philadelphia 2013: The State of the City, pp. 8.

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environmental consciousness and socioeconomic strife. Can a new approach lead cities to adapt and become resilient in uncertain times? We will see.

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Chapter Six: The Role of Tactical Urbanism

Tactical Urbanism

Tactical urbanism has emerged as a viable option to problems stemming from poor

planning and deficiencies in existing city services. The term was adapted by urban planner, Mike Lydon after he was inspired by a 2010 blog article in Faslanyc126 on a series of “tactical interventions” or “hacks” in Manhattan127. Lydon and some of his colleagues worked to synthesize and define these patterns into a dossier open to the public. Tactical Urbanism, Volume 1 was released and the popularity of this report led to the creation of a second edition in 2012.

The report defines tactical urbanism “as a deliberate approach to city-making that features the following five characteristics:”127     

A deliberate, phased approach to instigating change; An offering of local ideas for local planning challenges; Short-term commitment and realistic expectations; Low-risks, with a possibly high reward; and The development of social capital between citizens and the building of organizational capacity between public/private institutions, non-profit/NGOs, and their constituents.

Certain similarities can be seen inside interventionist methods such as guerilla architecture or DIY (Do-it-yourself) Urbanism. Styles like guerilla architecture differ in the sense that they are “unsanctioned actions” or “quasi-urban improvements that may not

126

Faslanyc. On Broadway, Tactical Urbanism. http://faslanyc.blogspot.com/2010/06/on-broadway-tacticalurbanism.html [accessed, 02/12/13].

127 Lydon, M. et al (2012). Tactical Urbanism: Short-Term Action, Long-Term Change, Volume 2, pp. 1-5.

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always be tactical as their intent is to spur long-term change by sending a quick message128.

These activities range from taking vacant green spaces and turning them into gardens (guerrilla gardening) to placing colorful spray painted weeds in underserved areas (weed bombings). All of these maneuvers, however, work within the framework of tactical urbanism.

This form of interventionist design heavily revolves around using creativity to find methods to improve pedestrian spaces, streets, bike lanes, storefronts, and buildings by taking small, incremental steps at enacting progress. Mike Lydon is also director of the Street Plans Collaborative, a non-profit business that deals with such planning issues. He points out that while such street level type interventions have been around since street vendors in sixteenth century France, their recent rise in popularity in the United States may be attributed to the Great Recession, shifts in demographics, and the ability to access and share information on the internet.127

Figures 36-37: Tactical Interventions, Guerilla Gardening/Phone booth Reboot [bettercities.net/spontaneousinterventions.org]

128

Mike Lydon, Interview on Tactical Urbanism. [August 24th, 2012]

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Within the last five years in particular, we have seen a plethora of examples of how far the methods of tactical urbanism have evolved. The list includes food trucks, pop-up shops and cafes, the greening of parking lots, and the reclamation of vacant lots to name a few.

Each has had different levels of success and impact in the cities across America where they are occurring. These benefits can be seen mainly through improvements in social and economic terms.

Oyster Bay, Long Island In June 2010, a group of young planners known as DoTank: Brooklyn led a design intervention alongside local organizations Oyster Bay Main Street Association and Brooklyn’s the Street Plans Collaborative. The goal was to initiate DoTank’s unique four step approach to revitalize the Audrey Avenue Extension in Oyster Bay over a two day period. Audrey Avenue is an important thoroughfare that connects Town Hall to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park and the Oyster Bay Long Island Railroad Station. The area thrived with shops and an active street life, but fell into decline after the railroad authority opted to build a new platform down the block instead of renovating the existing, historic station.129 DoTank’s 48x48x48 plan involved planning for both the short and long term. They devised different goals for 48 hours, 48 months, and 48 years. This included a quick,

129

48x48x48: An intervention in oyster bay http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/main-street-news/story-of-theweek/2011/111012/48x48x48-an-intervention-in.html#.UhQA9pLVB8E [accessed, 2/13/13].

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jolting initial site intervention, a 48 week semi-permanent installation phase, a longer site and programming phase over 48 months, and the development of a solid vision for the next half century.130 The Oyster Bay Main Street Association spent the last ten years raising $30 million in investments, improving over 60 historic buildings, and attracting more than 50 new businesses.129 These successes, however, were undermined by shortsighted planning and the lack of activity in the downtown area. Business growth on Audrey Avenue was effectively stymied by vacant buildings and the shortage of pedestrian foot traffic. 129 DoTank also identified common symptoms of suburban development as sources of the local downturn. These items typically include the brain drain of local talent, automobile dependency, a lack of public spaces, and economic downturn. They believe a significant part of the solution involves “empowering local residents to create plans for restructuring the way they understand the social and physical fabric of their community.” In response, they opened up the process by organizing brainstorming workshops with community members and local leaders over a period of three weeks before the official intervention dates. 130 The meetings helped develop four themes that would be used for the interventions: local food and commerce, transportation, social and civic, and public space.

Community

outreach efforts attracted 700 participants, many of whom were volunteers.

130

DoTank: Brooklyn. (2011). 48 hours, 48 weeks, 48 years, pp. 1. http://dotankbrooklyn.org: [accessed, 02/13/13].

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Local

businesses and developers also contributed by donating supplies or allowing their vacant properties to be used as pop-up stores. The accumulation of resources and participation would prove to be a key factor heading into the festivities.129 During the activities, Audrey Avenue was transformed as the street was reactivated with pop-up stores and shops, food vendors, ample public seating spots, and access to a temporary park made over the parking lot next to the original railroad station. Oyster Bay residents were also surprised by a visit from singer Billy Joel and some of his friends. He was there for both days and supported the cause by making a pop up showroom for his motorcycles. The overall efforts of the intervention allowed the block to reinvent itself and for people to reimagine their town’s spaces.130 The immediate action DoTank hoped to accomplish was to create “laboratories” or “places where the public can experience changes and engage in open conversations.” As a result of the popularity of these various interventions, Oyster Bay was able to make some concrete progress. The makeshift farmers market became a permanent staple as the town’s first farmer’s market. Billy Joel also decided to officially open up 20th Century Cycles in the vacant store he occupied during the event. This trend continued as the adjacent pop-up store became the healthy food diner, Sweet Tomato. 129 Within a short span of two days, Oyster Bay was able to redefine the identity of a stagnant and devoid downtown. The process set out by DoTank: Brooklyn allowed local residents to play an active role in directly planning and affecting the future of the city 82

through ideas and actions. Temporary businesses and proper amenities, gave people the incentive to experience Audrey Avenue’s full potential. And with minimal investment, from only $1,346 from the Oyster Bay Main Street Association129 and contributions from others, the neighborhood was able to generate positive growth and momentum.129

Figure 38: Plans from 48 hours, 48 weeks, 48 years [DoTank, 2011]

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Figure 39: Billy Joel’s 20th Century Cycles [billyjoel.com]

As the next stages of the planning begin, there is plenty of inspiration and ideas that are available to use. Some of the goals are to create a permanent social hub where people can regularly meet and also to capitalize on the inherent historic character of Oyster Bay, the hometown and summer presidential office of Teddy Roosevelt. With the economic growth from its new found tourism and businesses, the town is leading the path towards a brighter future.

Green Light for Midtown The Green Light for Midtown project is a pilot program that ran during a trial period during 2009 in New York City.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Department of

Transportation Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Kahn, worked with the Times Square Alliance, Union Square Partnership, and other local businesses to come up with a plan to “open up the streets and avenues in Midtown by reconnecting the street grid on 6th and 7th Avenue and improve safety along Broadway” through a series of pedestrian streetscape

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improvements. The measures varied in scale and each group of stakeholders had different roles to play. 131 NYCDOT initiated the program after it conducted a feasibility analysis based on tracking current conditions of traffic and safety in the study area. Their study collected “extensive data on travel times, traffic volumes, pedestrian volumes, and traffic accidents in the months just prior and just following project implementation.”132 The city’s initial findings suggested making the changes proposed in Green Light would meet the goals laid out in the program and would result in larger positive effects. As a result, NYCDOT moved forward on the plan by shortening crosswalks, changing traffic lights to allow 66% more green time, and taking a giant step by banning all traffic between 47th to 42nd St. and 35th to 33rd St.131 The move essentially closed off large pieces of both Herald and Times Squares, respectively, allowing the city to then rededicate that land to pedestrian plaza spaces. 131 Concurring efforts were made to close off unorthodox intersections and turn lanes that were more disruptive than useful. Pedestrian spaces would mimic the concept of the other squares, with traffic lane reduction and new spaces for people to sit. As a trial program, the NYCDOT was able to use low cost, temporary materials to redesign these test sites. These specific spaces feature plantings and rows of shaded seating on newly painted plazas. Local

131

New York City, Department of Transportation. (2009). Green Light for Midtown: Taxi and Livery Driver Information (Press Release). http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/greenlight_tlc.pdf [accessed, 02/14/13].

132 NYC DOT - Broadway http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/broadway.shtml [accessed, 02/14/13].

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businesses enjoyed the new aesthetics and cooperated with the city by agreeing to help maintain these areas during the pilot period.133

Figure 40: Green Light’s Pilot Tests (I), Before and After Photos [NY DOT, 2009]

The overall scope of the project involved areas at both ends of Broadway around Union Square and Madison Square.

As the trial phase came to a conclusion, the

Department of Transportation released a new report on the measured performance of the Green Light for Midtown experiment. The report showed “significant improvements made in mobility, safety and additional results.” Vehicular travel times benefited as congestion decreased and travel speeds for taxis and buses increased. Taxi speeds, in particular, saw a

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17% improvement in northbound trips from Midtown and an 8% increase in trips coming from East Midtown. 133 Data from the study subsequently found that injuries to motorists and passengers in Midtown were down 63% and pedestrian injuries overall were reduced by 35%. These figures were significant as they marked the lowest number of traffic fatalities in New York City’s history. The initiative also proved to stimulate economic growth and social benefits as pedestrian circulation along Broadway (Times Square) increased by 11% while volume along Herald Square rose 6%. These statistics illustrate a further ripple effect from the increase of a pedestrian presence and an improved overall experience in the city. Increased social engagement and plaza based activities have amounted to an 84% in New Yorkers (residents, workers) and tourists staying in both squares and, thereby, increasing nearby business sales.133

Figure 41: Green Light’s Pilot Tests (II). Before and After Photos [NY DOT] 133

New York City, Department of Transportation. (2010). Green Light for Midtown Evaluation Report, 1, 32. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot: NYC DOT. [accessed, 02/14/13].

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Figure 42: Cool Water, Hot Island [Molly Dilworth, 2010]

With an overall favorability of 74% amongst New Yorkers133 and immense support from local businesses, Mayor Bloomberg decided to make the temporary upgrades permanent in an announcement in February 2010.134 Since then, more positive news highlighted the successful impacts of the project. The Mayor’s Fund, a nonprofit group, and the NYCDOT sponsored a competition for the temporary redesign of Time Square’s plazas. Local artist, Molly Dilworth won with her educational piece, “Cool Water, Hot Island”135 which informed pedestrians about the heat island effect while dually acting as a temperature reduction through its light tone paint color scheme.

In a separate

competition, the City of New York selected Norwegian architecture firm, Snøhetta, to lead the design of Times Square Reconstruction Project,136 which began in 2012.

134

Midtown pedestrian mall gets green light- Crain’s New York Business. http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100211/FREE/100219974 [accessed, 02/14/13].

135 Press release -- winning designs for times square plazas [accessed, 02/14/13]. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot//html/pr2010/pr10_025.shtml 136 Times square reconstruction project /snøhetta – ArchDaily.

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Dekalb Market Back in the summer of 2011, an experimental, temporary development project was started in Brooklyn under the collaborative joint venture of international developers UrbanSpace and Young Woo and Associates with coordination efforts from local cultural entrepreneurs Jennifer Lyon and Joann Kim-Nunez.137

The concept involved using

recycled shipping containers to create a marketplace on a barren and idle construction site with permission from developer, Albee Development LLC. Dekalb Market, as it became known, was nestled on the corner of Flatbush Ave. and Willoughby St. in Brooklyn Heights. It quickly became a popular market and public space with food and small business vendors and an organic garden.

The idea of using such a site for a marketplace is what Lydon defines as a site previtalization project. In this particular case, the site is occupied by vendors categorized as micro-entrepreneurs, or “startup entrepreneurs that work independently and informally through low cost business maneuvers.”128 Dekalb Market operated as a flexible entity that could be altered in spatial configuration by shifting the orientation of the shipping containers, adding multi-levels, or simply by adding new units with a crane.

137

http://www.archdaily.com/70815/times-square-reconstruction-project-snøhetta/ [accessed, 02/14/13].

Dekalb Market. http://dekalbmarket.com/ [accessed, 02/14/13].

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Figure 43: Images of Dekalb Market (I). [architizer/inhabitat 2011]

This unique ability to transform the space allowed Dekalb Market to become a dynamic environment where people could come to eat, drink and relax, listen to music, buy goods, or participant in events hosted by the vendors. These events featured anything from free or small fee seminars to niche gathering nights and music festivals. The garden also provided a platform to learn about organic gardening. From a business perspective, the market’s layout and density allowed the space to essentially also operate as a business incubator.137 UrbanSpace purchased customizable shipping containers from the New Jersey based company TRS Containers. Vendors were given the option of choosing between an 8x10 foot or an 8x20 foot container. The containers could be changed aesthetically with paint and/or signage.138 All vendors featured similar modern, glass storefronts to exhibit their goods and warmly engage the public as they walked around the market.

The use of shipping containers at Dekalb Market was a distinct endeavor because of its design consciousness on an environmental level. Developers could have opted to build this project through traditional methods by building new modules or using more expensive

138

Rebecca Cherewka, Vendors’ Perspectives on Dekalb Market. [August 24th, 2012]

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materials, however, they chose to use readapt existing shipping containers. In their normal usage, shipping containers are modular units used internationally to trade and export goods between countries. Once they reach their final port destinations, they usually remain empty and unused in large quantities on docklands around the world because of trade imbalances and repositioning costs.139 Their reuse as business or housing units, hence, gives various designers a flexible, low cost and environmentally friendly alternative way to build their projects.

Dekalb Market’s design methodology also was significant on a socioeconomic side because its low cost operation had a direct effect on the vendors who worked there. These individuals are young professionals, many of whom are new to the entrepreneurial realm and are starting their own business fresh from the ground up. Business costs have an even high emphasis for those vendors whose small business is now their sole occupation. A number of entrepreneurs at Dekalb Market left their other jobs to focus on growing their businesses.

Alison Lucien, of Eleanor’s Stylish Bicycle Accessories for Ladies, for example left a job at Saks Fifth Avenue to start a business which focuses on providing bicycle utility items not found in existing bicycle shops. Her 800 square foot container space is leased from UrbanSpace and Young Woo & Associates for $800 a month with a 17% discount on utilities. In the common business world of New York City, a person like Alison would need 139

The Repositioning of Empty Containers. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch5en/appl5en/ch5a3en.html [accessed, 02/21/13].

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a minimum of at least $5,000 a month to lease a good storefront space. Most lease contracts would also require a five year commitment, placing even more pressure on the owner to quickly find and sustain success in the long run. The flexibility of the Dekalb Market concept allowed her to save on overhead costs and gave her more capital to put into other areas of her business.140

Figure 44: Vendors - Alison Lucien and Rebecca Cherewka [By the Author, 2012]

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Alison Lucien, Vendors’ Perspectives on Dekalb Market. [August 24th, 2012]

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Fellow vendors, Rebecca Cherewka and Mike Spitz, also left other jobs to focus on their shops. Rebecca sells vintage clothes as co-owner at Honeysuckle & Hearts Vintage. She operated out of a 1,600 square foot container and had a great deal at only $1,200 a month plus utilities for rent. The reasonable price of her lease allowed Rebecca to focus more on marketing, which she pointed out is a major challenge because “you can push a market when it opens and get press, but in New York City you constantly have to remind people of why they want to be coming here and why it’s the next best thing.”138141 Rebecca felt that Dekalb Market was unique because of the environment it created, full of many like-minded individuals in the same situation. Combined with the low operation costs, this dynamic gave her and the other business owners, a chance to “learn the process and many facets of running a small business within a shorter time frame and without the risks traditional entrepreneurs would have to deal with.” Being in this space gave her “access to other small businesses and information sharing that helped in managing their businesses.” As her colleague Alison put it, it truly “is a place where entrepreneurs can come to test out their ideas and experiment without much risk.”140

141

Rebecca Cherewka, Vendors’ Perspectives on Dekalb Market. [August 24th, 2012].

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Figure 45: Vendors – Mike Spitz [By the Author, 2012]

Figure 46: Images of Dekalb Market (II). [By the Author, 2012]

Mike, on the other hand, was thriving with sales at his retro sports merchandise store, Top Shelf Premium Vintage. Within a three month span, Mike’s business became one of the most popular shops at Dekalb Market. He worked with his business partner every day of the week and credited their success in part to marketing. Mike also believes that “social media has been the greatest thing for his business” and that his store did well because it was a “memorable place that met the market demographics of the surrounding neighborhood.”

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His shop was so successful and established that he was in the process of opening up a new store in lower Manhattan.142 Towards the end of the summer, vendors learned that Dekalb Market would be closing at its current location. This left them disappointed and in a difficult position because the developer wasn’t expected to start construction of their mixed use, high rise City Point project143 until a later date and UrbanSpace did not have a new location for the market to move to. Franticness appeared to settle in as the future of their businesses suddenly became uncertain. Most vendors believed the market would not reopen and had to plan accordingly, essentially figuring out how to start over in a short period of time.

The fluctuation of the development market and the economy quickly became evident in this case. Dekalb Market, for all its great qualities, also had a slew of flaws that challenged its ability to progress. This apparent miscommunication with upper management on the status of the market highlighted a broader problem.

Numerous vendors felt that

UrbanSpace and Young Woo did not listen to their needs and concerns. Communication was hampered by a bureaucratic operation that had the opinions of too many people.

UrbanSpace also made decisions that impeded the market’s success.

The biggest

obstacle was the inward layout of the market itself. Vendors were not allowed to have their storefronts align the outside of the site. This would have given the businesses a proper

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Mike Spitz, Vendors’ Perspectives on Dekalb Market. [August 24th, 2012] Brooklyn daily eagle. http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/city-point’s-phase-ii-will-have-2-residentialbuildings-plus-500000-sq-ft-retail-base [accessed, 02/21/13].

143

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storefront presence on the streets. They also could not market on the outside of the perimeter. This was a major disadvantage given Dekalb Market’s location in a somewhat desolate neighborhood in the process of revitalization. 144 The neighborhood around the site at Willoughby Street, however, is also in the middle of a series of hot spots such as Long Island University, the Institute of Design and Construction, and a number of nearby parks. Dekalb Market, additionally, was adjacent to a subway stop and a major road. Vendors felt that UrbanSpace and Young Woo did not do enough marketing and made poor choices when they did.144 As a result, Dekalb Market could not reap the inherent benefits of the location and lost potential customers as they confused the market with a construction site.

Mike, Alison, and Rebecca all had a common positive sentiment about the concept of Dekalb Market. They felt, as Alison stated, that “the developers promised more than they could do and that they didn’t realize what they were getting into.”140 She reiterated that “the ideas were awesome, but it just couldn’t be fully executed.” Further organizational problems backed up these views. Promoted food and music events required everyone to pay a fee even if they weren’t there to attend that event.

This invited a certain

demographic of people and mainly benefited specific vendors. At other times, foot traffic was slow and stores remained vacant as shop owners did not abide by their contractual agreements to be open during a set weekly schedule.144

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Interviews – Vendors’ Perspectives at Dekalb Market. [August 24th 2012]

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For their part, UrbanSpace and Young Woo & Associates both have had acclaimed successes in other projects. UrbanSpace, the American branch of UK based Urban Space Management, has a number of markets around New York City. Popular spots include Madison Square Eats and Union Square Holiday Market.145 Urban Space Management has been around since 1970 and has much experience with flexible, makeshift markets and urban revitalization efforts with projects like Camden Lock and Chelsea Farmers Market.146 Young Woo & Associates developed many properties around New York and consults major businesses such as BRT Realty Trust and the Bristol Group.147 UrbanSpace is currently looking for a new space to house Dekalb Market. Alison and Rebecca sought out new opportunities at other local markets. Other vendors were also able to emulate Mike and open up their own stores. Albert Chau reopened up Grumpy Bert’s shop at the Boerum Hill Gift Shop on Bond St. and is housing other displaced Dekalbers within his new space.148 Even if it does not reconstitute itself, Dekalb Market represents an important case study for designers and entrepreneurs alike. It epitomizes the various downfalls as well as the best attributes and great potential of low scale interventionist projects.

145

Squad, T. U. S. B. (2012). Urbanspace. http://urbanspacenyc.com [accessed, 02/17/13].

Home - urban space management. http://www.urbanspace.com/ [accessed, 02/17/13].

147 Youngwoo. http://www.iyoungwoo.com/ [accessed, 02/17/13].

148 Artists from shuttered dekalb market sell wares at boerum hill gift shop - DNAinfo.com New York http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20121204/boerum-hill/artists-from-shuttered-dekalb-market-sellwares-at-boerum-hill-gift-shop [accessed, 02/17/13].

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Benefits and Downsides of Tactical Interventions Tactical Urbanism at its essence is a bottom up approach to solving existing problems.

This is an approach where action is initiated on the grassroots level by individuals or members of a community. People work and listen to each other’s ideas and come together towards a common solution to a specific issue or set of issues. Another terminology for this phenomenon is participatory design.

This method “allows the members of the

community to share their own views and convictions in planning strategies to improve and solve issues related to their communities.”149 This approach was first formulated by German architect, Otto Koenigsberger after he attempted to lead urban planning measures over various design capacities during his time in India. In 1963, he referred to this methodology as Action Planning and later it became Development Planning.150 During the last three decades other designers have built upon this practice. Architects Nabeel Hamdi and Reinhard Goethert developed the practice of Microplanning or Community Action Planning (CAP), which involves community members, local groups such as NGO’s, designers, and city officials coming together in workshops over 2 to 5 days to design development plans for specific local projects or come up with solutions to existing problems facing the community.151

149

El Asmar, J., Ebohon, J. O., & Taki, A. (2012). Bottom-up approach to sustainable urban development in Lebanon: The case of Zouk Mosbeh. Sustainable Cities and Society, 38.

150 The Informal City, Otto Koenigsberger’s views on the role of planning institutions http://theinformalcity.blogspot.com/ [accessed, 02/20/13] 151 Community Action Planning (MicroPlanning)[accessed, 02/20/13] http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/upgrading/issues-tools/tools/Micro-Planning.html

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These type of approaches fall under the definition of a bottom-up approach. Designer Christian Duell characterizes this type of action as community lead cultural movements that extend far beyond design alone. Duell points to grassroots movements such as the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street as key examples of movements in the new dynamic age of information, where the “sudden and open ability to access and share information allows society at a community level to become increasingly empowered to enact change in a ‘bottom-up’ way.”152 These new factors add a twist to the accustomed mechanics of grassroots movements.

As witnessed in these aforementioned examples, the traditional actors in the bottom-up approach are people without much money, resources, and power. Their limitations give them only a minimal ability to enact higher scale change in society. They must rely on topdown actors to progress their efforts to the next level. The top-down approach is a model in which government authorities and other powerful stakeholders such as designers, developers, and big businesses take the lead in facilitating some form of action.

Tactical urbanism is an interesting force in the overall relationship between the bottomup and top-down camps. The interventions in Oyster Bay and the Green Light for Midtown projects showcase that this method can be used by both ordinary people and government authorities. The City of New York’s leadership and open-mindedness created a pilot program that made a significantly improved the quality of life in the city and gained

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Bottom up, top down - design online. [accessed, 02/20/13] http://designonline.org.au/content/bottom-up-top-down-designing-cultural-change/

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so much support that it became a permanent measure. Oyster Bay, on the other hand, illustrates how low scale maneuvers can revitalize the physical environment and perception of a stagnant, struggling town.

Inherently though, tactical urbanism exists because of inaction on the part of governing bodies. The innovative initiatives of cities like New York are truly inspiring, however, in reality, they are rare instances.

Therefore, a third approach needs to be born from the

collaboration of all parties. This is known as a bottom-up top-down approach. It occurs when the efforts of a grassroots movement gain momentum and force the authoritative powers to take action. The end result is an endeavor that involves both parties actively working together towards common ground and a realization of their initial ambitions.

The overall value of tactical urbanism can be felt across all boundaries of the triple bottom line. From a socioeconomic standpoint, tactical interventions are low cost, low risk actions that give local neighborhoods great flexibility.

People collect resources like

recycled materials and reuse them for the project’s needs. Resources are conserved because tacticians do not have the capital to buy traditional materials. As a result, the consumption of energy and waste is reduced and the natural environment is not adversely impacted.

The process of participatory design has further positive impacts as it increases social engagement and acts as a mechanism for practical and educational gain. According to planner, Nick Wates, grassroots activism and design collaboration essentially builds a sense

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of community through the exchange of voices, ideas, information, and shared actions.153 An environment is created where experimentation can freely flow. The pressures accompanied with traditional, high scale projects are not present. There is an ability to be playful, to mess around, and to just be spontaneous. Nabeel Hamdi calls this type of practice, small change. Design essentially becomes improvised as we wait for things to develop. He illustrates this concept through the example of a bus stop, which acts as a hub for activity and development such as street vendors and businesses.154 Fellow designer, Jeffrey Hou defines these environments as “insurgent public spaces” or “instances of self-made urban spaces, reclaimed and appropriated sites, temporary events, flash mobs, and informal gathering places created by marginalized communities” which in turn “provide new expressions of the collective realms in the contemporary city.”155 It is this same environment that allowed vendors such as Rebecca Cherewka and Mike Spitz to develop their businesses and gain valuable experiences at Dekalb Market.

Tactical

Urbanism gives individuals opportunities that may not be visible to the naked eye. Taking and reutilizing dead vacant spaces can really make a major impact on individuals and society as a whole.

153

Wates, N (2000). The Community Planning Handbook: “How People Can Shape their Cities, Towns and Villages in Any Part of the World,” 4-5.

154 Hamdi, N. (2004). Small Change: The Art of Practice and the Limits of Planning in Cities, 73-76, 93-106.

155 Hou, J., (2010). (Not) Your Everyday Public Space. In J. Hou (Ed.), Insurgent Public Space: Guerrilla Urbanism and the Remaking of Contemporary Cities, pp. 2.

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Opportunities are given to people who might be unemployed, lacking practical skills, looking to network with like-minded people, or just struggling to find a way to start their own business. Skills can be gained by building a chair or bench or through readapting a dumpster into a new functioning unit. This venue dually gives young professionals a platform to showcase their abilities and network with potential employers. Small scale interventionist opportunities have led to brilliant co-op programs in higher education.

Figure 47: Design/Build of 20K House [Rural Studio/T. Hursley, 2009]

In the early 1990’s, architect Samuel Mockbee started the Rural Studio at Auburn University in Alabama. Architecture students were given the unique chance to build economically conscious homes and community spaces for low-income residents. Students were given the dual challenges of designing with the occupants, meeting budget limitations,

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and building the structures themselves.

The program, which has produced many

empowering buildings, is still going strong today.156 The urban streets of Tokyo, Japan became the host of similar interventions in 2005.

Students from Temple University’s architecture program teamed up on design/build projects with local students from Tokyo University of Sciences and Tokyo Metropolitan University. The aim of the project was to repurpose vacant public parcels into new community spaces for the Kanda District. One of the more extensive schemes was the intervention at Chiyoda Platform Square, which turned an unused and irrelevant courtyard near a mixed-use business office into a vibrant public space.157

Figure 48: Design/Build Footbath intervention at Chiyoda Platform Square,

by Temple University/T.U.S/T.M.U.-Students [By the Author, 2005]

The American team of students worked with the Japanese students’ ideas to design a public footbath. Over a period of three weeks, students worked to build the structure with materials donated by the local government. The final result was a footbath café where 156

Rural studio – purpose and history. http://www.ruralstudio.org/about/purpose-history. [accessed, 02/20/13].

157 Cacioppo, D. (2005). Architecture Students Break Barriers at Platform Square. The Temple Voice (Temple University Japan, Issue no. 65), pp. 1-2.

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workers and members of the community could eat lunch and soak their feet (in hot or cold water) for a small fee. Members of the neighborhood curiously flocked to the square and the space became very popular over the two weeks it was open.158 Guerrilla design ventures such as tactical urbanism are not without flaws in the scheme of things. There are some instances where actions taken by individuals are “unsanctioned” or illegal.

This primarily involves a person or persons trespassing or placing an

intervention (e.g. vandalism) on private property without the permission of the owner.

Tactical Urbanism only exists when groups of individuals work together to take action.

Without a concerted effort, these change driving actions are not felt or realized.

Despite this, small scale interventions are likely to benefit all parties. These actions make a positive impact on alleviating pressing social, economic, and environmental problems. Grass level individuals can improve themselves and their physical environment with the hope of bringing greater long term change. Developers, designers, and city governments benefit from experimenting with low scale initiatives. For someone like a developer, this method of design can help them see what a potential storefront might look like without making a large initial investment.159128 Top-down stakeholders ultimately gain a new, more holistic perspective that will be better for the entire neighborhood.

158

The author was a participant in this project in 2005 as a student from the Temple University Architecture Program.

159 Mike Lydon, Interview on Tactical Urbanism. [August 24th, 2012]

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Chapter Seven: Design Case This project was conducted on a site selected by the author in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia. The site is a former industrial and multiuse complex located on a fairly large set of land and properties along 918-982 North Delaware Avenue.

It is

abundant with vacant buildings, lots, and streets in a significant area of the city. The site’s proximity to iconic buildings, public transit, civic spaces, and the Delaware Riverfront make it an ideal location for the context of this project.

Design Precedence and Existing Plans In 2005, the urban design firm, Interface Studio analyzed and drafted a comprehensive report for the Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association (NLNA). The NLNA is the neighborhood’s volunteer community organization that advocates on issues regarding zoning and development and public well-being. This report presented details on the state of district as it was quickly moving through a process of redevelopment. Interface Studio identified concerns and pressing problems such as the lack of parking, traffic congestion, a need for streetscape improvements, and balancing future development of areas around the waterfront with the needs of the current residents and businesses.160 One of the more immediate issues highlighted was the high amount of existing vacant lots and buildings. Interface Studio studied land in and around this project’s site and made design proposals for potential redevelopment. The large swatches of unused land under the

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Northern Liberties Neighborhood Plan. (2005). Interface Studio, 13-38, 39-54, 73-85.

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I-95 Expressway was studied and designated as an area with great potential for the community. Interface’s plan proposed a scheme where parks could maximize these strips with green spaces and compliment nearby new development projects. 160

Figure 49: Northern Liberties Neighborhood Plan – Conceptual Design Plans and Rendering. [Interface Studio, 2005].

The DRWC Master Plan is divided into 3 ‘priority sites’ that each have specific recommendations for development and investments in the near and long-term. These include Spring Garden, Penn’s Landing, and Washington Avenue.

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The Washington

Avenue Zone will focus on low to mid-rise housing development while the Penn’s Landing Zone will prioritize retail and entertainment. This project falls within the Spring Garden Zone, which is divided into two areas (the Festival Pier/former City Incinerator Site and the Uplands) with different uses.161 The Festival Pier boundary will focus on compact, mixed-use residential buildings, retail, restaurants, and spaces for public events as well as wetlands on select portions of the river’s edge. The Uplands Zone is east of Spring Garden Street and under the EL/I-95 Expressway.

Project proposals in this location are encouraged to create plans for intimate, low-rise blocks for housing and recreational centers and open space for pocket parks and leisure.

The DRWC also intends to support this zone by seeking improvements to street amenities and investments in public art installations.161 Germantown Avenue was selected by the DRWC as one of their connector streets. In their scheme, it is extended through existing properties to connect the inland neighborhood (and the city) to Delaware Avenue. One of the goals of this concept is to ease traffic flow.

The DRWC makes a separate, alternate recommendation that suggests that the cross section of land around Front Street and Germantown Ave. be utilized as a terminus for green spaces and more low key public spaces. The pathway would also serve as a guide to bring people down to the waterfront area. Spring Garden Street is envisioned as a prominent boulevard that would act into an anchor for this part of the waterfront. The DRWC plans

161

Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. (2011). Transforming Philadelphia’s Waterfront: Master plan for the Central Delaware (Full Report), pp. 22-23, 57-61.

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to phase development of the Festival Pier site over the next 10 years. Public transit options are also expected to be integrated into Delaware Ave. within a similar timeframe.161

Figure 50: DRWC Master Plan – Spring Garden Zone, Site Plan

Figure 51: DRWC Master Plan – Spring Garden Zone, Festival Pier Rendering

The actual owner of the property in this design project is Core Realty Inc. Following the

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leadership of developer Michael Samschick, the company bought vast areas of the site around North Delaware Avenue and Frankford Avenue. Core Realty, in fact, owns eight blocks of property between Brown Street and Montgomery Avenue. The 900 block of Delaware Ave. is slated to be one phase in a $600 million multiphase redevelopment project called Penn Treaty Village. Interface Studio was hired to come up with a design. In the proposal, the vacant 160,000 square foot Ajax Metal Building will be readapted into a bowling alley, distillery, live concert venue, and an adjoining mixed use retail and restaurant space.162

Figure 52: Core Realty Inc. – Penn Treaty Village, Site Plan [2012]

162

Kostelni, N. (2012). Down by the river: S600 million, multiphase development will cover eight blocks along delaware avenue near penn treaty park. Philadelphia Business Journal, 31(45), 2223.

Gates, K. P. (2012). Core realty presents plan to re-use the former ajax metal works building as a music venue, bowling alley, and restaurant. http://planphilly.com/articles/2012/09/19/core-realty-presents-plan-re-use-former-ajax-metal-worksbuilding-music-venue-bowling-alley-and-rest [accessed, 08/16/13].

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The property on the 900 block will be readapted into cafes, businesses, a fitness center, IMAX theater, and a pedestrian-friendly walkway on a repurposed Canal Street. A nearby 13,000 square foot park will be adjacent to the Ajax Metal Building and 337 parking spaces will provide the site with adequate parking for the increased retail demand that these types of businesses will spur. Core Realty plans to begin work on the second phase once it gets approval from the NLNA and Fishtown Neighborhood Association.162 Tactical Regeneration: A New Approach A new design paradigm has been conceived to test this project hypothesis. Tactical Regeneration is an action method developed from the concept and varying iterations of Tactical Urbanism. This model calls for the implementation of a bottom-up, top-down approach to designing urban regeneration projects. It requires a collaborative process where members of the top (local governments, real estate developers, planners et al) work with groups from the grassroots level (millennials, community organizations, and other neighborhood members).

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Figure 53: Tactical Regeneration, Concept Diagram [By the Author]

Like the gears of a machine, each group has a role to play in the redevelopment of large and complex blighted areas. The real estate developer has great influence in these types of projects and thus needs to take a prominent position in this process. A developer’s main goal is to get “the best and highest use� or the best value and use of property depending on the site context.163 In this approach, the developer will take a property and phase it into a number of segments. Construction costs and time will likely be reduced, due to the reuse of vacant buildings and lots, and in many instances simple, temporal, and inexpensive (e.g. material choice, rotational occupancy). Other elements will be more permanent like basic retrofitting and potential, long term street improvements.

The redevelopment site will basically include a mix of developed buildings and areas activated by tactical interventions. For example, in the Oyster Bay, Long Island project, developers allowed and assisted in making enhancements to existing vacant shops while the 163

James Mascaro, Interview on Real Estate Development. [Aug. 15th, 2013]

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urban design team and volunteers made makeshift improvements in public spaces to reactivate the adjacent street level. The scale and extent of each redevelopment will be dependent on the context and circumstances of the project site. In this project, these tactical interventions will sometimes occur on larger scales because of increased streetscape and building property.

The developer will be assisted by typical teams of architects, planners, landscape architects, and other design consultants. Members of the local government will also need to take a strong leadership role in the process by providing support and allowing the fluid experimentation of this approach to cultivate organically.

In the larger scheme, this

approach is a low risk, high reward opportunity for all parties. Developers get to phase out a project into pieces instead of taking the risk of developing a large site that doesn’t take off as expected in the current economic state. Individuals and groups on the grassroots level will have important opportunities to grow their small businesses, improve city streets, gain skills, and develop a sense of community ownership as they join in this project.

Tactical interventions can reignite dead spaces such as vacant lots and unused streets.

When deployed in conjunction with pop-up shops in vacant stores, these tactics can potentially act as a surging catalyst in the development of future phases of the project and in the surrounding neighborhood. Flexibility is provided through the use of short-term, installations and design maneuvers that by their nature are inexpensive and nonpermanent. Tactical Regeneration, in summary, is a holistic approach that gives developers, 112

politicians, grassroots groups and residents of the neighborhood an arena to test out design schemes in the hopes of rejuvenating underused and blighted areas of the city. The prospect for success is an opportunity that can only benefit individual citizens and the city as whole in the long run.

Project Parameters For the sake of this hypothetical project, a scenario with specific parameters was set to ease some of the difficulties of this design case.

The scenario involves the City of

Philadelphia commissioning a request for proposal (RFP) for the redevelopment of vacant properties along North Delaware Avenue in coordination with the DRWC Master Plan. A multi-disciplined architecture, planning, and development firm (headed by myself) is designing a proposal to submit to the city. The city has determined that the existing buildings are structurally sound and have used EPA Supersite funding to remediate a brownfield on the vacant land behind the properties.

During the initial stages of the

project, the design and development firm analyzed existing businesses in this property and also determined that it would be best to buy out and relocate George Wells Meats. The eastern side of the property would then remain vacant as part of a phased redevelopment.

Connector 23: Design Process and Concept The design process began in 2012 with a series of charrettes or ‘workshops of ideas.’ An initial mini group of participants was assembled to develop a set of guiding principles for the project.

Guiding principles establish a core set of values that businesses and 113

organizations use to guide their decisions “throughout its life in all circumstances, irrespective of changes in its goals, strategies, type of work, or the top management.”164 A handful of one to three hour meetings took place with different groups of individuals. The process was aided by group collaboration over documents on Google® Drive. Participants marked notes on the original set of guiding principles and a final set was developed within a month’s period. This project’s guiding principles revolve around four distinct themes in Community, Entrepreneurship, Equity, and Sustainability that were determined based on responses to problems addressed in this dissertation and in response to the site’s context along the Delaware Waterfront (See the full guiding principles below). 

Community - To create an inclusive environment that fosters social engagement and collaboration, serving as a connection between the building’s occupants and the surrounding neighborhood.



Entrepreneurship - To serve as a catalyst for reestablishing the Delaware Waterfront as a market for innovation, small business growth, and continuous economic development, a place that promotes leadership, opportunity, and the free flow of ideas.



Equity - To provide a vessel that serves to alleviate social hardship through the utilization of opportunistic design measures and grassroots initiatives.



Sustainability - To develop a setting that works in conjunction with the city’s existing development plans and the local neighborhood’s history and context; an adaptable community that is resilient and capable of physically shifting to meet the ever-changing demands of the American culture and economy.

Larger charrettes took place on separate days at catered venues in February and April 2012. The first charrette was held at Philadelphia University with a group of students, professors, building trade members and other young professionals from the Philadelphia

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Definition - guiding principles. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/guiding-principles.html [accessed, 08/17/13].

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area. Participants were presented with an overview of the project and site history and then split into subgroups to brainstorm ideas for the project. Each group focused on certain site specific problems and then presented their proposals to the other groups. One important item discussed was whether or not to make a connector path. Different schemes were explored with and without a vehicular or a pedestrian connector path. The participants as a whole also came together to provide additional recommendations.

The second charrette attempted to bring more input from residents of the project location by using email invitations, social media, and personal outreach. It was held in the NLNA Community Center in Northern Liberties/Fishtown with members of the NLNA Board in attendance as well as a diverse mix of millennials employed at Apple and in the design and creative industries. A third, one hour brainstorming session followed at Indy Hall with owner Alex Hillman and point man, Adam Teterus. These charrettes followed the protocol of the first gathering with some minor changes in presentation and duration.

In retrospect, this process was incredibly helpful in addressing the problems identified in this research and relative to the project site itself. The groups provided insight and new perspectives that likely would have been missed if the design process was conducted in the traditional manner, which is closed off with little to no public input. In critique, the public workshops were by no means perfect. Charrettes are typically held by city officials and design and construction firms over a period of five to six consecutive days. The participants were kind enough to volunteer in these sessions, which needed to be adapted to meet the 115

needs of these individuals’ busy lives. My inexperience as a charrette facilitator and the complexity of this project made the goals of the design charrettes vague and confusing at times. As a whole, however, the experience of bringing a diverse group of talented people together to try to solve immense problems only added to the quality and completeness of the project.

A site analysis was conducted over a span of two to three months, spaced out in segments in 2012. The site was extensively documented and analyzed. The author was proactive in talking to nearby businesses to gain further knowledge of how the area functioned.

Walking around and experiencing the site was important. This allowed the author to see how adjacent businesses worked and people used the location. Trying to relive what it was like to meander down Canal Street (or to formerly boat along Cohocksink Creek) added a deeper sense of awareness and connection to the site.

By the end of the analysis, the author realized how plagued the site truly was. The Uplands section of the Spring Garden Zone is afflicted by many of the symptoms present in post-industrial cities. A public transportation vessel originally constructed as an Elevated Line was overtaken by the forces of the time and annexed into the I-95 Expressway. The freeway’s presence is a menacing force that split the riverfront from the city and broke up the social fabric of the river ward neighborhoods. It has created an imposing physical and psychological barrier that is preventing the Northern Liberties area and surrounding neighborhoods from reaching their full growth potential.

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Large stretches of vacant

buildings and land straddle North Delaware Ave., Front Street and beyond. The once vibrant industrious waterfront is now beset by empty and littered streets (See Appendix C for the full Site Analysis).

This thesis proposes the tactical regeneration of lower Northern Liberties through the design and formation of a connector street that connects Germantown Avenue to the project site at 918-940 North Delaware Avenue. The Connector 23 redevelopment project is broken down into two operating zones: the primary development area and the tactical development area.165

The primary development area includes the phased renovation of

roughly 61,000 square feet of vacant buildings between 918-940 North Delaware Ave. The tactical development area is located behind the building site, across a vast plot of vacant land in between Front St. and Canal St., and abutted by the towering I-95 freeway and Germantown Ave. Extension of the connector path to a pier is a suggested second phase dependent on the success of the first phase and the ability to use the specific property identified along the waterfront.

165

Connector 23 symbolizes the reconnection of Northern Liberties to the riverfront. 19123 is one of the zip codes for this district, hence the number in the project name.

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Figure 54: Connector 23, Concept Map [By the Author]

Figure 55: Connector 23, Site Plan [By the Author]

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Figure 56: Connector 23, Aerial from N. Delaware Ave.[By the Author]

The Connector 23 redevelopment project will experiment with the DRWC Master Plan’s connector street concept by building a pedestrian only walkway that connects the fragmented Germantown Avenue to North Delaware Avenue. Vacant land along the path will be developed with functional spaces that will activate the pathway in conjunction with the newly renovated building complex. A park, two makeshift racquetball courts, and a recycled shipping container market will blend into the Connector 23 streetscape.

This framework’s main goals are to improve accessibility to the waterfront and rehabilitate the desolate, uninhabited dead zone in between North Delaware Ave. and the EL/1-95 overpass on Front St. The intention of the new artery is to create a safe pathway that will connect the high density area at the Piazza at Schmidt’s site with a new mixed-use hub closer to the riverfront. Spaces along Germantown Ave. and underneath the EL and overpass are part of the tactical development zone and will be improved with temporary 119

installations to mediate circulation across this section of the path. Dirt lots in this location are proposed to serve as parking spaces to accommodate increases in transient users.

Tactical interventions will also occur on other vacant stretches around the site.

The renovated buildings will feature two complexes split by the new pedestrian street’s course to Delaware Avenue.

An arts and innovation centre and recreational facility are

located in the west complex and retail shops and a coworking and career development space are in the opposite complex. Small business vendors will occupy recycled containers with food and retail shops next to the extension of Germantown Ave. Streetscape improvements will be made to Canal St. and in front of the new buildings.166

Figure 57: East (Front) Elevation, looking west from N. Delaware Ave.

Figure 58: South Elevation

166

Katina Wright provided landscape design guidance for this project.

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Figure 59: West Elevation, looking down Connector 23 extension towards N. Delaware Ave.

Figure 60: Streetscape improvements along Germantown Ave.

Figure 61: Entrance to pathway along Front Street

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Figure 62: Shipping container shops & pocket park along the walkway in the Tactical Development Zone

Figure 63: Merger into Connector 23 Redevelopment Zone

Survey Analysis and Project Outlook A survey was designed and conducted to understand public perceptions about urban sustainability, to learn more about the problems facing Northern Liberties and to gain feedback on the redevelopment proposal.

Participants were sought through survey

outreach efforts that involved distributing flyers with a link to a questionnaire and asking 122

others via email. The survey was taken online anonymously using software from the research company Qualtrics.

When asked general questions about sustainability such as “what do you associate the term ‘sustainability’ with?” and to identify the top barriers, survey participants almost equally identified sustainability with the natural environment, buildings, energy, and infrastructure,

and

culture

(lifestyle)

while

ranking

costs

and

lack

of

knowledge/understanding as top barriers to the integration of sustainable practice into American society. Respondents surveyed also believe that sustainable practice will improve the natural environment and overall the quality of neighborhoods/life. On the urban scale, participants selected a safe environment as the number one, most important factor in a quality, viable neighborhood.

The second and third most important factors were

accessibility to walkable streets and public transit and a diverse selection of amenities, shops, culture, etc. (See full survey in Appendix D).

Survey takers were next asked to identify needs and problems in Northern Liberties/Fishtown. For the top three amenities that would serve the district, they rated grocery stores, an outdoor marketplace, and civic/community spaces as the top services needed. The three most pressing problems were neighborhood safety, pedestrian access between Northern Liberties/Fishtown and the Delaware Waterfront, and presence of vacant lots and buildings. Additional feedback on amenities not included in the question, found that people would like to see earthships, senior housing, bookstores, more public parking, 123

athletic courts, a small size theater, and specialized spaces for the creative class.

When asked about the DRWC Master Plan, 52 percent of the 75 participants167 were familiar with it. It also was well-received as it scored an average of over 9 on a rating scale of 0 to 10. The Connector 23 plan received an average rating of 8 for both its connector street concept and phased development approach. Additionally, the survey participants were shown images of potential design components and asked to rate them. The data shows that the proposals that received the most support were dynamic public spaces and a bicycle transit center. All of the ideas presented scored high with most over an average of 8. These included programming contained in this project’s plan.

Lastly, the survey research aimed to understand cultural trends. The results found that Philadelphia does indeed have a strong concentration of influential young adults who are entrepreneurs and enrolled in school. Fifty percent of these individuals who are currently enrolled or just graduated from a college in the area said that they will stay and work in Philadelphia. The write in responses on reasons why, show that the quality of life and place (e.g. – affordability of housing, pedestrian friendly streets, access to public transit, progressive policies, and a rich cultural scene) is dictating where young professionals are living. Individuals who are not staying are moving to places like Brooklyn, New York and Seattle, WA; places that have more jobs and are progressively ahead of Philadelphia.

167

Three participants in the study were former residents of Philadelphia who live in new metros such as Los Angeles, CA, Austin, TX, and Washington, D.C. In certain questions, data results were adjusted to reflect the true consensus of residents who live in Philadelphia (e.g. – 39/75 of respondents knew of the DRWC Master Plan, but 3 individuals no longer live in the area).

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Data from the survey is of importance because it indicates that cities need to find ways to adapt to the changing cultural tides. Postindustrial cities like Philadelphia are trying to find new identities in order to meet the needs of the modern era. Mayor Nutter has provided formidable leadership and a direction for the city now and going forward. His plan is based on becoming a sustainable city and achieving the demands of the triple bottom line.

The process will undoubtedly not be easy, but these challenges should be viewed as an opportunity for endless possibilities. This is a mindset that we need to practice in society.

The author saw this site along the water and thought of the great, untapped potential it has to offer. The methodology of tactical regeneration can definitively help urban areas in need of a boost. In fact, the designers and policymakers need to take another look at these sites because many of them do not seem to fully understand the true dynamism and impact of urban design experimentation.

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Figure 64: Connector 23, Impact Assessment [By the Author]

This project can help transform the waterfront area back to the glory days when it was a cluster for innovation, commerce, and a quality public realm. Each decision made in this design scheme was carefully formulated with purpose and foresight for achieving the needs of the triple bottom line. The connector path is a critical facet of the design. It is needed to attract foot traffic and density to the riverfront. No one goes to North Delaware Avenue because there is not a reason for them to go there. It is dirty, outdated and full of vacant properties that generate crime and keep neighborhoods unsafe.

The demolition of existing building to make the connector path was necessary because the vast length of the buildings block sight of the river and access to it. In this case it is extremely difficult to reactivate two central streets in North Delaware Ave. and Canal St. A 126

pedestrian walking on North Delaware Ave. would have to walk over 600 feet to get across the 900 block of this property. The George Wells meat factory is used on the east side of the property, however, the business is mostly exclusive to public life and effectively lacks a street presence. All that is there is vacant looking spaces.

Placement of a shipping container market along the Connector 23 path will give Philadelphia the chance to emulate the success of Dekalb Market in Brooklyn, which was created on a site that the developer was going to use in the long-term. This is what Mike Lydon called Pre-site Vitalization (see chapter six). Having the market will give small business owners the chance grow from a shipping container unit into a more established space in the long term. Individual activists from the area will need to come together as tactical urbanists to clean the lots, build the connector path, and design street installations.

This will give these grassroots groups the ability to refresh old skills or learn new ones.

Consider the effect that a design/build project could have on an unemployed young designer or how being in a business market can produce a knowledge spillover. Ideas will be shared and professional development will occur.

The Connector 23 site is close to the EL and its subway stops at Spring Garden Street and Girard Avenue.

Improving street amenities and pedestrian access could encourage

residents to walk more to places of interest. If convenience is injected into this area, people may be more inclined to take public transportation. Mayor Bloomberg’s Green Light for Midtown project showed the nation that improving the streetscape for pedestrians 127

decreases traffic congestion and increases pedestrian foot traffic which leads to economic growth for nearby businesses.

The redevelopment of vacant properties can revive declining urban cores by readapting greyfields and remediating brownfields. These adaptive reuse projects benefit the developer by providing building space with an existing infrastructure that requires minimal changes.

Reinvigorated neighborhoods will bring economic growth and tax revenue.

Another

example of a good venture is when a developer sells a piece of land to the city for public use and still is able to make money.168 This scenario presents a win-win opportunity for all parties as the city makes a public park, the residents gain access to green space, and the developer is liked and makes money.163

A study by the University of Pennsylvania also

finds that the greening of vacant lots increases neighborhood safety and rates of exercise.169 Ultimately, the long term goal of this design project is to use tactical regeneration as a mechanism for reestablishing the Delaware Waterfront as a mecca for innovation. If properly orchestrated, third places like the outdoor market, arts and innovation centre, and coworking space can blend with retail and more common building programs to form a ‘community innovation hub’170 that will spur TBL growth around the Connector 23 site.

Future redevelopment projects will develop more organically and responsive to the limits of 168 169

170

James Mascaro, Interview on Real Estate Development. [Aug. 15th, 2013] Branas, C. C., Cheney, et al (2011). A Difference-in-Differences Analysis of Health, Safety, and Greening Vacant Urban Space. American Journal of Epidemiology, 174(11), 1296-1306.

‘Community Innovation Hubs’ is a term coined by Professor Geeta Mehta, who advised me in the early stages of this project. This concept effectively portrays one component in the overall ambitions of this project.

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recession and the desires of the residents of Northern Liberties, nearby districts, and the city as a whole.

Barriers and Challenges, Pt. II Redevelopment in urban environments is complex and time consuming.

Tactical

regeneration is a new approach that aims to help revive cities in need of modernization through adaptive and low cost practices. It is understood that this action method is a collaborative effort that will require a number of key factors to effectively work.

Stakeholders from the city and design level will need to work in unison with groups and individuals at the grassroots level. Specific components of this plan like the shipping container market and the renovation of buildings will each require their own independent organization. More complex issues in vacant property acquisition, brownfield remediation, and adaptive reutilization of such sites have their own intricacies that are too in depth to fully cover in this research.

Measuring the triple bottom line impacts of this redevelopment plan will be difficult and require time. Indicators of success can however be measured in terms of job creation, neighborhood safety, environmental air quality, and in other metrics.

The costs of

renovating the warehouse buildings in this plan are estimated to cost $6 to $9.5 million.171

171

Costs are based on estimates from RS MeanŽ Quickcost Estimator *I was not able to obtain existing building plans from the owner, Core Realty Inc. Square footage estimates were determined using older building plans on record on with the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections as well as Google Earth and a survey of the site. If this project were to come to realization, costs would be adjusted.

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Calculating the costs of tactical installations will be easier because they are smaller scale projects that require less overhead. Human and social capital theory is probably the hardest aspect to measure since these causations need time to analyze and understand. However, if an assessment system is created as part of a tactical regeneration plan, then this would help benchmark the effects of these theories. It is not as impossible as it seems. Studying the Dekalb Market model for this study has shown that the business success of vendors in that site led to the direct advancement from a small startup to the establishment of a larger storefront shop.

In the end, there will always be the problem of the constant fluctuation in the triple bottom line. Each branch of the equation is in competition with the other. Stakeholders each have their own interests and goals. It will be difficult to reach a state of equilibrium.

The context of this project, which is in the heart of a politically charged area along the Delaware Waterfront, only adds layers to the bigger picture. Challenges will always be present. They should not be a deterrent to models that hope to create lasting change in American society. If action is not taken, then we will remain in a standstill. Why not take this opportunity to take a chance and spur change for the greater good?

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Chapter 8: Conclusion Cities are steadily once again becoming an important source for knowledge, ideas, and economic prosperity. In the United States, urban cores have experienced both periods of innovation and stability and periods of decline, stagnation, and uncertainty. From the beginning of America’s growth and expansion, there has always been a symbiotic relationship between the city and the suburbs. Land use patterns and techno-cultural shifts over the last two centuries have exacerbated this relationship through the proliferation of suburban sprawl and automobile dependence.

As the urban-suburban interplay has played out like a theatrical piece in front of our American eyes, we have witnessed how too much of a focus on unchecked development propelled the success of one environ at the expense of the other. American designers, developers, and politicians forgot the qualities of development that made urban cores engines of growth in the first place.

The construct that was created in the built

environment during the last century is now fermenting itself in the current triple bottom line realities of economic recession, social plight, and the climatic perils generated by global warming.

The automobile dependence that has integrated itself into American culture is causing persistent damage to the natural environment and human condition, affecting the ability of cities and its inhabitants to progress. Deindustrialization and globalization have signified the end of the manufacturing sector in the United States. Cities face the challenges of 131

reinventing themselves to match demographic swings and the rise of social media and the internet age. The looming problem of fixing urban blight and spurring economic growth in a time of extended recession has left cities scrambling to form frameworks to guide them in the coming years.

More and more city leaders are recognizing that millennials and urban sustainability initiatives will need to be a part of their frameworks. At a recent CNU conference, planner Andres Duany questioned the effectiveness of New Urbanism’s principles in the current state of American planning and development. He pronounced that the two key issues affecting cities and towns are “pervasive impoverishment” and the “psychological shifts of impending climate change.” Duany now believes that the practice of “the New, New Urbanism” will require designers and developers to be "lean, guerilla, incremental, vernacular, and tactical."172 The rise of these methods in the practice of tactical urbanism has opened a world of possibilities for urban scale renewal. Grassroots tactics have helped the streets of New York to the hills of San Francisco. It is still a lesser known movement; however, successful projects like Mayor Bloomberg’s Green Light for Midtown pilot program and Dekalb Market in Brooklyn have made the case for future interventions. Postindustrial cities like Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia are laboratories that need to experiment with ways to help the many challenges of its people and urban spaces.

172

Nettler, J. Duany details the "new, new urbanism". Retrieved 8-19-13 from http://www.planetizen.com/node/60460

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Philadelphia is a compelling city with a rich history and sense of character. It has a contrast of blighted neighborhoods with vast expanses of vacant spaces and up and coming districts at the forefront of arts and innovation. It is also a green city with a quality public realm and growing environmental consciousness. For these reasons, it was selected in this dissertation as the test site for a new design approach called Tactical Regeneration.

This method was tested in a hypothetical design proposal for the redevelopment of vacant buildings and spaces along the Delaware Riverfront in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. The Connector 23 project shows how the practices of phased development and tactical urbanism can be dually deployed in a redevelopment plan.

The design

experiments with the City of Philadelphia’s proposed connector street concept to test how improved access to the waterfront can serve as a catalyst for wider neighborhood regeneration and economic development.

While theoretical, this design proposal is grounded by benchmarks analyzed in this research.

The project’s low risk, high reward approach offers the city, developers,

designers, and neighborhood members an opportunity to see how streetscape improvements, small business development, and dynamic spaces can be a catalyst for social change, economic prosperity and an enhanced quality of life. The author strongly believes that the Connector 23 project can have an immense effect on the regeneration process along the waterfront. The ultimate desire is to see Philadelphia’s Delaware Waterfront once again become a hub where people can come together to work and exchange ideas, 133

foster innovation and creativity, find peace, and experience the endless qualities of great public spaces.

The author hopes that this approach is eventually tested in actual practice

in cities across the country and that it inspires people to take action and be the change they wish to see in society.

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Process Work, Design, and Site Analysis: Landscape architecture guidance from Katina Wright [2012] Programs used Autodesk® Revit Architecture 2013 Autodesk® AutoCad 2011 Adobe® Photoshop CS5 Adobe® Indesign CS5 Adobe® Illustrator CS5 Google® Earth, Maps, and Drive 153

Google Maps Saver by GUI.Brush Blog Revit Families downloaded from http://seek.autodesk.com.

RS Mean速 Quickcost Estimator http://www.rsmeans.com/calculator/index.asp?specialUser=FSONL Resources Interview with David Fecteau [2012] Site Tour with Brian McLaughlin [2012] http://www.phila.gov/li/Pages/default.aspx www.zoningmatters.org http://philadelphiaheights.wordpress.com www.myphillycondo.com http://www.phillyprovenance.com/ http://www.yardsbrewing.com/tours.asp http://www.urbanyouthracingschool.com http://www.acorniron.com/index.html http://www.theroxxyphilly.com http://phillyhotlist.cityvoter.com/the-roxxy-complex/biz/114264 http://www.govertical.com http://articles.philly.com/2010-09-21/news/24977600_1_trolley-loop-sugarhouse-casino-harrahs-chester http://www.95revive.com/girard-avenue-interchange-home.aspx [accessed, February 2012] DRWC Master Plan for the Central Delaware (2011) Cooperman, E. T. (2011). Historical Resources Analysis for the Master Plan for the Central Delaware. ARCH Preservation Consulting. (24-38, 56, 104-106).

Kyriakodis, H. G. (2012). Northern Liberties: The Story of a Philadelphia River Ward (26-30, 37-39, 69-80).

Image Sources Group C, Program and Site Services (James Mascaro, 2012) Map Showing Course of Cohocksink Creek, 1942. (William Bucke Campbell) Campbell, W. (1942). Old Towns and Districts of Philadelphia, Vol. IV, No. 5. (City History of Philadelphia).

154

http://collection1.libraries.psu.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/digitalbks2/id/19978/rec/1 1 [accessed 08/24/13].

940 N. Delaware Ave, 1954 (Fred Twers) 952 N. Delaware Ave, 1954 http://phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/Search.aspx [accessed, January 2012].

Delaware Ave. and Poplar Street – Looking South, 1931(Charles Howell) http://phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/Search.aspx [accessed, January 2012].

All other images by the Author [2012-2013].

Survey Research: Programs used Qualtrics® Software Images Sources http://arrowstreetlive.com/2010/11/prestigious-honor-for-artists-for-humanity-epicenter/ [Images by Richard Mandelkorn]. http://www.123rf.com/photo_3372836_woman-engineer-or-architect-with-white-safety-hatand-wind-turbines-on-background.html http://www.earthyreport.com/site/green-jobs-equal-green-growth/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/gangplankhq/5590138243/sizes/z/in/photostream/ [Image by Gangplank HQ]. http://citycentrehouston.com/tenants/detail/urban-outfitters http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/jin-ramen/photo_gallery1.html http://www.temple.edu/studentaffairs/campusrec/facilities/ibc.asp http://temple-news.com/living/2009/03/03/fitness-options-not-too-far-from-home/ http://www.temple.edu/cs/techcenter/photos.html http://www.unsp.upenn.edu/images/uploads/sidebar/campus07.jpg http://www.architravel.com/architravel/building/tietgenkollegiet/ http://www.nwaonline.com/photos/2010/apr/17/57343/ http://www.bikesbelong.org/what-we-do/federal-policy-funding/why-invest-inbicycling/mcdonalds-cycle-center-il/ Images in Q9 (middle pictures) and Q15 (top, lower right) by the Author. [2011, 2012].

155

APPENDICES Appendix A: Subject Matter Experts 1.) Mike Lydon Job Title: Principal, The Street Plans Collaborative Relevance: Mike is an urban planner and the leading practitioner of Tactical Urbanism.

Brief Bio: As a leading advocate for smart growth planning, Mike is a consultant for urban planning, design, and research. He founded the Street Plans Collaborative in Miami in 2009. His firm operates out of dual offices in New York and Miami, focusing on projects and issues relating to transit planning, design, zoning codes and master planning, as well as public advocacy training. Prior to working independently, Mike worked for the New Urbanism planning firm, Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company (DPZ) from 2006-2009.

He has written Tactical Urbanism: Short-Term Action, Long-Term Change Volumes 1 and 2, The Open Streets Project, and was cowriter of The Smart Growth Manual in 2009.

Mike also is a board member of the Congress for the New Urbanism in New York and is a leading member of the Next Generation of New Urbanists. He regularly lectures about these topics nationally and abroad.

2.) Dekalb Market Vendors Job Titles: Rebecca Cherewka, Owner, Honeysuckle & Hearts Vintage Alison Lucien, Owner, Eleanor’s Stylish Bicycle Accessories for Ladies Mike Spitz, Owner, Top Shelf Premium Vintage Natalie Nera, Worker, Maharlika Relevance: This group of individuals operated as independent, small business owners and workers at Dekalb Market in Brooklyn, NY. Brief Bios: Rebecca opened her business in 2009 and currently continues to sell her clothing and accessories from etsy.com and local NYC street markets. She specializes in 156

vintage clothing for women.

Alison is a former working professional at Saks Fifth Avenue. She started Eleanor’s in 2012 after ten years in the fashion industry. Her business objective is to provide stylish and complimentary bicycle accessories. Eleanor’s is currently operating as a pop-up store this summer in Shelter Island, NY. Mike is a former young professional at Meltzer Weissman, LLP.

The success of his

business at Dekalb Market allowed him to open up Mr. Throwback on 9th Street in New York City. He continues to sell retro sports clothing, hats, jackets and memorabilia.

His business also operates at street fairs and extensively through social media.

Natalie is a worker at Maharlika, a restaurant which specializes in modern style Filipino food. Maharlika started as a pop-up restaurant in 2011 and was a staple at Dekalb Market festivities. The establishment now runs a business in Manhattan while it also continues to operate in pop-up capacities around the city.

3.) Jason Crook Job Titles: Professor of Marketing, Philadelphia University Relevance: Jason is an expert at marketing research and survey creation.

Brief Bio: Jason has taught in Philadelphia University’s Gibbs School of Business for over ten years.

His project experience ranges from work with pharmaceuticals,

universities, retail to banking and technology.

He currently is a collaborating

coordinator of the Strategic Design MBA with Professor Natalie Nixon, leading the Business Model Innovation course.

4.) James Mascaro Job Titles: Eastern Region Development Director, Dermody Properties Partners Relevance: James is a real estate developer with experience operating in the City of Philadelphia.

157

Brief Bio: James has worked at Dermody Properties since 2005 and has over ten years of experience in real estate development. He is a director who specializes in sustainable practice at DP Partners’ Philadelphia Office and in projects in the Philadelphia area and around the northern eastern United States.

5.) David Fecteau Job Titles: City Planner 3, Philadelphia City Planning Commission Relevance:

David is an experienced planner and active designer in the City of

Philadelphia.

Brief Bio: David has worked with the PCPC for over 5 years. He previously worked for the City of South Bend. Presently, he is working on projects for Philadelphia 2035 and the East Kensington Transportation and Community Development Plan.

158

Appendix B: Process Work/List of Participants Small Charrette #1 – Guiding Principles Venue: Online; Liz and Owen Paradiso’s Residence [December/Jan. -Feb. 2012] Participants: Dominic Cacioppo Fern Gookin Liz Paradiso Pier Ignozzi-Shaffer Owen Paradiso Matthew Emerson Chris Robinson

159

160

Charrette #2 – Design Workshop Venue: Philadelphia University [February 24th, 2012] Participants: Group A Pier Ignozzi-Shaffer (Facilitator) Andrew Vaught Josh Butz Brian McLaughlin

Group B Robert Fryer (Facilitator) Dan Russoniello Raff de Luna Luis Hidalgo

Group C Colm Otten (Facilitator) James Mascaro Ryan Dillon

Group D Gage Duran (Facilitator) Joel Goncalves Katina Wright Rawand Bani

Group E Dominic Cacioppo (Facilitator) Fern Gookin Ralph Loielo Sean Campbell

Opening Presentation – Project Overview

161

The SEED Center / Images from Group B

162

Images from Group A

163

Â

Group C presents / Design Analysis , Services, & Program (Images 2-4 by James Mascaro)

164 Â

Images from Group D and E

165

Charrette #3 – Design Workshop Venue: NLNA Community Center [April 4th, 2012] Participants: Group A Justyn Myers (Facilitator) Andy Allwine Alex Rose Corey McFarland

Group B Dominic Cacioppo /Adam Lemire (Co-Facilitators) Joe Mikuliak Anika Wilson

Group C Matthew Emerson (Facilitator) Ayako Okutani Marcello Schiffino Jamal Rab Images from Group A

166

Images from Group B

167

168

Images from Group C

169

Charrette #3 – Design Workshop Venue: Indy Hall [April 16th, 2012] Participants: Alex Hillman Adam Teterus

A Good Brainstorming Session

170

Later Process Work [by the Author]

171

172

173

 ________________________________________________________________________________

See attached sections Appendix C: Site Analysis Appendix D: Survey Template and Results

174 Â

Site Analysis An Exploration of Life, Space, and Ecology along 918-982 North Delaware Avenue

NORTHERN LIBERTIES

Original Boundaries

-Front + 6th St., Spring Garden to Girard Ave.

New Overlap Extension

-Laurel St. + Spring Garden to the Delaware River

A Brief Site History

During the 19th Century, Philadelphia’s industrial boom was in full force. Much of this manufacturing was happening along the Delaware Waterfront in Northern Liberties and the other nearby river wards such as Fishtown and Kensington. An ecclectic cluster of textile, tanneries, and shipyard factories emerged during this time. Existing tributaries like Cohocksink Creek were sources of transit and trade between Philadelphia’s inland and seaboard.

Scandinavian and English settlers eventually coexisted with the native Lenni Lenape Indians in this area.

Delaware Avenue was bustling with activity and would prominent until American industry declined in the Mid-20th Century. Cohocksink Creek was at one point a British barracks during the Revolutionary War and eventually was drained and turned into Canal Street by the Mid 19th Century because of the unsanitary conditions it was causing due to industrial usage. It effecitively then became a sewer. The site along 940 N. Delaware Ave. featured the Pioneer Salt Company and Champion Cups and Containers by the 1950’s. and Champion Cups and Containers.

The waterfront area changed dramatically after the construction of the I-95 Expressway along Front Street in 1967 and into the 1980’s. This separated Northern Liberties and the other riverfront districts from inland Philadelphia and created a barrier of which’s effects can still be felt today. Reconnecting the city to the waterfront is a major component of the City’s DRWC Master Plan.

PROJECT SITE - IN DETAIL

918-940 N. Delaware Ave. Project Site Adjacent Dirt Lot •Site area is an estimated 61,000 sf.

Vacant Lot

←

←

940-982 N. Delaware Ave.

Vacant Lot

George Wells Meats Primary Sidewalk (Largely Unused)

Surrounding Streetscape Primary: Canal St., North Delaware Ave., Poplar St., East Laurel St., North Front St. (Indirect Primary)

Secondary: Ellen St., East Allen St., Penn St., New

Other Key Streets: Spring Garden St., Frankford Ave., Germantown Ave., Girard Ave.

Market St.

Vacant Lot

Vacant Lot

Dirt Lot

Building Elevations

North Facade - Canal Street

West Facade - Lewellen & Poplar Street(s)

South Facade - North Delaware Avenue

East Facade (George Wells) - Laurel Street

Site Conditions - Zoning Occupancy

L5 R10A L4

C3

G2 G2

C3

C3- Mixed Use Commercial C5- Commercial G2- General Industrial

G2 G2

CED

R10A - Single Family Residential

C5 R10B

C5

CED - Commercial Entertainment District

G2

C3

R10B - Multi-Family Residential

C3

L4/L5- Limited Industrial

Site Occupancy Patterns & Notes Former: Area was heavy industrial, specifically in and around Delaware Avenue, the Delaware Waterfront, and in the Northern Liberties/Fishtown Districts.

Present: Light industrial mixed with entertainment and service retail near residential behind Front St. and in pockets along Delaware Avenue. Heavier industrial activity exists further up Delaware Avenue.

Present-Future: Area is undergoing a transition as the Delaware River Waterfront is redeveloped under the

city’s plans. It will presumably shift towards the residential, hospitality, entertainment, and recreational sectors. The building itself runs from 918-980 N. Delaware Ave. It is currently used primarily as a storage facility and meat production plant. Secondary uses include a practice space for local rock and indie bands.

Site Ownership: This plot of land is part of a larger immediate strip of properties that is owned by developer Michael Samschick and Core Realty, LLC.

Site Designations: The large vacant lot running alongside Canal Street and the majority of the building is

assumed to be a brownfield, or an area contaminated with toxic waste. This determination was made after analyzing the site’s history and land usage patterns. It is unknown if the smaller grass lot is a brownfield or just the result of a demolition. More information on these issues is available in the Site History and Vegetation Analysis sections.

Site Adjacencies

N

8

21

19

20

18

4

17 16 11 10 9

1 3 6

1. Project Bldg 2. George Wells Meats 3. Dirt Lot 4. Vacant Lot 1 5. Sugarhouse Casino 6. Penn Treaty Apts.

7. Delaware River

2

5

14 13 15 12 8. I-95 Expressway/The EL 9. Provenance & UYRS 10. Delaware Car Repair 11. Residental Condos 12. Yards Brewery 13. Acorn Iron & Supply 14. The Roxxy (Nightclub)

7 15. Go Vertical 16. Vacant Lot 2 17. Vacant Buildings 1 18. Vacant Buildings 2 19. Vacant Buildings 3 20. Trolley/Bus Station 21. Vacant Lot 3

1-2.) Project Site - Existing Complex Main Project Site

918-940 North Delaware Ave. - South Facade Site’s borders include N. Delaware Ave., Lewellen, Poplar, Laurel, & Canal St. Main Use - Mix of Storage and Flex Space. Formerly Pioneer Salt Co. and Used Office Furniture.

Hours of Operation - None, the building is allowed to be used spontaneously by a set of transient tenants. For example - the space in 940 N. Delaware is used as a practice area for a series of rock bands.

Other Notes - As noted, these series of one and two story masonry warehouses is located on N. Delaware Ave. This street is an important area of transit and is highly occupied by traffic. The street level is scarcely used by random pedestrians, joggers,bikers, and occasional homeless individuals. More people use this side of the road now to get to the Sugarhouse Casino.

George L. Wells Meats Co.

940-982 North Delaware Ave.- South Facade Main Use - Meat Processing Factory and Wholesale. The company sells mainly to hotels, restaurants, and others high end institutions in PA, NJ, and to a numerous collection of neighboring Midatlantic States. Building formerly included Champion Container Corp.

Hours of Operation - Unknown Other Notes - George Wells Meats operates in a large two story building in the eastern portion of the property. They maintain a low profile with an entrance that is hard to find and an overall appearance that mirrors the vacantness of the rest of the building. Workers also operate trucks on Laurel and Canal St.

3.) Adjacent Dirt Lot Main Project Site - West Facade

Borders include N. Delaware Ave, Poplar St., and Canal St. Main Use - Mix of Parking and Storage

Area - 47,970 SF

Other Notes - This lot is used by Core Realty and Delaware Car Repair. The Auto Body does business with a local taxi company and has used the grounds to hold these and a variety of other vehicles. The land is currently being rezoned by the city.

4.) Vacant Lot 1 Main Project Site - North Facade Area

Borders include Canal St., N. Front St., and Laurel St.

Main Use - Derelict vast area of vacant land

Area - 129,495 SF

Other Notes - This lot is owned by a number of owners, which may include Core Realty, LLC. Finding information about this parcel has been difficult. Known facts include evidence that supports that this land is a brownfield and that a portion of the site near Laurel St. is used for storage by a private citizen who owns the small building.

5.) Sugarhouse Casino Across from Site on N. Delaware Ave.

1001 North Delaware Avenue Borders include N. Delaware Ave, Ellen St., and Shackamaxon St. Main Use - Casino, Entertainment Center Hours of Operation - Open all week, M-S, 24 hrs/day Other Notes - Sugarhouse Casino is primarily composed of slots, but does have various tables as well and further expansion is scheduled for 2012-2013. The completion of this casino project has brought a number of street improvements - please refer to the Street Conditions Section.

6.) Penn Treaty Village - Waterview Grande

1 Brown Street Borders include N. Delaware Ave, Brown, Poplar, Canal and N. Front St. Main Use - Residential (Luxury Apts.), Future Mixed Use to also include Retail and Commercial space.

Hours of Operation - Residential Units Other Notes - The Waterview Grande Apartments are part of larger development project known as the Penn Treaty Village. This specific portion of the plan will include renovations to the other adjacent tower. A walk bridge presently connects the two buildings. The expansion aims to bring retail and commercial spaces onto Delaware Avenue.

Luxury apartments in the Waterview Grande section range anywhere from $1,750-$4,400 for one to three bedroom units. Many of these suites have already been rented out by high end clients, however, some units are still available.

7.) The Delaware River

Main Use - Lined with Residential (Luxury Apts.), Commercial, Recreational, Industrial, Transit, and Entertainment.

Other Notes - Includes nearby attractions such as the Ben Franklin Bridge and Penn’s Landing. The Waterfront area is being redeveloped as a part of the Delaware River Waterfront Commission and the City’s master plan.

8.) I-95 Delaware Expressway & The EL

Main Use/Other Notes - Transit. The City of Phila. has begun work on its plans for improvements to the overpass and connectors on the Girard Avenue Exchange (GIR Project).

9.) Provenance and Urban Youth Racing School 10.) Delaware Car Repair and Body Shop

912-918 Canal St., 907 N. Front St. Borders include Canal St, Poplar St., and N. Front St. Main Use - Architectural Salvage and Reclaimed Materials, Racing School, Auto Body and Towing Shop Hours of Operation - Provenance, M-T by appointment, W-S 10-6pm, S 10-5pm; UYRS, Classes between Sept.-November and May-July; Del. Car Repair - Open M-S, 24 hrs.

Other Notes - This is a series of businesses that work well together. Provenance owns a yard next to their building where they do work and keep storage. Delaware Car Repair has been allowed to use the dirt lot and Canal St. for parking.

11.) Residential Condos

919 North Front Street Borders include N. Front St. and Canal St. Main Use/Other Notes - Residential. These homes are in between work shops, the dirt lot, and vacant lots and buildings.

12.) Yards Brewing Co.

901 North Delaware Avenue Borders include N. Delaware Ave. Poplar St., and Penn St. Main Use - Brewery and Bar Hours of Operation - M-S, 12-7pm, S, 12-4pm Free Tour from 12:30-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Other Notes - Yards is a business committed to sustainable practice and environmental responsibility. It is Philadelphia’s first 100% wind-powered brewery and the majority of the building is made from recycled materials. They are proud leaders in the sustainability movement.

13.) Acorn Iron and Supply, Co., Inc.

915 North Delaware Avenue Borders include N. Delaware Ave. and Penn St. Main Use - Welding and Metal Supply Store Hours of Operation - M-F, 8-5pm Other Notes - Acorn Iron has been in business for over 98 years and is known for its brand of platens.

14.) The Roxxy

939 North Delaware Avenue Borders include N. Delaware Ave. Poplar, Ellen, and Penn St. Main Use - Nightclub and Bar Hours of Operation - F-S, 9-2am Other Notes - Owns adjacent property that houses the Bamboo Bar.

15.) Go Vertical

950 North Penn Street Borders include N. Delaware Ave. Poplar, Ellen, and Penn St. Main Use - Rock climbing Gym Hours of Operation - M-S, 10-10pm, S-S, 10-8pm Other Notes - Entrance is tucked away on Penn St. Go Vertical is open to all ages and skill levels of climbers.

16.) Vacant Lot 2

In Between 919 and 941 Front St. Borders include N. Front and Canal St. Main Use/Other Notes - The ground level is raised on a slope declining towards Canal St. Area - 21,110 SF

17.) Vacant Buildings 1

941 and 953 N. Front St. Borders include N. Front and Canal St. Main Use - Vacant buildings Other - The larger building on 953 Front St. is the former Herman L. Winterer Machinery Warehouse. 941 N. Front St. was more recently used as an independent film theatre and studio that went out of business in the last few years due to a lack of funding.

18.) Vacant Buildings 2

Unknown Addresses on Laurel St. Borders include N. Front, Canal, and E. Allen St. Main Use - Vacant Buildings Other - A series of unused buildings that covers a large stretch of space along Vacant Lot 1 and E. Laurel St.

19.) Vacant Buildings 3

Buildings run along Laurel St., Canal St., E. Allen St., N. Delaware Ave., Frankford Ave., N. Front, and Richmond St. Main Use - Vacant Buildings Other - The largest building on this lot is the former Ajax Metal Company Warehouse. A majority, if not all, of these parcels is owned by Core Realty, LLC.

20.) Trolley/Bus Station

Borders N. Delaware Ave., Frankford Ave., E. Allen, and Sarah St.

Main Use - Transit Hub Other - This is a station for buses 25 and 43 while the trolley takes visitors from the Sugarhouse Casino area to Center City.

21.) Vacant Lot 3 Borders Laurel, N. Front, and E. Allen St. Main Use - Proposed Parking Lot Other - This project will supposedly be Philly’s first green parking lot.

Further Immediate Landmarks and Public Transit

N

Penn Treaty Park The Piazza at Schmidt’s Waterfront Square Future Site of Festival Pier Girard Ave./Spring Garden St. Germantown Ave. The Ben Franklin Bridge, Race St. Pier and Connector are just south on Delaware Ave.

Spring Garden Station -Front & Spring Garden St. (5 mins SW) Girard Station -Front & Girard Ave. (5-10 NW) Bus 22 or 43 (Delaware Ave.) Bus 5 or 25 (Frankford Ave.) Trolley Line along Girard Ave.

Site Issues and Street Conditions

Vacant Lot

←

←

Vacant Lot

Documented Problems •Traffic on N. Delaware Ave. •Pedestrian Safety •Noise from the I-95/EL •Intersection on Front St./Germantown Ave. •Industrial Smells from Yards Brewery

Dead Spaces Zone A - N. Delaware Ave. Zone B - Canal St. area Zone C - Under I-95/EL

This site is very complex as it has layers of space that each have their own set of dynamics. A specific type of zone is formed by its surrounding space.

North Delaware Avenue + Streetscape Zone A - Roads active, Sidewalks mostly inactive

Canal Street Zone B - Inactive except for Factory Workers/Rare Transients

Vacant Lots along Canal and Front St. Zone B - Inactive

Vacant Spaces under the I-95 Underpass Zone C - Semi-inactive (Traffic/Rare Pedestrians)

Trolley/Bus Station and Crosswalk to Sugarhouse Zone A - Nodes of activity

Other Notes i.) Canal St. is 40’ from Building to Lot ii.) The Sugarhouse Casino project brought along street improvements and transit to the site (Sugarhouse Express). iii.) If you consider 918 N. Delaware Ave. a midpoint, a pedestrian needs to walk 570’ west and 645’ east to reach a crosswalk. iv.) North Delaware Ave. is 95’ in width. v.) The area near the dirt shop is a work zone and is accompanied by the noise that is accustomed to such spaces. vi.) Odors from the Yards Brewery Factory can be smelt from as far away as Provenance’s Warehouse.

References For a full list, refer to the thesis references section.

-City of Philadelphia, Zoning Archives -PCPC, David Fecteau (District Boundaries/Zoning) -Field Observations -Site tour with Brian McLaughlin of Provenance -DRWC Master Plan, Appendix B - Historical Resources

Programs -Google Earth

-Google Maps -Google Map Saver -Autodesk Autocad -Adobe Indesign -Adobe Photoshop

Images

-Most images by the Author. See references for figures on pg. 1.

Maps -Google Earth and Maps.

Websites -www.zoningmatters.org

-http://philadelphiaheights.wordpress.com -myphillycondo.com -http://www.phillyprovenance.com/ -http://www.yardsbrewing.com/tours.asp -http://www.urbanyouthracingschool.com -http://www.acorniron.com/index.html -http://www.theroxxyphilly.com -http://phillyhotlist.cityvoter.com/the-roxxy-complex/biz/114264 -http://www.govertical.com -http://articles.philly.com/2010-09-21/news/24977600_1_trolley-loop-sugarhouse-casinoharrah-s-chester -http://www.95revive.com/girard-avenue-interchange-home.aspx

My Report Last Modified: 03/26/2013

1.

To what degree do you associate the term “sustainability” with each of the following? Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all and 10= completely.

#

Question

1

Aesthetics/Appearance

Not at all ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

9

6

4

9

14

5

10

9

4

5

75

5.29

2

Buildings, Energy, and Infrastructure

0

1

0

1

1

2

3

15

18

34

75

8.88

3

Culture – Lifestyle

1

1

3

0

5

6

9

19

11

20

75

7.83

4

The Economy

1

1

4

1

4

7

5

20

15

17

75

7.75

5

The Natural Environment

0

0

1

1

2

1

4

12

14

40

75

8.97

S tatistic

Aesthetics/Appearance

Buildings, Energy, and Infrastructure

Culture – Lifestyle

The Economy

The Natural Environment

Min Value

1

2

1

1

3

Max Value

10

10

10

10

10

Mean

5.29

8.88

7.83

7.75

8.97

Variance

7.18

2.27

4.42

4.71

2.30

Standard Deviation

2.68

1.51

2.10

2.17

1.52

75

75

75

75

75

Total Responses

2.

In this survey, sustainability is defined as shifts to more responsible behaviors (Energy efficiency, Eco-friendly Design, Reduction of CO2 Emissions, and New/Upgraded Infrastructure). From this list, please rank the 3 primary barriers to the integration of sustainable practice in American society. Use 1 to indicate the greatest barrier, 2 second most, and 3 third most.

#

Answer

1

2

3

4

5

6

Total Responses

1

Costs

30

13

16

0

0

0

59

2

Government/Political unwillingness

19

16

10

0

0

0

45

3

Inaction at the grassroots level

3

2

3

0

0

0

8

4

Lack of convenience

7

10

16

0

0

0

33

5

Lack of incentive(s)

3

9

17

0

0

0

29

6

Lack of knowledge/understanding

13

25

13

0

0

0

51

Total

75

75

75

0

0

0

-

Costs

Government/Political unwillingness

Min Value

1

1

1

1

1

1

Max Value

3

3

3

3

3

3

Mean

1.76

1.80

2.00

2.27

2.48

2.00

Variance

0.74

0.62

0.86

0.64

0.47

0.52

Standard Deviation

0.86

0.79

0.93

0.80

0.69

0.72

59

45

8

33

29

51

Statistic

Total Responses

Inaction at the grassroots level

Lack of convenience

Lack of incentive( s)

Lack of knowledge/understanding

3.

In this survey, sustainability is defined as shifts to more responsible behaviors (Energy efficiency, Eco-friendly Design, Reduction of CO2 Emissions, and New/Upgraded Infrastructure). From this list, please rank the top 3 benefits that you personally expect to gain from the integration of more sustainable practices in American society. Use 1 to indicate the highest expectation, 2 second highest and 3 third highest.

#

Answer

1

2

Add new jobs to the economy y

3

Improve the quality of the natural environment

4

Improve the quality of your life

5

Improve the quality of your neighborhood

6

Reduce the costs of living Total

2

3

4

5

Total Responses

5

10

15

0

0

30

39

13

11

0

0

63

15

17

21

0

0

53

11

27

13

0

0

51

5

8

15

0

0

28

75

75

75

0

0

-

S tatistic

Add new jobs to the economy

Improve the quality of the natural environment

Improve the quality of your life

Improve the quality of your neighborhood

Reduce the costs of living

Min Value

1

1

1

1

1

Max Value

3

3

3

3

3

Mean

2.33

1.56

2.11

2.04

2.36

Variance

0.57

0.61

0.68

0.48

0.61

Standard Deviation

0.76

0.78

0.82

0.69

0.78

30

63

53

51

28

Total Responses

4.

From this list, please rank the 3 most important factors needed to create a quality, livable neighborhood. Use 1 to indicate most important, 2 second most, and 3 third most.

#

Answer

1

1

A safe environment

45

2

Accessibility (pedestrian friendly streets, adequate bicycle paths, and public transit)

15

3

Diverse selection of shops, amenities, entertainment, cultural centers, and nightlife

9

4

Presence of institutional entities (library/schools)

0

5

Proxim ity to workplaces

6

Socially engaging public spaces Total

Statistic A safe environment

Accessibility ( pedestrian friendly streets, adequate bicycle paths, and public transit)

2

3

4

5

6

Total Responses

9

7

0

0

0

61

30

16

0

0

0

61

15

16

0

0

0

40

5

14

0

0

0

19

3

6

7

0

0

0

16

3

10

15

0

0

0

28

75

75

75

0

0

0

-

Diverse selection of shops, amenities, entertainment, cultural centers, and nightlife

Presence of institutional entities ( library/schools)

Proximity to workplaces

Socially engaging public spaces

Min Value

1

1

1

2

1

1

Max Value

3

3

3

3

3

3

Mean

1.38

2.02

2.18

2.74

2.25

2.43

Variance

0.47

0.52

0.61

0.20

0.60

0.48

Standard Deviation

0.69

0.72

0.78

0.45

0.77

0.69

61

61

40

19

16

28

Total Responses

5.

From this list, rank the top 3 amenities you believe would best serve the Northern Liberties/Fishtown neighborhood. Use 1 to indicate the best, 2 the second best, and 3 third best. If you do not live in or are unfamiliar with the Northern Liberties/Fishtown neighborhood, you m ay skip this question.

#

Answer

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Total Responses 27

1

Art-related (Galleries, Exhibitions, Shops)

7

8

12

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

Big chain Retail (Ikea, Apple, Vans Shoes & Clothing Store, etc.)

0

2

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

3

3

Cafe

2

6

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

13

4

Civic & Com m unity

8

14

15

0

0

0

0

0

0

37

5

Educational

10

5

8

0

0

0

0

0

0

23

6

Entertainment

9

9

7

0

0

0

0

0

0

25

7

Fitness

0

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

8

Grocery Stores

13

8

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

26

9

Outdoor Marketplace

12

8

7

0

0

0

0

0

0

27

Total

61

61

61

0

0

0

0

0

0

-

Statistic

Art-related ( Galleries, Exhibitions, S hops)

Big chain Retail ( Ikea, Apple, Vans S hoes & Clothing S tore, etc.)

Cafe

Civic & Community

Educational

Entertainment

Fitness

Grocery S tores

Outdoor Marketplace

Min Value

1

2

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

Max Value

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

Mean

2.19

2.33

2.23

2.19

1.91

1.92

2.50

1.69

1.81

Variance

0.70

0.33

0.53

0.60

0.81

0.66

0.50

0.62

0.70

Standard Deviation

0.83

0.58

0.73

0.78

0.90

0.81

0.71

0.79

0.83

27

3

13

37

23

25

2

26

27

Total Responses

6.

Below, please list any amenity you can think of that would best serve the Northern Liberties/Fishtown neighborhood not mentioned in the Question 5.

Text Response Earthships NA public parking lot Better access to food/grocery, more supermarkets, preferably a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's bakery, great public schools, growing businesses of any kind w/ varied jobs Com m unity Cleanup large parks more greenspace, including com m unity gardens Senior housing that is NOT senior housing in the traditional sense. What I mean is that there should be housing in the neighborhood that is intergenerational and supportive of senior's special needs: Aging in Place!

More/better public spaces/waterfront access A smaller local grocery store that is not SuperFresh, but carries more than your corner over priced m ini m art. Bakery with breads - not just sweets The social culture of Fishtown has become very distinct within recent years, hinging on the two class structure with regards to blue-collar whites and the m ildly progressive yupi/artist dynamic. This all breeds a feeling of exclusivity.

N/A Electronics store, office supply store, more parks, more trees down 2nd street More police! But that's all of Philly. daycare Post Office Farmers Market movie theater- not necessarily a multiplex.

Waterfront Attractions (NOT the likes of Dave and Busters, The Roxxy, Cavanaugh's or Sugar House but rather local music venues/bars/restaurants that cater to the 30+ year old crowd... a running trail or park... small movie theater) I have not been to that area Health food market/cafe Outdoor recreational areas Bookstore more dog parks that are fenced Bike lanes special adm issions chartered/public schools.

N/A Green spaces open to the public Can't think of anything.

Safe outdoor playground, tennis courts, etc I am not very familiar with this neighborhood, but I can say that having access to good jobs and good schools is a plus!

Improved transit-oriented design (i.e. im proved transit shelters, better connectivity between the el and surrounding destinations, and calming automobile traffic).

Specialized office and manufacturing facilities for creative class Statistic Total Responses

Value 34

7.

Please rate your perception of each existing building, space, or business. To what degree are the needs of the Northern Liberties/Fishtown neighborhood met by each of these? Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all positive and 10= completely positive. If you are not familiar, check the box marked “NF.”

#

Question

Not at all Positive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely Positive ( 10)

NF

Total Responses

Mean

1

a. Green Eggs

0

2

0

0

1

3

6

11

5

13

34

75

9.41

2

b. Frankford Hall

0

1

1

0

5

2

12

15

9

11

19

75

8.61

3

c. North Bowl

0

1

1

1

1

6

9

11

9

15

21

75

8.84

4

d. Penn Treaty Park

0

0

0

0

0

1

4

12

14

20

24

75

9.60

5

e. Sugarhouse Casino

19

4

6

6

11

7

7

2

0

1

12

75

4.97

6

f. Superfresh

0

0

1

2

6

5

8

13

11

13

16

75

8.48

7

g. The Piazza at Schm idt’s

0

2

1

1

4

4

12

13

12

13

13

75

8.32

8

h. Thin Flats (Residential)

0

0

1

2

2

7

4

10

6

5

38

75

9.24

9

i. Waterview Grande (Luxury Apartments)

0

1

4

3

4

8

4

11

2

2

36

75

8.59

0

0

1

0

1

3

9

12

10

22

17

75

9.09

10 j. Yards Brewery

Statistic

a.

Green Eggs

b.

Frankford Hall

c.

North Bowl

d. P enn Treaty P ark

e.

Sugarhouse Casino

f.

Superfresh

g. The Piazza at Schmidt’s

h. Thin Flats ( Residential)

i. Waterview Grande ( Luxury Apartments)

j. Yards Brewery

Min Value

2

2

2

6

1

3

2

3

2

3

Max Value

11

11

11

11

11

11

11

11

11

11

Mean

9.41

8.61

8.84

9.60

4.97

8.48

8.32

9.24

8.59

9.09

Variance

4.22

4.35

4.38

1.70

11.89

4.44

4.73

4.86

7.62

2.92

Standard Deviation

2.05

2.09

2.09

1.30

3.45

2.11

2.18

2.20

2.76

1.71

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

Total Responses

8.

For those familiar with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation’s Master Plan, please rate your perception of the city’s proposed redevelopment plans for the Delaware Waterfront. Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all positive and 10= completely positive. If you are not familiar, check the area marked “NF.”

#

Question

1

DRWC Master Plan

Not at all Positive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely Positive ( 10)

NF

Total Responses

Mean

0

0

0

0

3

3

8

14

4

4

39

75

9.41

Statistic

DRWC Master P lan

Min Value

5

Max Value

11

Mean

9.41

Variance

3.62

Standard Deviation

1.90

Total Responses

75

9.

The DRWC Master Plan's main concept focus is on reconnecting the city to the riverfront by extending existing streets and making improvements to street amenities (lighting, signage, parks and trees, etc.). Streets are essentially used to connect people to new development projects. Below is the map of this concept and the completed Race St. Connector improvements which lead directly to the waterfront. From these images, please rate your perception of this main aspect of the proposed redevelopment. Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all positive and 10= completely positive. *Com position above created in Adobe Photoshop using image sources cited below Top: Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. (2011). Transforming Philadelphia's waterfront, master plan for the Central Delaware Summary Report. Bottom (from left to right): http://www.william pennfoundation.org/CentralDelawareMasterPlanUnanimouslyAdoptedbyPlanningCommission.aspx -Photos of Race Street Pier taken by Dominic Cacioppo – -http://planphilly.com /eyesonthestreet/2012/02/27/february-27-march-2-enriquepenalosa-pavilions-race-street-connector-phase-2-michael-katz-germantownscommercial-corridor-carpenter-square-at-dag/ -http://phillyshark.blogspot.com /2011/10/race-street-pier-connector-now-open.htm l

#

Question

1

Connector Concept

Statistic

Not at all Positive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely Positive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

0

0

1

2

3

7

13

24

11

14

75

7.87

Connector Concept

Min Value

3

Max Value

10

Mean

7.87

Variance

2.58

Standard Deviation

1.61

Total Responses

75

10.

From this list, rank the 3 m ost pressing problems in the Northern Liberties/Fishtown Neighborhood. Use 1 to indicate the

most pressing, 2 the second most, and 3 the third most . If you do not live in or are unfamiliar with the Northern Liberties/Fishtown neighborhood, you may s kip this question.

#

Answer

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Total Responses

1

Accessibility of quality jobs

5

7

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

17

2

Availability of educational resources

8

2

6

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

16

3

Connectivity between Northern Liberties/Fishtown and the Delaware Riverfront (i.e. Barriers caused by I-95 E / SEPTA EL)

14

8

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

27

4

Lack of adequate bicycle lanes and public amenities

2

5

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

11

5

Lack of available parking

3

5

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

12

6

Lack of space to work/conduct business outside of home

0

2

3

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

7

Neighborhood safety

15

10

13

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

38

8

Storm water management

0

1

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

3

9

Traffic

1

3

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

3

3

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

8

9

14

15

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

38

60 60 60

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

-

10 Trash Management 11 Vacant buildings/lots Total Connectivity between Northern Liberties/Fishtown and the Delaware Riverfront ( i.e.

Barriers caused

by I-95 E / S EP TA EL)

Lack of adequate bicycle lanes and public amenities

Lack of space to work/conduct business outside of home

Accessibility of quality jobs

Availability of educational resources

Min Value

1

1

1

1

1

2

Max Value

3

3

3

3

3

3

Mean

2.00

1.88

1.67

2.18

2.08

2.60

Variance

0.63

0.92

0.62

0.56

0.63

Standard Deviation

0.79

0.96

0.78

0.75

17

16

27

11

S tatistic

Total Responses

Lack of available parking

Neighborhood safety

S tormwater management

Traffic

Trash Management

Vacant buildings/lots

1

2

3

3

1

1

1

3

3

1.95

3

2.67

2.00

1.88

2.16

0.30

0.75

0.33

0.50

0.70

0.62

0.79

0.55

0.87

0.58

0.71

0.83

0.79

12

5

38

3

5

8

38

11.

This project entails the theoretical redevelopment of 918-942 North Delaware Avenue in Northern Liberties along the Delaware Waterfront. Please write in a rating for each component or potential component of the design proposal. Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all positive and 10= completely positive.

#

Question

1

Pedestrian-oriented connector linking Northern Liberties to Delaware Avenue + Riverfront (via Germantown Avenue – See area above in yellow strip)

S tatistic

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

0

1

1

0

5

7

11

14

11

25

75

8.13

P edestrian-oriented connector linking Northern Liberties to Delaware Avenue + Riverfront ( via Germantown Avenue – S ee area above in yellow strip)

Min Value

2

Max Value

10

Mean

8.13

Variance

3.44

Standard Deviation

1.86

Total Responses

75

12.

This project entails the theoretical redevelopment of 918-942 North Delaware Avenue in Northern Liberties along the Delaware Waterfront. Please write in a rating for each component or potential component of the design proposal. Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all positive and 10= completely positive.

#

Question

1

Phased Redevelopment to include a variety of com m unity, recreational, and business services (Includes improvements underneath I-95 E – See area highlighted above in yellow)

S tatistic Min Value Max Value

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

0

0

1

2

5

5

11

16

15

20

75

8.08

P hased Redevelopment to include a variety of community, recreational, and business services ( Includes improvements underneath I-95 E – S ee area highlighted above in yellow) 3 10

Mean

8.08

Variance

3.07

Standard Deviation

1.75

Total Responses

75

13.

This project entails the theoretical redevelopment of 918-942 North Delaware Avenue in Northern Liberties along the Delaware Waterfront. Please write in a rating for each component or potential component of the design proposal. Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all positive and 10= completely positive.

#

Question

1

Bicycle Transit Center

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

0

0

1

1

0

3

11

8

13

38

75

8.84

S tatistic

Bicycle Transit Center

Min Value

3

Max Value

10

Mean

8.84

Variance

2.38

Standard Deviation

1.54

Total Responses

75

14.

This project entails the theoretical redevelopment of 918-942 North Delaware Avenue in Northern Liberties along the Delaware Waterfront. Please write‌. #

Question

1

Outdoor Courts (Racquetball, Handball)

S tatistic

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

0

0

1

4

10

10

8

15

10

17

75

7.53

Outdoor Courts ( Racquetball, Handball)

Min Value

3

Max Value

10

Mean

7.53

Variance

3.90

Standard Deviation

1.98

Total Responses

75

15.

This project entails the theoretical redevelopment of 918-942 North Delaware Avenue in Northern Liberties along the Delaware Waterfront. Please write in a rating for each component or potential component of the design proposal. Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all positive and 10= completely positive.

#

Question

1

Dynam ic Public Spaces

S tatistic

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

0

0

0

0

5

1

10

13

9

37

75

8.75

Dynamic P ublic S paces

Min Value

5

Max Value

10

Mean

8.75

Variance

2.35

Standard Deviation

1.53

Total Responses

75

16.

This project entails the theoretical redevelopment of 918-942 North Delaware Avenue in Northern Liberties along the Delaware Waterfront. Please write in a rating for each component or potential component of the design proposal. Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all positive and 10= completely positive.

#

Question

1

Outdoor marketplace for entrepreneurs

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

0

0

0

2

3

5

11

13

9

32

75

8.47

S tatistic

Outdoor marketplace for entrepreneurs

Min Value

4

Max Value

10

Mean

8.47

Variance

2.85

Standard Deviation

1.69

Total Responses

75

17.

This project entails…

#

Question

1

Arts and Innovation Center (Educational and Exhibition/Event Spaces)

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

0

0

0

3

3

4

12

9

13

31

75

8.45

S tatistic

Arts and Innovation Center ( Educational and Exhibition/Event S paces)

Min Value

4

Max Value

10

Mean

8.45

Variance

3.03

Standard Deviation

1.74

Total Responses

18.

75

This project entails…

#

Question

1

Public Com m ons – Computer Labs and Café Lounge

S tatistic

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

0

0

3

4

8

13

9

10

8

20

75

7.44

P ublic Commons – Computer Labs and Café Lounge

Min Value

3

Max Value

10

Mean

7.44

Variance

4.55

Standard Deviation

2.13

Total Responses

75

19.

This project entails‌

#

Question

1

Recreation Center

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

0

1

0

3

4

11

14

9

9

24

75

7.88

S tatistic

Recreation Center

Min Value

2

Max Value

10

Mean

7.88

Variance

3.81

Standard Deviation

1.95

Total Responses

20.

75

This project entails‌

#

Question

1

Coworking and Career Development Office Spaces

S tatistic

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

0

0

1

1

3

9

13

10

15

23

75

8.16

Coworking and Career Development Office S paces

Min Value

3

Max Value

10

Mean

8.16

Variance

3.00

Standard Deviation

1.73

Total Responses

75

21.

This project entails the theoretical redevelopment of 918-942 North Delaware Avenue in Northern Liberties along the Delaware Waterfront. Please write in a rating for each component or potential component of the design proposal. Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all positive and 10= completely positive.

#

Question

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

1

Retail Store

0

1

4

2

6

7

11

12

16

16

75

7.61

S tatistic

Retail S tore

Min Value

2

Max Value

10

Mean

7.61

Variance

4.46

Standard Deviation

2.11

Total Responses

22.

75

This project entails‌

#

Question

1

Green Jobs Training Center

S tatistic

Not at all P ositive ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely P ositive ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

1

0

2

1

7

9

5

11

7

32

75

8.08

Green Jobs Training Center

Min Value

1

Max Value

10

Mean

8.08

Variance

4.78

Standard Deviation

2.19

Total Responses

75

23.

Below, please list any com ponent not m entioned in Question 11 you can think of that would best serve this project.

Text Response public park More green spaces Unsure all good ideas Senior housing which is NOT senior housing as m entioned above as well as "affordable" housing. We need to account for the totality of our population in our com m unity. engage I-95 N/A Please im prove the Spring Garden and Girard EL stations. They are very dilapidated and reflect poorly on Northern Liberties & Fishtown.

Special focus on serpentine Canal Street..

I think som ething in the entertainm ent world would be a great idea, I always thought, why couldnt there be a hybrid of theater and a sm all theater along the lines of the Ritz. Having to leave m y neighborhood anytim e I want to see a show of som e sort would be som ething I could do without. an office park. perhaps not in the designated area, but in the neighborhood in general. it would em ployee people and then in turn pum p m oney from those employees back into the neighborhood by the ideas stated above.

Open playing fields or large green spaces n/a chartered/ public school building.

Job training services and facilities.

N/A None Can't think of anything. none pedestrian/bike bridge over delaware avenue leading to pier Entertainm ent (m ovie theatre or sim ilar) S tatistic

Value

Total Responses

21

24.

If you currently live in Philadelphia, would you support the Neighborhood Association’s backing for this project in the Northern Liberties/Fishtown Area?

#

Answer

1 2

Response

%

Yes

72

96%

No

3

4%

Total

75

S tatistic

Bar

Value

Min Value

1

Max Value

2

Mean

1.04

Variance

0.04

Standard Deviation

0.20

Total Responses

75

27.

If you plan on leaving the Philadelphia area, can you kindly elaborate on the reasons why?

Text Response I've been in Philly for 8 years and I ready for a change More friendly / greener / 'hip' areas for 20-30year old som ethings (IE pacific northwest, Brooklyn, New England, etc) its all in the ethos of the inner-city philadelphians. At tim es, the prospect of having to face such anim als is not only nauseating, but alm ost unbearable. Plus, the cold weather is absolutely ridiculous. It's the worst.

N/A lack of target market, never lived anywhere else Not enough progress. The population of the city is growing and the city isn't doing enough, fast enough, to com pensate for it. More parks, outdoor activity fields and courts are needed. In addition, public transportation is severely lacking and m ore train/trolley lines need to be built.

I will have m ore options in another city Better opportunities elsewhere Professional school in other state Availability of jobs and affordable housing Moved home, more jobs S tatistic Total Responses

Value 11

28.

If you plan on staying in Philadelphia area, can you kindly elaborate on the reasons why?

Text Response I have a passion for Philadelphia and excited for the new developm ent, new City plan, neighborhood engagem ent, and all other positive changes happening in Philadelphia.

Well, actually m oved here from the Midwest to give m y hom etown another try. Philadelphia has som e am azing things happening concerning the built environm ent, and the anticipation is palpable.

Decent spread of jobs; lots to offer in a sm all city, etc. available transportation from house to work Rent is cheap! supportive network, green awareness, unique location - near rural, suburb, urban - NY, beach, etc, The potential. Philadelphia has so m uch m ore to offer and so m uch opportunity to build. Riverfront property should be valued and developed in addition to it's growing and evolving neighborhoods. I've see too m any projects get rejected over the years due to people that refuse to think forward and see Philadelphia's true potential.

Im portance of am enities. History, culture, walkable city (i.e. no need to own a car), and entertainm ent options. I have a good job and intent to stay as long as I am em ployed. fam ily fam ily reasons, and like the city - lots of things to do, restaurants, fairly bike-friendly, housing m ore affordable than in som e other big cities on the east coast Quality of life (low cost, space, diversity, jobs, food) Have a good job and live in a great neighborhood m ost likely leaving N/A It has trees, m ore environm ental friendly and life style is m ore layback com pare to where I cam e from which is New York and San Francisco. SF and NY are too expensive to live vs Philly is do-able. Econom y is tough in the big cities so I am hoping to find m ore opportunities here in term s of job hunt. Plus I don't need a car here. affordable cost of living, food, bars, proxim ity of everything It was vibrant, bustling city with a com m itm ent to sustainable growth and developm ent. That is som ething I highly support. That, and Philadelphia sim ply rocks.

S tatistic Total Responses

Value 18

29.

If you are currently enrolled in college or have recently graduated, how likely would you be to stay in Philadelphia in order to be part of a project like the theoretical redevelopm ent of 918-942 North Delaware Ave.? Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all likely and 10= com pletely likely.

#

Question

1

Likelihood of staying because of project

Not at all Likely( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Completely Likely ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

2

4

3

3

1

2

1

6

1

3

26

5.46

S tatistic

Likelihood of staying because of project

Min Value

1

Max Value

10

Mean

5.46

Variance

9.14

Standard Deviation

3.02

Total Responses

26

30.

If you currently own a sm all business or startup in Philadelphia, rank the 3 m ost pressing barriers to running your business? Use 1 to indicate the greatest barrier, 2 the second m ost, and 3 third m ost.

#

Answer

1

2

3

4

5

6

Total Responses

1

Business Privilege/City Taxes

7

6

4

0

0

0

17

2

Current econom y (supply and dem and)

7

1

6

0

0

0

14

3

Lack of resources for sm all business

2

4

4

0

0

0

10

4

Operational Costs

5

3

5

0

0

0

13

5

Providing benefits to employees

2

4

0

0

0

0

6

6

State/Federal Taxes

0

5

4

0

0

0

9

23

23

23

0

0

0

-

Total

S tatistic

Business P rivilege/City Taxes

Current economy ( supply and demand)

Lack of resources for small business

Operational Costs

P roviding benefits to employees

S tate/Federal Taxes

Min Value

1

1

1

1

1

2

Max Value

3

3

3

3

2

3

Mean

1.82

1.93

2.20

2.00

1.67

2.44

Variance

0.65

0.99

0.62

0.83

0.27

0.28

Standard Deviation

0.81

1.00

0.79

0.91

0.52

0.53

17

14

10

13

6

9

Total Responses

31.

Below, if there is any variable not listed in Question 19, please write this item in

below.

Text Response Financing Lack of investors. n/a City incentives for sustainability or sm all business S tatistic Total Responses

Value 4

33.

If this project were available, how likely would you operate your business from this theoretical space? Use a 10 pt. scale where 1= not at all likely and 10= extrem ely likely.

#

Question

1

Likelihood of you operating your business from this space

Not at all Likely ( 1)

( 2)

( 3)

( 4)

( 5)

( 6)

( 7)

( 8)

( 9)

Extremely Likely ( 10)

Total Responses

Mean

3

3

2

1

7

4

3

1

0

0

24

4.46

S tatistic

Likelihood of you operating your business from this space

Min Value

1

Max Value

8

Mean

4.46

Variance

4.43

Standard Deviation

2.11

Total Responses

24

36.

In which of the following Philadelphia neighborhoods do you spend

the m ost tim e? Please check one choice. If "Other" is selected, please answer Q37.

37.

If other, please write in that neighborhood.

Text Response Bella Vista also Rittenhouse fairm ount East kenzington Center City - Rittenhouse Center city- Rittenhouse N/A West Oak Lane None. NE PA Bella Vista Headhouse square Mt. Airy Fairm ount S tatistic Total Responses

Value 14