SITE DEMOGRAPHICS POPULATION CHANGE, 1990 - 2010
POPULATION CHANGE, BY CENSUS TRACT -100% -50% -50% to -25% % -25% to 0% 0% to 25% 25% to 50% > 50%
POVERTY CONCENTRATION, 2010
PEOPLE BELOW FEDERAL POVERTY LINE, BY CENSUS TRACT 0% to 31% 32% to 62% 63% to 94%
75% OF NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING CLOSED SCHOOL SITES EXPERIENCED POPULATION LOSS BETWEEN 1990 AND 2010
34% OF RESIDENTS WITHIN A HALF MILE RADIUS OF CLOSING SCHOOL SITES LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE
Analyzing population change across neighborhoods in the city shows how neighborhoods with declining populations have experienced the greatest number of school closures. The correlation between declining population and school closure is not surprising. The declining population near closed and closing school sites makes these sites less desirable for developers, and thus a challenge to sell.
Closed and closing schools are concentrated in the lowest income neighborhoods in the city. As the map above shows, the majority of closed school sites are in census tracts that had a significant proportion of residents living below the poverty line in 2010.
PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL REUSE STUDIO