Reimagine the Parkway January 2023 Newsletter

Thank you for participating in the first phase of the Reimagine the Parkway project!

Dear Community Members,

Thank you for your interest in the Reimagine the Benjamin Franklin Parkway planning process. We appreciate your enthusiasm and support! During Phase 1, Project Launch and Discovery, nearly 6,000 Philadelphians responded to the first survey online or through paper submissions. Additionally, the planning team engaged in over 100 conversations with various stakeholders to gain insight into the project. Thank you to all who contributed!

We are now in Phase 2, which is centered on the development of plan strategies incorporating transportation, infrastructure, programming, design and economic considerations. Currently the planning team is working with various stakeholder and technical groups to develop conceptual draft strategies for the Parkway. The strategies will be presented in Phase 3 for feedback from stakeholders and the public via a survey, focus groups and community meetings.

This is the first of monthly e-newsletters. Do you have any questions, comments, or feedback? To contact the project team, please email us at reimaginetheparkway@gmail.com or call us at 215-839-6369. Project updates can also be found on the project website: https://www.phlparkway.com/.

This project was made possible with the support of the William Penn Foundation.

The Parkway Planning Team

Discovery Phase

PROJECT VISION

PARK EXPERIENCE + ACTIVITIES

REVENUE +

Key takeaways

During Phase 1, community members and other stakeholder groups shared their needs, preferences, reasons for visiting and frequency of use among the Parkway’s many user groups. This feedback was collected during the Discovery Workshop, a public presentation at the Barnes, through digital and paper survey submissions, on site during large and small community events and guided discussions with various stakeholder groups. The design team learned some key takeaways, such as people want the Parkway to be a place for...

» Playing and Hanging Out - Create spaces and opportunities for active and passive recreation.

» Art and Garden Immersion - Forefront and expand art, cultural, and horticultural experiences.

» Community Gathering - Curate diverse events and provide flexible spaces for small- to large- scale programming.

From the feedback collected, there was support for the following activities and improvements along the Parkway:

COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

Community Ambassadors will help facilitate outreach throughout the remainder of the project by distributing, gathering, advocating, and facilitating. Ambassadors live across the region and their levels of involvement will vary. Sign up to be an ambassador today!

Facilitate Distribute Gather Advocate

• Distribute yard signs and fliers to community centers.

• Distribute project information through door-to-door canvassing.

• Issue branded materials to outdoor food and drink vendors.

• Distribute activities for kids and adults to learn more about the Parkway.

• Gather paper survey requests and distribute paper surveys.

• Email us with feedback.

» Know of an event we should put on our community calendar?

» Have an organization or individual in mind we should reach out to?

» Any suggestions for improvements to the planning process and/or materials?

• Share a link of our on-line survey on social media or an email list server you have access to before deadlines. Examples include sharing with a community group Facebook page or Nextdoor.

Help us spread the word Join the Community Ambassador Program today!

https://www.menti.com/al1jurmk2frv

• Attend a community event and hand out project information and/ or host a table exercise.

» Email us to set up a call to discuss the event and needed materials.

» Once we speak with you, we will mail or deliver materials to you to distribute at the event.

Scan with your phone camera

REIMAGINE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN