When you consider the fact that Philadelphia is so often referred to--especially by pundits and bloggers who closely follow urban planning issues--as a near-perfect incubator for what could easily become a model for the next great American city, it's hard to believe that the zoning code here hasn't been updated since 1960. But this past Tuesday, Feb. 15, was a truly historic day for the City of Philadelphia. That was the day the city's
Planning Commission released its first draft of Philadelphia 2035, a wide-reaching, long-term plan for the very future of the city. A PDF version of the plan, which clocks in at a whopping 216 pages, can be downloaded on the Planning Commission's
website and on its
Facebook page.
The next steps in the journey of the Philadelphia 2035 plan include a mid-March discussion among Planning Commission members, which will then lead to mid-April revisions, and hopefully, a final version in mid-May. An event to celebrate the release of the document is scheduled for early June. Come March 1, meanwhile, a website for the city-wide plan will launch at
phila2035.org, and on March 23, an open house will be held at the
Center for Architecture, during which the public will be encouraged to participate and ask questions.
The plan itself explores three different strategies, or themes, that the PCPC hopes will help to guide Philadelphia into the future. Once the plan--which looks at everything from public transit to the development of public spaces such parks and the waterfront--is considered complete, the commission will create even more detailed plans covering the 18 distinct districts of the city.
The commission is currently soliciting the public's opinion of its plan; anyone interested in joining the conversation is encouraged to send feedback via email to
[email protected].
Source: Philadelphia Planning Commission
Writer: Dan Eldridge
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