Philadelphia 2035, Philly’s citywide comprehensive plan, is in the midst of a two-stage process that will dramatically change the City’s physical and political landscape for years to come. The broad-brush
Citywide Vision portion of the Plan was adopted in 2011 and over the next several years, 18 district plans will be administered, applying the Citywide Vision objectives on local levels.
And with the recent completion of a number of district plans, themes are emerging and priorities are becoming clear, notably that Philly wants smart growth policies and transit-oriented development implemented in their neighborhoods. This is particularly important considering these early district plans are setting the bar for which all others will be measured.
The
Lower South District Plan was recently completed, covering the far southern reaches of Philly and including notable destinations such as the stadiums/arenas, the Navy Yard, and FDR Park. Like all district plans, The Lower South District Plan touches on nine planning elements of neighborhoods, economic development, land management, transportation, utilities, open space, environmental resources, historic preservation, and the public realm. But its main goal is to create policy for future land use plans, hone in on planning focus areas, and make Capital Program recommendations.
One of the most exciting policy recommendations is to create transit-oriented development (
TOD) around the Broad Street subway line on land currently occupied by swaths of auto-oriented development (parking lots) that support sports stadiums and arenas. TOD is seen as a critical neighborhood typology that responds to rapid transit access, such as a subway. Typically, densities are heightened, parking requirements relaxed, and walkability measures promoted to maximize public investment in transit and create great neighborhoods. Philly does well on these measures in Center City but lacks similar, modern, TOD on a neighborhood level.
Another district plan is in the last legs of its planning process. Although geographically dissimilar to the Lower South, the
Lower Northeast Plan also features key recommendations for creating TOD and enhancing public space around that area’s transit access points. Just like in the Lower South District, Lower Northeast residents see their transit assets, like the Frankford Transportation Center, as an important figure in building neighborhoods of tomorrow, explaining their prioritization of development around them.
As part of the broad Citywide Vision, a complete zoning code overhaul was undertaken, in part to better equip the City in developing in more traditional, transit-oriented ways. What remains to be seen is if the brand new code is actually flexible enough for real TOD to be implemented in ways the districts are clearly clamoring for. Or will developers get mired down in variance requests as they look to implement the district’s transit visions? Expect answers to these questions and others like them as more and more district plans come online in the years to come, wrapping up the planning process and hopefully initiating implementation of recommendations.
Writer: Greg Meckstroth