chinatown chap3

3.1CHINATOWN

Philadelphia Neighborhood Plans

CHAPTER 3. RECOMMENDATIONS

As a result of analytical work completed by theconsultant team and input from the communi-ty-visioning workshop, preliminary planningrecommendations have been developed forthe area. From these recommendations, a listof "early action items" for early implementationhas been established based upon further com-munity input and comments. Many of the rec-ommendations for the Chinatown communityfocus on developing additional housing oppor-tunities and enhanced community services,facilities, and amenities.

Planning recommendations are classified underthe following categories:

• Housing and Community Development

• Open Space, Parks, and Recreation

• Economic Development• Transportation• Early Action Projects

HOUSING AND COMMUNITYDEVELOPMENT

Housing and Community Development plan-ning recommendations fall under the followinggeneral categories:

1. Land bank and then develop affordable housing for low and moderate income households

2. Develop additional market rate housing for the Asian-target market

3. Continue to develop market rate housing inthe Callowhill Loft District

4. Enhance the Chinatown Planning and

Zoning Committee to support community preservation

5. Mitigate physical barriers within the community

6. Streetscape and gateway improvements7. Community aesthetics and public

environment maintenance8. Community services delivery and

coordination and crime prevention

Recommended Community Planning Goalsand Strategies:

1. Land bank and then develop affordable housing for low and moderate income households

As reflected in the opportunities and chal-lenges assessment, there is strong demand fora variety of housing types in Chinatown. Whilethe market seems to be providing housingopportunities for higher income households inthe form of condominium conversions of for-mer industrial loft structures, more affordablehousing alternatives appear to be increasinglylimited. Gentrification in the form of loft con-versions and both residential and non-residen-tial land speculation are increasingly limitingopportunities for affordable housing inChinatown. During the community visioningprocess and additional meetings that wereheld with community leaders and stakeholders,special concerns were raised regarding theneed for additional housing for low- and mod-erate-income households, especially for newimmigrants, families and seniors and house-holds with very low incomes of between $800-1,000 per month. Concerns were also raisedregarding the poor condition and frequentover-crowding of existing housing for thesegroups, which further amplifies the need to

expand low- and moderate-income housingchoices. Collectively the concerns and issuesraised repeatedly by residents suggest thatdevelopment of additional affordable housingbe designated the primary community devel-opment goal of the Chinatown community.

Low- and moderate-income housing shouldserve households with an income of less than60% of the median. This type of housing couldbe provided in the form of mid-rise and evenpossibly higher rise apartment buildings thatwould generally not exceed six stories inheight. Although the development of higherrise affordable housing is contrary to the well-established affordable housing trends in theUnited States, conversations with the commu-nity indicated that this may be a housing typeand density that would be acceptable to newimmigrants from urbanized communities inAsia. As the future land use plan indicates,there appear to be housing developmentopportunities for new construction as well asadaptive reuse throughout Chinatown

1006 Buttonwood: Potential new housing site in Chinatown North / Callowhill

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North/Callowhill, including sites along RidgeAvenue and 10th and 11th Streets. Someopportunities also may exist in the core ofChinatown such as the parcel on Arch Streetand on Race and 11th Street. In addition tobuildings specifically developed for low- andmoderate-income housing, it is also recom-mended that market rate housing develop-ments include a percentage of units reservedfor low- and moderate-income households.

There are at least two potentially key initiativesthat could be implemented to increase thesupply of affordable housing in Chinatown. The first of these is to work with the city andthe Philadelphia Housing Authority to directlyacquire land reserved for affordable housing.Actions of this kind would ensure that landwould be preserved with the community forthe development of affordable housing andprotected from speculation or development.The future land use plan identifies several prior-ity acquisition parcels that are recommendedto be acquired by the city or PhiladelphiaHousing Authority for affordable housing.

While the implementation plan shows devel-opment of these sites in the year after acquisi-tion, it is most important to simply acquire thelisted parcels of land each year. Newer immi-grant housing options should also be exploredfor those who might be either ineligible forpublic housing or in need of temporary housing.

A second key to expanding the number of low- and moderate-income housing units inChinatown may be to expand the number ofhousing development partners, including pri-vate developers to work with local organiza-tions to build subsidized housing. To alsoensure the supply of affordable housing overthe longer term and protect it from gentrifica-tion and market development pressures, pub-licly developed housing or housing developedin partnership with public agencies could alsoincorporate restrictions that would permanent-ly maintain the affordability of residential units.

The Philadelphia Chinatown DevelopmentCorporation (PCDC) has a strong track record ofdeveloping affordable housing for families andseniors. This includes recent developments inChinatown North, such as Hing Wah Yuen (51townhouses for first-time home buyers) andthe adjacent Sing Wah Yuen. These new devel-opments north of the Expressway should beextended and reinforced through additionalaffordable housing developments that mayinclude both townhouses and condominiumsor apartments serving households withincomes less than 80% of the median. It mightalso be feasible to renovate the Trigen buildingfor unique affordable housing lofts. Obviously,many of these sites represent longer-termdevelopment opportunities. However in aneffort to build on and extend immediate pastsuccesses and continue to expand the supplyof affordable and mixed-income housing in

11th and Race Streets: Potential housing site in thecore of Chinatown

Gim San Plaza: An example of mixed use development withaffordable housing in Chinatown

Sing Wah Yuen

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Chinatown, it is strongly recommended thatPCDC move to secure development sites thatdirectly adjoin their most recent developments.These sites include all or a portion of the Trigensite and the block bounded by Wood Streetand Callowhill, between 9th and 10th Streets.

2. Develop Additional Market Rate Housing for the Asian-Target Market

Both due to its proximity to Center City and forcultural reasons, there also appears to bestrong demand in Chinatown for market ratehousing serving middle- and upper-incomeAsian households. It is anticipated that thishousing type would appeal to singles, young

800 block of Race Street around theChinatown Station

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Looking north at the Town Center area.

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families, and possibly "empty nesters" that mayhave moved to the suburbs or other areas ofthe city and wish to return to Chinatown. Avariety of housing types, such as loft condo-miniums, townhouses, and apartments, wouldalso serve to help retain Chinatown's youngprofessionals within the community, individualswho can provide important services to localresidents as well as community leadership.

The land use plan suggests a number of possi-ble locations for market rate housing for theAsian-target market. These include: residentialdevelopment on the edges of the new parkproposed as the focal point of the proposedChinatown North/Callowhill town center; reno-vated historic loft buildings at 11th & Ridge;and, infill development or redevelopment inthe Chinatown core area where land costs arerising. Opportunities for infill development inthe core of Chinatown exist at 9th and RaceStreet around the Chinatown Station. As indi-cated previously, a percentage of the units inany market rate development should bereserved for affordable income households.

3. Continue to develop Market Rate Housing in the Callowhill Loft District

The Callowhill neighborhood is emerging as adistinct, unique, and exciting new neighbor-hood within the study area. With many of theexisting former industrial structures alreadyconverted to residences, and other major con-versions planned, it appears that the most sig-nificant opportunity for additional housing inthe District is the redevelopment of surfaceparking lots that exist throughout the district.

It is strongly urged that new construction be complementary in scale and character to theexisting loft buildings and include amenitiessuch as ground floor retail, convenience shop-ping, and restaurants to serve the burgeoningpopulation of the district.

4. Enhance the role of the Chinatown Planning and Zoning Committee to Support Community Preservation

• The Chinatown Planning and Zoning Committee

A very strong sentiment voiced by both residents and stakeholders of Chinatown and the Callowhill Loft District is that localcommunities feel they have little inclusionor influence over development activitiesoccurring in their neighborhoods. Theextent to which residents of Chinatown

The new condominiums at Tenten provide marketrate luxury living in the heart of Chinatown.

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participate in the public planning processmay be affected by language and culturalfactors. There is also a sense that the neighborhood has limited political clout,and a distrust and fear of city governmentengendered by past experience with rede-velopment projects, such as the stadiumproposal. While the neighborhood alreadyhas a dedicated Zoning Committee thatreviews and comments on most develop-ment proposals in the neighborhood, thecommittee should broaden its role byincluding more residents from Chinatown,providing multi-lingual meeting announce-ments and meeting facilitation. The com-mittee should be broadly representative of all constituencies in the community; and should function as the principal liaison between the Chinatown comm-unity and the city on planning and development issues.

• Demolition Delay Overlay Ordinance

An example of Chinatown's lack of involve-ment and influence in development deci-sion-making that was often cited in conver-sations with the community, was the demo-lition of existing structures. Concerns wereexpressed that the community has littleprior knowledge of proposed demolitionsand, therefore, little time to react appropri-ately. Community representatives repeated-ly expressed concerns regarding the loss ofhistoric structures and subsequent redevel-opment of demolition sites with surfaceparking lots. In addition to petitioning thecity for its own local planning committee, ademolition delay overlay ordinance, whichwould automatically require a substantialreview and comment period for any pro

posed demolition within Chinatown, wouldfurther assist the community in gaininggreater control over its own destiny.

• Design Guidelines

While Chinatown has many historic build-ings and some buildings with unique Asianarchitectural details, the community hasalso had several historically and culturallyinsensitive façade renovations. To preventfurther modifications and new develop-ments that do not accentuate Chinatown'shistoric and cultural resources, Chinatownshould develop and implement designguidelines for new and existing develop-ment. These guidelines should be flexibleto encourage a variety of architectural stylesbut also encourage some traditionalChinese or Asian style building adornmentsto emphasize Chinatown's neighborhoodcharacter.

5. Mitigate physical barriers within thecommunity

As highlighted in the Opportunities andConstraints section of this study, several physi-cal features in the study area create significantbarriers to community inter-connectivity. Theseinclude the scale of the Vine Street Expresswaytrench, the expressway ramp character of VineStreet service roads, the deteriorated Readingviaduct, the PECO transformers on CallowhillStreet, and the lack of good pedestrian connec-tions to Franklin Square and IndependenceNational Park. Effectively mitigating all of thesebarriers will be a costly and long-term enter-prise requiring significant investments ofresources on the part of the City and othergovernmental entities.

An historic building at Willow Street was demolished for parking. Traditional Chinatown architecture


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• "The Big Lid" - Covering the Vine Street Expressway

A number of alternatives were suggestedfor mitigating the barrier effect caused bythe depressed portion of the expressway.In the "Vine Street: Reconnecting Commun-ities" study (see www.pps.org/vineonline )conducted by the Project for Public Spaces,these solutions ranged from replicating thecurrent treatment of the 10th Street cross-ing by cantilevering park spaces over theexpressway at the other bridge crossings, tocompletely covering strategic blocks suchas the block between 10th and 11th , tocreating a continuous cover over theexpressway for its entire length to Logancircle. Obviously, the most desirable mitiga-

tion would be a continuous cover, whetheras a "green parkway" as envisioned by theProject for Public Spaces or, alternatively,through development of the air rights overthe expressway in the form of a "big lid"project (see Economic Developmentbelow).

All of these solutions would be costly andmost likely take years to implement. Itwould seem advisable, therefore, to imple-ment short-range improvements thatwould provide immediate benefits whilefunctioning as the first phase of a longer-term effort to develop a permanent solution. The recommendations of the Vine Street Reconnecting Communitiesproject included short-range modifications

to the 10th Street crossing that wouldimmediately enhance community connec-tivity, while not precluding later, moreextensive improvements along the corridor.It is therefore recommended that theseimprovements be pursued as a first phaseof a longer-term plan to transform the VineStreet Expressway from a chasm thatdivides Chinatown to a critical linkage thatbinds the north and south sides of the com-munity together.

To determine the best course of action, afiscal impact analysis and an engineeringfeasibility study should be commissionedby the city in partnership with theChinatown community and thePennsylvania Department of Transportationto determine the following:

• What would the costs of a "big lid" proj-ect be that would involve covering all ofthe expressway versus just portions ofthe Expressway and what fundingsources would be available to supportsuch an undertaking?

• What are the real economic, communitydevelopment, and social benefits of cov-ering all or portions of the expressway?

• Is development of the air rights of theexpressway feasible from an economicand engineering perspective?

• What would the 3+ acres of new devel-opment parcels over the expressway beworth and what would be the economicbenefit to existing areas that would nowadjoin a covered (and developed)expressway?

Three alternatives for Vine Street: Green Blocks, Green Bridges, Green Parkway (Vine Street: ReconnectingCommunities Plan)

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Covering the Vine Street Expressway would bea transformative event for Center City withtremendous impacts on the Chinatown com-munity. It is therefore essential that any feasibil-ity study include a comprehensive publicinvolvement process. It should also be recog-nized that this effort would be a very long-termundertaking and that other improvements,such as traffic calming along the Vine Streetsurface routes as suggested below could bemore easily and immediately implemented andresult in significant short-term benefits.Nevertheless, thinking about the future of theExpressway should begin to be incorporatedinto Chinatown's community planning, there-fore, a study of the feasibility of developmentof the Vine Street air rights is recommended.

• Calm traffic on Vine Street local service roads

Due to their highway-inspired design, thelocal access streets that parallel the express-way are also a significant barrier to commu-nity connectivity, exacerbating the effects ofthe barrier created by the Expresswaytrench. As recommended in the "VineStreet: Reconnecting Communities" study,an extensive traffic calming program shouldbe implemented along the Vine Street localservice roads north and south of theexpressway. This program should include:

• Reduction in the number of lanes on the north side of the expressway

12,000sf and 14,000sf of retail on each side of the street

When Columbus, OH needed to widen a downtown bridge over their sunkenexpressway (I-670) a local developer recom-mended building retail on it. He claimed thebridge would become another city blockseamlessly connecting and expanding down-town to adjacent neighborhoods.

Columbus, OH I-670 Bridge

Typical block example of streetscaping and traffic calming along Vine Street. (Vine Street: Reconnecting Communities Plan)

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• Reduction in lane widths on both sidesof the expressway

• Widening of sidewalks• Installation of intensive streetscape

enhancements• Installation of curb extensions at all

intersections with on-street parking • Installation of highly visible crosswalks

These improvements, combined withpedestrian-oriented development alongboth sides of the expressway, could trans-form the arterial highway character of VineStreet local service streets into a moreattractive urban boulevard. The possibilitiesof achieving this dramatic re-visioning ofthe corridor are further increased if theexpressway air rights are also developedand new apartment buildings, condomini-um towers, and office complexes - all withfirst floor pedestrian-oriented land uses andadjoining public open space - rise to fill thegap created by the expressway. It is recom-mended that traffic calming along VineStreet local service roads be designated anearly action item.

• Incorporate the Reading railroad viaductinto community development strategies

An artifact from the city's history as anational railroad hub and the subject ofmixed feelings is the abandoned ReadingRailroad viaduct. This massive structure isviewed simultaneously as both an obstacleto redevelopment in Chinatown North andas a potential elevated "rails to trails" linearpark space akin to the West Side High Linein New York City and the PromenadePlanteé in Paris. It is also viewed as a defin-ing feature of Chinatown North/Callowhill

with the ability to spur additional redevel-opment based on its novelty and potentialas a neighborhood green space. However,the land under the viaduct could also pro-vide large tracts of potentially publiclyowned real estate, which could be redevel-oped for a number of uses, including affordable housing. The reality is that while perhaps not as costly an undertakingas covering the expressway, the environ-mental mitigation and removal of theviaduct is likely to also be a very expensiveproposition.

Initial thinking on the future disposition ofthe viaduct has traditionally focused on an"either/or" scenario: complete removal orcomplete preservation. An alternative

The City of Paris worked with an arts andcrafts association to transform and revitalizethe viaduct and surrounding neighborhood.

The viaduct becomes an elevated pedestrianwalkway with garden spaces and access tothe street at almost every block.

It has artisans and craft stores in the archesof the structure.

Today the Promenade Plantee is an asset toan up and coming neighborhood.

The brick and stone Promenade Plantee inParis, France stretches 2.5 miles betweenPlace de la Bastille and Bois de Vicennes.

It was abandoned in 1969 and purchased bythe city in 1987. In the 1990s it was an eyesorein a declining neighborhood.

Promenade Plantee, Paris, France

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scenario is the possibility of selective demo-lition and the retention of certain segmentsof the viaduct. The "Broad Street" spur, forexample, does not appear to pose much ofan impediment to redevelopment and itsgradual rise from street grade makes it anideal access point for prospective uses atopthe viaduct. These uses would benefit fromthe sweeping vistas of center city and thepromise of a dramatic downtown overlookor "sky park" - especially if connected to airrights development over the expressway.Retaining the portion of the northern spurbetween Vine Street and the new towncenter proposed for Chinatown North (seeEconomic Development below) also offersinteresting opportunities. Another optionmay be retaining only the masonry compo-nents or earthen embankments of theViaduct as "urban artifacts" that could be

interpreted historically to tell the story ofthe city's mighty industrial heritage or evenserve as individual urban overlooks.

Considering the costs associated with evenpartial removal of the viaduct, it wouldseem prudent to explore all options, includ-ing reorganizing the pattern of redevelop-ment in Chinatown North/Callowhill arounda framework provided by the viaduct. Newand rehabilitated existing buildings directlyaccessing the viaduct would benefit greatlyfrom a new elevated linear park. This strate-gy, however, has not been favored by somedue to the feeling that the building sitesand parcels that would result from thedemolition of the viaduct represent a signif-icant new redevelopment opportunity inChinatown North/Callowhill. Alternatively,existing triangular-shaped parcels that

adjoin the viaduct are an opportunity forinteresting new construction similar to thehistorically interesting 19th century industri-al buildings along Ridge Avenue mentionedin prior and later sections of this report.

Thinking about the future of the viaductshould also take into consideration thepotential for air rights development of theexpressway. While the actual feasibility ofthis development opportunity cannot nowbe quantified, it is possible that if a sizeablenew development parcel became availablewithin the alignment of the expressway,pressure for northward expansion in thenear term and the immediate need toreclaim the development potential of thelands beneath the viaduct may be some-what diminished

Based on the extent of current develop-ment activity in Chinatown North it appearsthat the question of retaining or demolish-ing the viaduct does not have to beanswered immediately. However, the direc-tion of future development as recommend-ed by this plan and evidenced in the com-munity indicates that the future of theviaduct must be fully integrated into theoverall community development strategy ofChinatown. Design studies developed bystudents from the University ofPennsylvania and Drexel University havesuggested some imaginative and innovativereuse concepts for the viaduct, which haveserved to initiate broader interest in thefuture of the structure. Further planning forthe Viaduct, however, should include exten-sive public input from local residents andstakeholders most affected by the viaductand be based on a comprehensive analysis

Existing Reading Viaduct in Chinatown North / Callowhill

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of impacts to Chinatown and Callowhill aswell as a balanced understanding of what isbest for local residents and business ownersas well as the city as a whole.

In the near-term, while the ultimate fate ofthe viaduct remains unknown, attemptsshould be made to improve the mainte-nance and overall appearance of the struc-ture, including undertaking a number ofsimple improvements, such as:

• Cutting grass and weeds on the viaductdeck and embankments

• Colorful painting of the bridges (possiblythrough a student art competition man-aged by the City's Percent for the ArtsProgram or the Mural Arts Program)

• Decoration of bridges as gateways toChinatown

• Ornamental lighting design for bridgestructures

• Up-lighting of masonry walls (similar toFairmont Prison)

• Pedestrian lighting beneath bridges andoverpasses

• Management of drainage and runoffinto streets beneath the viaduct

• Ornamental landscape improvements• Remediation and demolition cost

analysis

These improvements would contribute sig-nificantly to enhancing the appearance ofChinatown North/Callowhill and may ulti-mately change perceptions of the value ofthe viaduct. Ultimately, the full costs of envi-ronmental remediation and demolitionmust be determined and compared to thedevelopment potential that would be creat-ed by its removal. Therefore, it is recom-

Brian McGarry explored the north end of the viaduct as a new public park where theviaduct splinters as it sweeps to the ground.

Josh Janisak investigated a new type ofindustrial activity which used the viaduct as a primary element.

Chen Yo explored a new Chinatown CommunityCenter bridging the ground plane with theviaduct level over top of I-676.

Kelly Anderson explored a pre-fab affordableartist studio scheme.

Team 4

Team 6

Team 8

Team 9

Drexel University Department ofArchitecture sixth year Urban DesignStudio led by Brian Phillips.

University of Pennsylvania DesignCharrette led by Harris Steinberg ofPenn Praxis.

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mended that a preliminary environmentalinvestigation and economic impact analysisbe commissioned by the city to gauge therelative costs and benefits of the range ofactions proposed here. The City ofPhiladelphia commissioned an environmen-tal study of the viaduct in the summer of2004. Results are forthcoming shortly.Furthermore, it may be cost effective toincorporate this evaluation into the express-way air-rights feasibility study suggestedabove.

• Screen the PECO substation

The large, industrial-scale PECO transform-ers that occupy the site where the twospurs of the viaduct diverge south ofHamilton Street significantly diminish theappearance of the local area and detractfrom the redevelopment potential of neigh-boring sites. It is essential that this substa-tion facility be effectively screened. A num-ber of options are available, ranging from aplant material screen similar to the 26thStreet gateway developed by thePennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), or

an attractive brick or masonry screeningwalls, or a structural screening material simi-lar to the system used recently at the newchiller plant at the University ofPennsylvania. Considering the general lackof landscaping in Chinatown North/Callowhill, the former option would seempreferable; therefore, it is recommendedthat the Philadelphia Chinatown

PECO substation along Noble Street

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Development Corporation, in cooperationwith the Callowhill NeighborhoodAssociation, approach both PECO and PHSto request assistance in planning andimplementing an effective landscape screenof the transformer site.

• Improve connections to Franklin Square

Located on the eastern edge of Chinatown,Franklin Square should function as animpressive and inviting gateway and ameaningful public space resource for theChinatown community. For a variety of rea-sons, unfortunately, this sadly neglectedpark - one of the original five squares inWilliam Penn's plan for the city - is moreoften populated by the homeless than resi-dents of Chinatown (although practitionersof T'ai Chi are often observed in the squarein the mornings). It is generally perceivedto be isolated from the community.

The reasons for this perception are easy toappreciate. Race Street, which providesaccess to the square from Chinatown, has avery wide cross section and character

unfriendly to pedestrians.The arterial highway-oriented design is reflectiveof its former role as a prin-cipal access route to theBenjamin Franklin Bridgeprior to the construction ofVine Street Expressway.

The long-vacantMetropolitan Hospital (nowbeing redeveloped as con-dominiums or apartments),with its suburban-style deepsetbacks from Race Street and lack of street-edge pedestrian activity, also represents asignificant visual and psychological barrierbetween Chinatown and Franklin Square.The largely vacant block west of theMetropolitan Hospital, beneath which the

Broad-Ridge Spur runs, further exaggeratesthe sense of distance between FranklinSquare and Chinatown. Existing buildingson the south side of Race Street also pres-ent an unfriendly face to Race, including the

Franklin Square’s historic fountain

Conceptual design plan with destinationuses and traffic calming. (Vine Street: ReconnectingCommunities Plan)

The wide expanse of Race Street at 7th Street

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long-closed main entrance of the bunker-like Police Headquarters and the new park-ing garage addition to the College ofPhysicians building. Finally, the lack of activeland uses on the edges of the square andthe existing condition and design of thepark itself significantly limit its active use.

There are reasons for hope, however. Theadaptive re-use of Metropolitan Hospitalwill at long last bring residents close to thesquare's western edge. Perhaps moreimportantly, the opening of the NationalConstitution Center - with its principalentrance facing directly on the square - willbring Philadelphia's "invisible square" intothe view of a projected one million annualvisitors. The Vine Street ReconnectingCommunities study focused significantattention on methods to revitalize FranklinSquare - all of which merit serious consider-ation. The goal of reconnecting FranklinSquare to Chinatown and incorporating thepark within the boundaries of the neighbor-hood, as perceived by both residents andvisitors could be advanced in three principalways:

• Erect a significant new gateway toChinatown - similar to the FriendshipGate at 10th & Arch - across Race Streetat 6th Street. This bold visual statementwould accomplish several objectives,including establishing a much-neededlink between Chinatown and the cultur-al tourism occurring in theIndependence National Historic Park,and incorporating Franklin Square intothe psychological domain of Chinatown.

• Race Street should be narrowed, curbextensions installed at all intersections,and other traffic calming and intensivestreetscape improvements provided toenhance the pedestrian environment.This would provide a highly desirablewalking environment betweenChinatown and Franklin Square.

• As part of the recommended"Chinatown Greening" program (seeOpen Space, Parks, and Recreationbelow) the Chinatown communityshould consider formally adoptingFranklin Square and providing leader-ship for its revitalization.

6. Streetscape and Gateway Improvements

The poor condition of the pedestrian environ-ment, especially in Chinatown North/Callowhill,is an issue that was raised frequently in conver-sations with community residents and stake-holders. Of special concern are the poor pedes-trian connections across the Vine Street corri-dor. A related concern that was raised was theneed to establish gateways to reinforce com-munity identify, establish linkages to neighbor-ing potential markets such as IndependenceNational Historic Park and the PennsylvaniaConvention Center, and to express and defineareas of community expansion, such as

Gateway and streetscape improvements at 10th and Vine Streets. (Vine Street: Reconnecting Communities Plan)

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Chinatown North/Callowhill. The Vine StreetReconnecting Communities study presentssome conceptual streetscape ideas that are anexcellent starting point for developing a com-munity-wide streetscape improvements pro-gram for Chinatown. However, more work isneeded to develop final streetscape plans anddesigns that are sensitive to local culture andtraditions and respect special characteristics ofChinatown neighborhoods, such as open airsidewalk markets and places of communitygathering and orientation.

Following is a proposed approach to initiat-ing a comprehensive streetscape improve-ment plan for the Chinatown study area.

• Implement initial recommendations of theVine Street Reconnecting CommunitiesStudy

The Vine Street Reconnecting Communitiesstudy suggested a number of initialstreetscape improvements, focused

primarily on enhancing community con-nectivity across the 10th Street crossing ofthe expressway. Some implementationfunding is presently available that could beused to leverage additional funding.Therefore, it is recommended that the 10thStreet improvements be designated anearly action item.

• Strategically focus initial streetscapeimprovements

Taking into consideration the likely limita-tions of the city capital improvementsbudget, it is recommended that a focusedstrategic streetscape improvement programbe developed. The program should servenot only to enhance the pedestrian envi-ronment, but also achieve other goals suchas enhancing community connectivity, link-ing Chinatown to adjacent tourist areas, andreinforcing neighborhood identity and thefuture direction of community develop-ment. Five initial streetscape improvement

projects are proposed, and it is recom-mended that these projects be designatedpriority projects:

• 10th Street and Ridge Avenue aboveCallowhill. As illustrated on the pro-posed land use plan and described inmore detail in the EconomicDevelopment recommendations, it issuggested that 10th Street northward to Callowhill and then Ridge Avenuefrom Callowhill to Spring Garden bedeveloped as the principal north-southspine unifying Chinatown, ChinatownNorth, and Callowhill. Intensivestreetscaping, based on conceptualdesigns developed in the Vine StreetReconnecting Communities study,would significantly improve the publicenvironment in Chinatown North/Callowhill, and also express the conceptthat this corridor is intended as an areaof future community development andinvestment. Streetscaping should be

Vine Street local has fast moving traffic, excess lanes, and narrow sidewalks.

13th Street looking south from Hamilton - streetscapeneeds improvement.

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improved all along the 10th - RidgeSpine from the Friendship Gate at Archto Spring Garden.

• 13th Street from Vine to Spring Garden.Paralleling the 10th Street-Ridge AvenueSpine, 13th Street appears to function asa "main street" in the Callowhill neighborhood. Intensive streetscapingalong this corridor would begin to pro-vide missing pedestrian amenities inCallowhill.

• Race Street from the PennsylvaniaConvention Center to 6th Street. As pre-viously mentioned, streetscaping andtraffic calming along Race Street and anew Chinatown gateway at 6th Streetwould help to bring Franklin Square into

the perceived boundaries of the com-munity and establish a much-neededlinkage between Chinatown and thetourist activity of IndependenceNational Historic Park. Streetscapingwould also serve to beautify Race Street,which is an important eastbound routein Center City subject to heavy traffic.

• Arch Street to the PennsylvaniaConvention Center/Reading Terminal.Although 10th Street is just one-and-one-half blocks from the main entranceof the Convention Center, Chinatowndoes not have a particularly strong pres-ence in this area. This is partly due to themassive and overwhelming scale of theConvention Center itself, the attractionof Reading Terminal, and the convenient

street connections to Market Street.Streetscaping and an additionalChinatown gateway along this streetwould serve to reinforce Chinatown asneighboring destination and beautify a heavily traveled corridor.

• Spring Garden Street from Broad Streetto 9th Street. Traveling on Spring Garden Street west of Broad Street, thereis landscaping in the medians andattractive street trees. Upon crossingBroad Street, Spring Garden has similarlyattractive buildings with storefronts andresidences; the streetscape, however,deteriorates into a treeless and poorly lit area. In an attempt to revitalize themany existing businesses along Spring

Continue streetscape improvements on Arch Street past 10th Street to connect Independence National Park with Chinatown and improve the aesthetics in Chinatown.

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Garden Street through the study area,streetscape improvements should bemade that include way finding signage,street trees, pedestrian lighting, land-scaping, and improved sidewalks.

• Gateways

Ornamental gateways perform a number ofimportant roles, including expressing com-munity identify and reinforcing neighbor-hood boundaries. Gateways can also per-form an important way finding and infor-mational function, attracting and welcom-ing visitors and encouraging exploration.For Chinatown, this last function is extreme-ly important. Although located betweentwo major tourist destinations, thePennsylvania Convention Center andIndependence National Historic Park, Chinatown's visibility is somewhat limited

The Friendship Gate at 10th and Arch Street.

Singapore, SingaporeSeatle, WA, USA

Toronto, ON, Canada

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Beijing, China

Examples of Gateways from other cities

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and its visual connection to these touristareas is not well defined. Strategicallyplaced gateways could help to increaseChinatown's visibility as well as symbolicallyexpress the future direction of communitydevelopment and investment in ChinatownNorth.

The impressive Friendship Gate at 10th &Arch Streets is an outstanding model fordistinctive gateway design. While exactlyreplicating this gateway at other locationsthroughout Chinatown would probably notbe possible, or even desirable, creating arelated "family" of gateways inspired by thedesign of the Friendship Gate , but at asmaller scale, may be an appropriate andmore cost efficient approach. Alternatively,an entirely new design may be explored.Regardless of the actual design that isadopted, the gateways should be distinc-tive and highly visible. A number of possiblelocations for gateways have been identified:

• 10th Street over the Vine StreetExpressway. Decorating the bridge para-pet with an ornamental gateway wouldinform drivers that they are not drivingpast Chinatown but "through" a dynam-ic and expanding community that nowspans both sides of the expressway. Thegateway could also take the form ofpedestrian scale retail development sim-ilar to the new bridge over I-670 inColumbus, OH. This bridge could pro-vide a model for physically and aestheti-cally connecting the area north of Vinewith the core of Chinatown. This type ofdevelopment could provide a very visi-ble gateway for Chinatown while alsoproviding continuous development to

economically connect the two areas.

• Race Street at 6th Street. By claimingFranklin Square as a new portal,Chinatown's connection to Independ-ence Mall will be made apparent to liter-ally hundreds of thousands of regional,national, and international visitors.

• 11th and Arch. With so many competingactivities and attractions, Chinatownmust establish a clear and welcomingpresence to conventioneers as theyenter and emerge from the PennsylvaniaConvention Center.

• Arch and 6th Street. As the location ofthe Gateway Visitor Center, which pro-vides the principal orientation experi-ence for visitors to the region, aChinatown gateway at this intersectionwould be highly desirable.

• Spring Garden and Ridge. While a gate-way at this location may seem prema-ture at this time, it would enableChinatown to express its communitydevelopment vision even if it takesmany years to backfill opportunity withactual development.

• 7th & Callowhill. As proposed in theOpen Space, Parks and Recreation rec-ommendations, it has been suggestedthat the truck parking lot currently exist-ing at this location be redeveloped asmuch-needed recreational resources forChinatown. This would make an ideallocation for a local gateway to the community.

• 10th & Callowhill/Ridge. The prospect

of the development of a new openspace and town center for ChinatownNorth/Callowhill, suggests that a gate-way improvement may also be warrant-ed. A gateway at this location couldserve to announce the formal entrypoint to the new Chinatown North/Callowhill neighborhood and reinforcethe boundaries of this emerging area ofcommunity expansion, matching thegateway proposed at Spring Garden and Ridge

7. Community Aesthetics and Public Environment Maintenance

A common refrain heard in conversations withcommunity residents was that trash is not wellmanaged in Chinatown, and that this conditionis having a deleterious effect on the quality oflife for residents. Many reasons for this condi-tion were cited, including small and overcrowd-ed dwelling units that cannot accommodate

Trash is a big problem in Chinatown

3.19CHINATOWN


indoor refuse storage, cultural feelings relatingto indoor trash storage, the dense concentra-tion of restaurants, and trash dumping by non-residents. In Chinatown North/Callowhill, themain problems are illegal dumping and thestorage and pickup of the trash of commercialbusinesses, primarily wholesale food sellers.Regardless of the actual cause or causes of theproblem, feelings around this issue are verystrong. Satisfactorily addressing this issue willrequire advocacy along with programmatic,educational, and physical solutions. In an effortto enhance city refuse collection the communi-ty should first work with the StreetsDepartment and advocate for increased servic-es, emphasizing the impacts of dumping andtourism on the cleanliness of residential neigh-borhoods of Chinatown. Leadership for thisadvocacy could be provided by a communityservices coordinating organization, which isrecommended below.

Programmatic approaches may include estab-lishing a Neighborhood Service District thatwould provide supplemental trash collectionand street cleaning for the community.Organized as a fairly low-cost operation usingpart-time staff and providing perhaps just oneadditional trash pick-up a week, the servicecould be run by Philadelphia ChinatownDevelopment Corporation or contracted fromthe Center City District. The service districtwould be funded through contributions frombusinesses and multi-family housing landlords.An additional programmatic approach may beto develop and implement an extensive com-munity education program, such as "KeepChinatown Clean", that would seek to establishand reinforce acceptable domestic and com-mercial trash management practices throughputting out flyers and information about prop-

er procedures and rules related to the appropri-ate storage and encouraging after-dusk dispos-al. In addition to flyers, the program could setup meetings with the community and cityagencies to address cleaning and safety.Furthermore, youth, underemployed and/orthe Center City District could be hired to dosemi-regular cleanings that include ChinatownNorth. A physical response may be to requireappropriately designed centralized refuse stor-age areas for new residential and nonresiden-tial developments in Chinatown, especially for mixed-use developments that includerestaurants.

In conjunction with the streetscape improve-ments, gateway planning, and programs suchas "Keep Chinatown Clean", a banner designcontest that encourages community youth andlocal artists to participate would be a good wayto promote civic pride. The banners could be apart of the streetscape improvements andshould stretch into Chinatown North.

8. Community Services Delivery and Coordination

• Prepare a Chinatown Social Services Plan

A major issue expressed by community resi-dents and stakeholders related to the severelack of community services and facilities withinthe Chinatown community. Furthermore, cul-tural and language barriers may be limitingaccess to these services and facilities whenthey are located outside of Chinatown. Whilecertain programs are provided in the commu-nity already, it is important to realize the needand demand for additional programs and serv-ices. One of the goals of the CommunityCenter that PCDC is planning is to provide arts,

Trash is a big problem in Chinatown

A Neighborhood Service District run throughPCDC or Center City District could provide regularcleaning of the street and organize additionaltrash pickup.

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culture, youth, adult, after school, computer,language, martial arts, job placement, training,and legal assistance programs. As may havebeen expected, different groups felt that differ-ent types of services and facilities were needed.However, there seemed to be general agree-ment that special emphasis should be given toproviding support services for new immigrants.Among the types of community facilities andservices requested were:

- Multi-purpose community center- K-8 Chinatown charter school- Job & ESL training

- Branch library- Health and human services- Immigrant support services- Senior and youth services- Recreation and social services

During meetings with the community, anumber of residents mentioned the needfor a public school in Chinatown, indicatingthat elementary school children from theneighborhood must travel a significant dis-tance to McCall Elementary School locatedseveral blocks south of Market Street. AsianAmericans United has won a planning grant

from the state Department of Education tostudy the feasibility of a Charter School. TheSchool Reform Commission is about tobegin preparing a master plan for theSchool District's capital program. It is antici-pated that the master plan will evaluateschool locations in relation to changingpopulation trends within the city. This maybe an opportune time for the Chinatowncommunity to also advocate with theDistrict for a public school.

Chinatown is a demographically diversecommunity. As a result, there are a numberof constituencies within the community,each expressing their own goals and aspira-tions. It is conceivable that each groupcould pursue its own community serviceagenda; however, this suggests the possibil-ity of dilution of community resources, inef-ficient duplication of facilities, and lack ofcoordination and even competitionbetween overlapping service providers.Therefore, it is strongly recommended thata coordinated social services plan be devel-oped for Chinatown identifying all of the

Holy Redeemer Church and School at 10th and Vine Street.

On Lok House provides senior housing and services,however there is a long waiting list.

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existing and anticipated community and social service needs of the community. Theplan should be prepared in consultationwith an oversight or steering committeerepresenting all constituent groups in thecommunity.

In addition to identifying service needs, thesocial services plan should involve anassessment of the capacity of existing serv-ice groups, identifying where capacitybuilding is needed and matching existingorganizational strengths to appropriatetasks and initiatives. In cases where capacityweaknesses are identified by the plan, localgroups should work with organizationssuch as the Philadelphia Association ofCommunity Development Corporations(www.pacdc.org) to identify potentialcapacity building resources. Another impor-tant purpose of the plan would be to iden-tify opportunities for joint programming,service and facilities development betweenexisting organizations and groups.Combining and sharing resources, informa-tion, and ideas in this way will enableChinatown to maximize the tremendouspotential of its extraordinary cultural andsocial capital. Healthy and vital communitiesare typified by the number of volunteerorganizations and associations they possess- of which Chinatown has many - and thedegree to which the work and activities ofthese groups is coordinated and comple-mentary. It is absolutely necessary that theCommunity Services Plan include transla-tion and community outreach services.PCDC already provides a newsletter, a com-munity liaison, and homeowner counselingprograms. Outreach should also be gearedto landlords and business owners. • Chinatown Community Center

Given the new types of community servicesrecommended in the previous section andthe expressed need for additional commu-nity space and services by communitystakeholders and residents, a newCommunity Center with ample spaceshould be a high priority for Chinatown.PCDC recently conducted a feasibility studyfor a Community Center in Chinatown located between Vine, 10th, 11th, and Pearl

Chinatown Community Center location

PCDC preliminary plan for the Chinatown Community Center.

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Streets. As shown in the proposed land useplan, this central location is still appropriatefor a Community Center developed in con-junction with an Asian oriented retail andresidential complex.

• Consider community and social services "embedded" in new development

An additional option in increasing access tocommunity and social services, especially tothe elderly and disabled, may be to build onthe model of On Lok house, which includesa social services center component. Byembedding some level of community andsocial services within new residential (evenmixed-use) developments, service deliverycould be more geographically diverse andeven possibly tailored to the needs of theresidents of the development. For example,housing for new immigrants could containservices such as ESL training and elderlyhousing could offer direct access to healthservices.

• Develop Chinatown-wide community coor-dination and outreach programs

An important issue relating to the deliveryof community services was the need toenhance community coordination, commu-nication and outreach especially amongnewer immigrants. The proposed socialservices plan could be an ideal vehicle forexploring the potential of local organiza-tions to sponsor and provide leadership forthese activities. Evaluating all of Chinatown's community service providers,the plan could recommend volunteer

outreach programs, town watch-type pro-grams, a block captain plan, and suggestspecial events and programming.

• Crime Prevention

As Chinatown grows to the north, it isimportant to provide adequate safetypatrols to ensure the security of new residents. Safety patrols around ChinatownNorth, especially near the churches andnew developments should be emphasized.Crime prevention and cooperation with theSixth District Police Station should be encouraged.

OPEN SPACE, PARKS ANDRECREATION

The Open Space, Parks and RecreationPlanning recommendations fall under the following general categories:

1. Initiate a Chinatown "greening" program2. Organize the development of Chinatown

North/Callowhill around a new centralpublic open space

3. Incorporate park space in the covering of Vine Street

4. "Green" and open up the outdoor spacesof Holy Redeemer Church and School

5. Complete an economic study and masterplan for the Reading Railroad Viaduct

6. Transform the parking lot at 7th &Callowhill into Chinatown playfields/gateway

7. Formally incorporate Franklin Square as a major open space within Chinatown

8. Expand Recreational Programming

Callowhill Neighborhood garden

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Recommended Planning Goals and Strategies

1. Initiate a Chinatown "greening" program

As a densely developed community,Chinatown lacks any significant green spacesand open space. There are no formal publicparks or recreation facilities within the core ofChinatown. And due to a number of relatedfactors, Franklin Square does not function as animportant community focal point or publicspace, despite its proximity to the community.North of the Vine Street Expressway, ChinatownNorth and Callowhill would best be describedas post industrial and lacking any meaningfulpublic environment. With the exception of asmall community garden at 11th & Ridge, theseareas have a bleak environment of surfaceparking lots, overgrown vacant lots, and deteri-orated buildings. An aggressive "greening" ofChinatown and Callowhill should be undertak-en, and include the following major compo-nents:

• Intensive shade street tree planting, especially along residential streets

• Landscaping and green spaces in both new development and redevelopment projects

• Landscaping and green spaces in new public and community facilities

• Development of new community gardens and maintenance of existing ones

• Landscaping and edge treatments for surface parking lots

• Adopt Franklin Square and providecommunity leadership for its revitalization

Representatives of the community shouldwork with the Pennsylvania HorticulturalSociety Philadelphia Green Program staff toplan and implement the greening program.

Clarion Street resident greening activity.

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Town Square After

Town Square Before

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2. Organize the development of Chinatown North around a new public open space

As included in the Economic Developmentrecommendations, the development of anew town center ("Downtown ChinatownNorth") is suggested for ChinatownNorth/Callowhill in the area betweenCallowhill, Hamilton, 10th and 11th Streets.A substantial new public open space on thefuture land use plan is proposed as the principal organizing feature of this

redevelopment zone. This space is env-sioned as a classic town square designed tosupport community gathering, socialization,and passive recreation. Surrounded by pub-lic streets and aligned directly on the 10thStreet-Ridge Avenue Spine, this park isintended to be a highly visible and accessible community focal point.

3. Incorporate park space on the cover of the Vine Street Expressway

Evaluating the development potential and feasibility of the air rights over the expresswayis a major recommendation of this plan. It isfurther recommended that extensive landscap-ing and public green spaces be incorporatedinto the design of any expressway air rightsdevelopment, including amenities such as public plazas, park space, and rooftop gardens.

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On the west side of Manhattan there is a 1.5mile long elevated railway. It runs throughthree dynamic neighborhoods, South Hell’sKitchen, West Chelsea, and GansevoortMarket District. The Friends of the Highlineorganization, founded in 1999, conducted adesign competition, an economic impactanalysis, and hired a design group to com-plete a master plan to preserve and reuse theHighline. (www.thehighline.org)

4. "Green" the outdoor spaces of Holy Redeemer Church and School

One of the many excellent recommendationsof the Vine Street Reconnecting Communitiesstudy is to explore the long-term potential ofeliminating all or portions of the barrier wallalong the boundary of Holy Redeemer Churchand School and adding landscaping to theexisting asphalt play ground. As a result of traf-fic calming and streetscape improvementsalong Vine Street, the barrier wall may nolonger be necessary, and once again HolyRedeemer could open its site to the communi-ty. In lieu of a solid barrier wall an open fencewith landscaping or a low wall with a railingcould be substituted to reinforce the churchboundary while permitting views of the interi-or. Although it is probably necessary to retainthe parking lots to the east of the church, thesefacilities could be landscaped in concert withthe overall greening of the school campus. Itappears that landscaping the Holy Redeemercampus could occur immediately, even if theremoval of some or the entire boundary wallbecomes a longer-term undertaking. Changesto the barrier wall would most likely requireextensive discussions with the church commu-nity and archdiocese.

5. Complete an economic study and master plan for the Reading Railroad Viaduct

An important consideration in the decision topreserve or demolish the viaduct is whetherthere is a potential for the reuse for the struc-ture. Assumptions have been made that theviaduct is physically suitable for reuse as an ele-vated linear park space; however, engineeringand design assessments have not been made.The necessary first step, then, must be a

thorough assessment of existing structural andenvironmental conditions and the develop-ment of preliminary reuse options, includingaddressing the important issues of accessibility.Interesting and thought provoking designswere already generated by students in a twosemester Drexel University architecture class aswell as a student charrette process sponsoredby PennPraxis and the William PennFoundation. A professional public design com-petition regarding reuse options - possiblyorganized and managed by the PhiladelphiaChapter of the American Institute of Architectsor the Design Advocacy Group could be con-sidered after the environmental assessment iscomplete. An economic analysis of reusing theviaduct versus demolishing all or part of theviaduct should be conducted, as a precursor or a part of a focused master plan process thatexamines reuse and demolition alternatives.

One of the few active recreation spaces is the basket-ball courts at the Chinese Christian Church Center.

The Highline Project in New York City.

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6. Transform the parking lot at 7th & Callowhill into Chinatownplay fields/gateway

There is clearly a need for bothpassive and active park spaces inChinatown. The new public parkplanned for the ChinatownNorth/Callowhill town center willprovide opportunities for passiverecreation, such as sitting, people-watching and informal socializa-tion. To provide for active recre-ation and field sport, it is recom-mended that the existing truckparking lot between 7th and 8thStreets on Callowhill be acquiredand converted into playing fields and game courts

7. Reconnect Franklin Square with Chinatown

Any plans for providing new and improvedpark space for Chinatown must include an eval-uation of Franklin Square. Its proximity, itsimportant history, and the tremendous needfor green space in Chinatown all support theconcept that this park should become integrat-ed into the fabric of the Chinatown communi-ty. Additionally, due to its location along 6thStreet - a principal entry point to the city fromNew Jersey - and its adjacency to the NationalConstitution Center and Independence Mall,beyond providing green space, Franklin Squarecould also serve as a major gateway announc-ing the presence of Chinatown to thousands ofdaily commuters and visitors.

The Vine Street Reconnecting CommunitiesStudy, which characterized Franklin Square asthe city's "invisible square", identified severalfactors that limit the utilization of the park andthat have consequently led to diminished

attention and maintenance. Chief among theseis the fact that the park does not function as adestination due to a lack of attractions, poormanagement, run-down or inoperable facilities(for example, the historic fountain is not func-tioning), a lack of essential amenities (includingcomfortable seating), little or no landscaping,and no opportunity to purchase food.Compounding these factors is poor accessibili-ty. Heavy traffic on the wide streets that boundthe park isolates the square from nearby areas.The study articulated a set of comprehensiverecommendations to improve the utilization of and conditions within the park. With theChinatown community taking the lead inimplementing these recommendations, a number of these recommendations couldserve the dual purpose of making FranklinSquare an integral part of Chinatown.Following are the key recommendations of the study modified, where possible, to reflect

National Constitution Center

Vine Street Underpass at 7th Street - blank underpass walls and wideturning radii make for an unfriendly pedestrian environment.

CHINATOWN

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involvement of or potential benefits to theChinatown Community. The recommendationsfall into four general categories: 1) improvingpedestrian access into and around the square,2) establishing the square as a destination, 3)improving the ground floors of all buildingsfacing the square, and 4) developing a man-agement plan for the square.

• Improving pedestrian access to and aroundthe square

• Make entrances to the park more attrac-tive. The park entrance at the corner of6th and Race would be an ideal locationfor a Chinatown gateway

• Restore, and in some places modify, thepath system around the park.

• Institute traffic calming measures at alllocations around the park. Improvingpedestrian connections along RaceStreet, as mentioned in the streetscaperecommendations of the plan, wouldsignificantly enhance the linkagesbetween Franklin Square andChinatown.

• Transform 6th Street leading to FranklinSquare into an urban boulevard. Thiswould in effect improve the pedestrianconnections across busy 6th Street andultimately enhance the linkagesbetween Chinatown and IndependenceMall and the National ConstitutionCenter.

• Create more comfortable and attractiveplaces for pedestrians to cross VineStreet at the underpass on 6th, 7th and8th Streets. These improvements wouldenhance the access between the grow-ing residential population in ChinatownNorth/Callowhill and Franklin Square as

well as contribute to improving overallinterconnectivity of the neighborhood.

• Establish the square as a destination

• Restore the historic fountain as the focalpoint of a new plaza within the square.This recommendation includes a sug-gestion that the new plaza include anoutdoor café, which could easily be asatellite operation of an existingChinatown restaurant.

An example of a FerrisWheel in Franklin Squarelooking from the BenFranklin Bridge.

Franklin Square before

Franklin Square after

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• Add flowerbed and seasonal horticultur-al displays throughout the square. Thisactivity could become the responsibilityof a volunteer Chinatown garden club orsponsored by Chinatown businesses.Asian-theme displays are also a possibility.

• Renovate the existing children's playarea and combine it with other ameni-ties. An enhanced play area would havea direct benefit for children within theChinatown community, especially if bet-ter pedestrian connections are achieved.Additionally, recreation activities attrac-tive to all members of the Chinatowncommunity, regardless of age, should beincorporated into the park.

• Return the historic Applegate Carouselto the square. The recommendationrefers to a historic carousel that occu-pied the park in the 1890s. It is uncertainwhether the carousel still exists. An inter-esting alternative may be to commissiona replacement carousel that againreflects Asian themes that could be botha tourist attraction and a focal point ofcommunity pride and interest - similarto the Friendship Gate.

• Consider renting a large Ferris wheel asa temporary attraction in the square.While this would presumably functionprimarily as a tourist attraction, otherpark enhancements that strengthen thelinkage to Chinatown could capitalizeon increased park patronage resultingfrom the Ferris wheel installation.

• Create a focal point around a relocatedPolice & Fireman's monument.

• Improving the ground floors of all buildings facing the square

• Develop a program for revitalizing theground-floor uses in existing businesses.This recommendation focuses on “acti-vating” the ground floors of all buildingsthat presently surround the square butare largely closed or anti-pedestrian indesign, such as the Police Headquartersbuilding, the former MetropolitanHospital, and the American College ofPhysicians building on Race Streetbetween 6th and 7th. The recommenda-tion suggests temporary exhibits, forexample, which could include informa-tion and cultural displays related toChinatown.

• Agree upon a long-term vision for theredevelopment of buildings adjacent tothe square. The Chinatown communityshould aggressively insert itself into anyredevelopment planning for the areasaround Franklin Square to ensure thedevelopment opportunities forChinatown are maximized.

• Develop a management plan for the square

• A committee should be formed withadjacent public and private propertyowners (including the federal govern-ment), the Fairmount Park Commission,the Center City District, and the StreetsDepartment, in order to develop anaction plan to move forward on the revi-talization of the square. The Chinatowncommunity should be centrally involvedin encouraging the formation of thiscommittee to ensure that enhance-ments are oriented toward improvingconnections to Chinatown, and that assuggested here, enhancements have an

Asian theme or orientation that inte-grates a renovated Franklin Square intothe fabric of the Chinatown community.

8. Expand Recreation Programming

Another issue expressed by residents was theneed for enhanced recreation services for theyouth of Chinatown. It is essential that plan-ning for new recreation facilities as suggestedbe paralleled with adequate recreational pro-gramming. The planning for such program-ming must also emphasize the development of effective recreation leadership. In an effort to assure effective community-wide coordina-tion it is recommended that the evaluation ofexpanded recreational programming be incor-porated into the proposed social services plan.Recreational programming should include at aminimum, the following:

- Coordinate and maximize existing programmatic offerings

- Develop new neighborhood and culturally based offerings responding to local demand

- Establish a youth recreation director or coordinator position within the community

- Establish a senior recreation director or coordinator position within the community

- Identification of public and private funding sources

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Economic Development Planning recommen-dations fall under the following general categories:

CHINATOWN

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1. Encourage infill development and rede-velopment in the Chinatown Core

2. Encourage redevelopment on the sur-face parking areas in Callowhill

3. Develop a new major "anchor" develop-ment on the north side of Vine Street

4. Develop a new town center forChinatown North/Callowhill

5. Develop the air rights of the Vine StreetExpressway

6. Create strong way finding/gateway sys-tems to adjacent tourist areas

7. Provide sufficient neighborhood-servingretail

8. Develop business district coordination,management, and marketing capacity

9. Encourage the redevelopment of SpringGarden Street as a mixed-use commer-cial district

10. Improve commercial facades through-out the neighborhood.

Recommended Planning Goals and Strategies:

1. Encourage infill development and redevelopment in the Chinatown Core

The proposed expansion of the PennsylvaniaConvention Center will result in some businessdislocation in the Arch Street and Broad Streetcorridors. For some of these businesses,Chinatown will be a compatible or even pre-ferred relocation alternative. Chinatown

business and civic organizations should workwith the Convention Center Authority, theRedevelopment Authority, and other appropri-ate agencies to support successful businessrelocation and, if possible, expansion within the core of Chinatown.

It is important to note, however, that not everyrelocated business belongs in Chinatown. Thekey issue on the matter of displacement is thatwhen the Convention Center was originallybuilt, extensive and skilled staff effort wasinvested in the business relocation process -identifying the circumstances of each affectedbusinesses, developing relocation and expan-sion plans for each, encouraging significant

Wholesale and light industrial uses generate complaints from residents over trash and cleanliness. These types of uses could be relocatedto other parts of the city.

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investment in the relocated businesses, andhelping arrange financing for that reinvest-ment. In effect, the "relocation problem" wasturned into an "economic development oppor-tunity."

There is no reason to believe that, as a matterof course, a similar level of effort will be putinto this round of relocation assistance. This islikely for several reasons: (1) the benefits of theConvention Center are now well-establishedand this expansion effort is not as controversialas the original development; (2) there is muchless relocation involved than originally; and (3) the relocation issues have already beenmuddied through the controversy surroundingspeculative investment intended to reap excessacquisition payments.

Therefore, to the extent that Chinatown busi-ness and institutional interests are impacted bythe expansion, Chinatown needs to encouragemajor public effort in the relocation process sothat this expansion becomes another econom-ic development opportunity for those busi-nesses and for Chinatown.

As the proposed land use map illustrates, anumber of possible sites for new infill develop-ment and possible business relocation exist inthe Chinatown core area, particularly includingsurface parking lots and vacant land within theblock bounded by Race and Vine between 8thand 9th Streets. Development in theChinatown core area should take the form ofmixed-use with first floor retail and commercialspace and upper floor housing or office uses.

CHINATOWN

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2. Encourage redevelopment of surface parking areas in Callowhill

Development in Callowhill has captured under-utilized and vacant industrial buildings for con-version to successful loft condominiums andapartments. Continued development in thisarea should be guided to transform the areainto an attractive neighborhood that includes apositive pedestrian street environment, sup-portive commercial services, and exciting andwell-utilized public spaces. One key to thistransformation will be new development oncurrent parking lots including: (1) the parkingareas east and south of the North American

building; (2) the parking area along Broad infront of the Lascher Building; and (3) the park-ing area north of the Arts Building. New devel-opment on these parking lots will necessitatethe construction of structured parking toaccommodate the parking displaced fromthese lots as well as new parking demandsgenerated by this additional development.New parking can be developed by a privatedeveloper or by the Philadelphia ParkingAuthority or by a public/private partnership.However, the location and design of new park-ing facilities must be carefully managed anddeveloped in close consultation with represen-tatives of the community to ensure that theneighborhood is not overwhelmed with new

An example of an Asian oriented retail development in Toronto, Canada

Surface parking lots in Callowhill Neighborhood

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surface parking facilities. A primary charge ofthe recommended Chinatown Zoning andPlanning Committee should be to work withthe City Planning Commission to designateareas or zones within Chinatown, ChinatownNorth and Callowhill where off-street parkingfacilities should be developed and specificallywhere they should be prohibited.

The quality of community amenities in this area will be further enhanced if developmentof these parking lot sites is designed to incor-porate direct connections to potential openspace resulting from the redevelopment of the

former railroad viaduct into an elevated linearpark. Additional amenities and critical basicservices can be provided through the use offirst floor space for neighborhood-orientedretail and service businesses. Appropriate zon-ing requirements should be instituted torequire the provision of first floor retail andcommercial space in new and rehabilitatedbuildings.

3. Develop a new major "anchor" development on the north side of Vine Street

The block bounded by Vine, 10th,Callowhill, and 11th Streets offers thepotential for a large, highly visible,mixed-use redevelopment. Manyparcels within this block are eithervacant, used as surface parking, or forsale. Other buildings are significantlyunderutilized and the complex of buildings on the southwest corner ofCallowhill and 10th Streets is nowbeing used for interim storage, but will be available for redevelopmentwithin two years.

A substantial development on this block canplay several key roles in Chinatown develop-ment. First, this block can be critical in integrat-ing the development of Chinatown North withthe traditional Chinatown since it is situated atthe crucial 10th and 11th Street connectionsover the Vine Street Expressway and is adjacentto Holy Redeemer Church. Secondly, the VineStreet frontage of this block is some of themost visible property in Chinatown and has thegreatest access to a regional Asian populationthat can reach this location from the entireDelaware Valley highway network. Thirdly, thecorridor along 10th and 11th Streets reachingup to Ridge Avenue is proposed to be thespine of Chinatown North/Callowhill.Development at this location can incorporate a regionally-oriented retail, commercial, busi-ness-service project targeting the regionalAsian market. Such a facility would competewith large shopping complexes alongWashington Avenue. Located on the north sideof Vine Street, the project could include lowerfloor retail and upper floor offices, trading busi-nesses, and services. The development couldalso include multiple residential componentstargeting all income levels (market-rate, afford-able, subsidized). The development could besupported by one or two parking structuresand would include the proposed ChinatownCommunity Center as an important civic component.

City zoning and land use regulations should berevised to accommodate and encourage thistype of development.

4. Develop a new town center for Chinatown North/Callowhill

The abundant redevelopment opportunitiesnorth of Vine Street represent a significant area

Ridge Avenue Town Center Area Before

After

CHINATOWN

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of future community expansion for Chinatown.Presently, however, Chinatown North/Callowhilllacks a well-defined center or a focal point forcommunity development and investment. Thearea, though, is not without assets, including avery attractive ensemble of 19th century indus-trial buildings clustered along Ridge Avenue at11th Street. Rehabilitated, these architecturallyinteresting buildings could form the nucleus ofa new town center or "Downtown ChinatownNorth" around which further investments couldbe made. As the proposed land use map illus-trates, this plan envisions that these buildingsalong with new development concentratedaround a new public park to be created alongRidge Avenue between Callowhill and NobleStreet would together form a new "town cen-ter" for Chinatown North.

It is anticipated that the town center would bea mixed-use development with ground floorretail and commercial space and upper floorapartments and condominiums or possiblyoffice space. Focused on an attractivelydesigned public park with convenient ameni-ties, it is anticipated that the town centerwould be a very desirable place to live, andwould appeal to a wide range of householdtypes, especially families and seniors. Aligneddirectly on the Ridge Avenue - 10th Streetspine, the town center would also be highlyaccessible - especially if a new Broad Streetspur station is created within the development- and strongly linked to the nearby Asian-themed mall and the core of Chinatown southof Vine Street. The availability of former industri-al loft buildings and new development siteswould suggest that a variety of housing

options at all price points could be achieved.Appropriate zoning, land use, and urban designregulations should be developed to implementthe vision of the Chinatown town center.

In response to the historic friction in the core ofChinatown between the needs of residents andbusinesses due to the congestion and concen-tration of development in this part of the com-munity, the design and programming ofChinatown North should also include efforts tobe more effective in separating these types ofuses and activities.

5. Develop the air rights of the Vine Street Expressway

There is little disagreement about the benefitof covering the Vine Street Expressway trenchand integrating the traditional core ofChinatown with Chinatown North. The VineStreet Reconnecting Communities study envi-sions the expressway cover taking the form of acontinuous green parkway. While this is a dra-matic concept, this proposal raises several keyquestions:

- Is a continuous park space the best andhighest use of the expressway air rights?

- Will the green space work to connectChinatown with Chinatown North or will it continue to be a division in theneighborhood?

- Will the park be used or simply join thecity's inventory of surplus park space?

- Considering the city's current challengesmanaging existing parks and openspace, who would pay for the parkway

development and maintenance?- What is the potential economic value of

the 3 acres of developable land thatwould be created by covering the VineExpressway?

While it may be easier to conceptualize thefinancing of the expressway cover when it isassociated with a private development, this isnot to say that a continuous parkway is notpossible or desirable as part of the overall plan.There may be innovative ways to fund the parkcover and its maintenance. For example, con-struction financed with a combination of stateand federal dollars, with maintenance fundedthrough increased tax revenues generatedfrom rising land values resulting from the park-way improvements. Another important possi-bility is that the actual air rights could be"donated" or transferred to the city at no ormarginal costs, eliminating the land costs component of the redevelopment plan,whether a parkway is created or the air rightsare developed.

The need for a feasibility study and economicimpact analysis has already been stated. If theair rights are developed, urban design guide-lines will also be necessary to guide the form,scale, and character of buildings and improve-ments. Additionally, the urban design guide-lines should emphasize pedestrian-orienteddesign to encourage walking (especiallybetween the Chinatown core area andChinatown North) and require new public park space, plazas, and open space.

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6. Create strong way finding/gateway systems to adjacent tourist areas

As mentioned previously, highly visible gate-ways and effective directional and information-al signage from adjacent tourist areas is essen-tial for the long-term economic viability ofChinatown. The design of gateways and wayfinding signs should be integrated into theoverall streetscape plan developed forChinatown.

7. Provide sufficient neighborhood-serving retail

The further development of Callowhillmust include expansion of communi-ty-serving retail. This retail spacewould be best situated along the 13thStreet corridor. Similarly, convenientretail shops and services are also criti-cal for development of a strong com-munity in the Chinatown North area.These services and shops should beincorporated on the ground floors ofmost mixed-use developments. A keycore of these activities should bedeveloped at the proposedChinatown North town center pro-posed along Ridge Avenue betweenCallowhill and Hamilton Streets.

8. Develop business district coordination, management, and marketing capacity

Business district promotion and opera-tions need to be upgraded and made moreconsistent. The community should hire a busi-ness development coordinator to manageactivities both in the traditional Chinatowncore and in Chinatown North. Within theChinatown Core, a Chinatown BusinessImprovement District could be established orarrangements could be made to expandCenter City District services coverage toChinatown. Similarly, Chinatown could organizeeffective District promotion services itself or itcould contract for marketing services from theCenter City District.

Additionally, business skill development and

job training are critical in all business commu-nities. Chinatown especially needs bettermechanisms for bridging between availablebusiness support services and the businessper-sons needing these supports. This should be amajor responsibility of the suggested businessdevelopment coordinator.

Significant efforts need to be undertaken tocoordinate marketing activities with the Visitorand Convention Bureau and the Multi-CulturalAlliance, to more effectively capture dining andother business activity from the surroundingtourist market. Chinatown needs to continueto connect with the 5.3 million visitors toIndependence National Park through moreaggressive marketing campaigns that includedesigning new brochures, reaching out to busi-nesses, working with GPTMC, and using cre-ative ways to distribute these materials such aspay youth to hand out brochures to visitors. Itis important to coordinate and organize thevarious websites of GPTMC, PCDC, and othersand use these websites to disseminate informa-tion about Chinatown's rich history, communi-ty plans, directory of businesses and services.

The capture rate for local, regional, and touristexpenditures could be improved through addi-tional special events programming (e.g."Chinatown Night Market") and especially fromspecial parking arrangements with nearbyparking facilities to establish and market dis-count parking in the area for Chinatown customers.

While some wayfindingsignage exists there is

not enough to supportthe number of visitors

in the area.

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9. Encourage the redevelopment of Spring Garden as a mixed-use commercial district

Spring Garden Street, west of Broad Street con-tains a variety of land uses including resi-dences, institutions, retail, restaurants and officebuildings. Owing partly to the diversity of landuses and the lack of streetscape amenities, EastSpring Garden Street does not present a partic-ularly strong identity. However, the intersec-tion of Ridge and Spring Garden together withthe adjoining business district could have sig-nificant "place - making potential". As thenorthern terminus of the proposed ChinatownNorth development spine, this intersection

could be developed as animpressive gateway toChinatown and become a new"front door" to the communityas well as the principal northernanchor of Chinatown North. Asthe proposed land use plan illus-trates, the Spring Garden/Ridgeintersection may be a desirablelocation to concentrate newhousing and mixed-use devel-opment and complete the Ridge Avenue spine.

Spring Garden Street businessescould also increase the value of their business-es by improving the facades. By followingsome of the recommendations in thePhiladelphia City Planning Commission'sDesign Guidelines for Commercial FaçadeImprovements, the business district couldimprove its identity and attract more cus-tomers.

10. Improve commercial façades throughout the neighborhood

The core area of Chinatown has a dense arrayof vital businesses. It is important to maintainand improve the appearance of Chinatown to

attract new businesses and retain the existingbusinesses. Grants are available through theSmall Business Commercial ImprovementProgram (SBCIP) and other agencies to improvefacades in Chinatown and Chinatown North.

TRANSPORTATION

Many of the recommendations in the Housingand Community Development, Open SpaceParks and Recreation, and EconomicDevelopment sections are actually transporta-tion improvements that would serve to alsoenhance these other objectives. These rangefrom the recommendation for a fiscal impactanalysis and engineering feasibility to considercovering the Vine Street Expressway, to trafficcalming, streetscape improvements, and newgateways. Additional transportation planningrecommendations fall under the following general categories:

1. Implement "Vine Street ReconnectingCommunities Recommendations"

2. Pedestrian and Vehicular CirculationImprovements

3. Transit Improvements 4. Parking Management

Recommended Strategies:

Spring Garden Street businesses

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1. Implement "Vine StreetReconnecting CommunitiesRecommendations"

The potential growth of Center City north of Vine Street prompted the William PennFoundation to fund a study managed by theCenter City District focusing on improving thedangerous pedestrian connections that areinhibiting residential and economic develop-ment in the area north of Vine Street. Manyresidents, public stakeholders, and businessesparticipated in the public meetings for the VineStreet Reconnecting Communities Plan andgave their support for the plan recommenda-tions. Focusing on the area between BroadStreet and Franklin Square, in the Chinatowncommunity meetings for this study, the publicreiterated the importance of these recommen-dations and incorporating them into this plan.

• On-street parking and curb extensionsalong Vine Street. By far the most signif-icant pedestrian issue for the communi-ty centers around 10th and Vine Street,where children are crossing Vine Streetto attend Holy Redeemer School andChurch. In order to slow traffic andshorten the pedestrian crossing distancein this area and along Vine Street at11th, 12th and 13th Streets, the west-bound and eastbound Vine Street localservice roads should be reduced to twolanes and one permanent parking lanewith curb extensions at each intersec-tion from 10th Street to 13th Street.These improvements will provide a per-manent eight-foot buffer betweenpedestrians on the sidewalk and thenoise and exhaust of traffic. They willalso shorten the crossing distance forpedestrians.

• Bus stop improvements at 10th and VineStreets. Also in the area of 10th and VineStreets, people are waiting at the NJTransit bus stop at the southwest cornerof 10th and Vine Street on a small, fourfoot wide sidewalk in front of the noisewall. The area could be improved byremoving a small piece of the noise walland adding a bus shelter with seatingand other amenities such as a news-stand, landscaping, and public art.

• Reconfigure the intersection of 9th andCallowhill Street. Another area of con-cern for both pedestrian and vehicularcirculation exists along 9th Streetbetween Vine and Callowhill Streets.

The current ramp-like configurations at 9th Street and Vine Street as well as 9thStreet and Callowhill experience hightraffic speeds for a city street, therebyintimidating pedestrians. This area isalso frustrating for vehicles since it is theonly piece of 9th Street that travelssouthbound, the same direction as 8thand 10th Streets, making it nearlyimpossible to navigate from the southinto the new housing developed along9th Street by PCDC. Therefore this sec-tion of 9th Street should be reversed tonorthbound and the curb radii atCallowhill and Vine Streets should besignificantly tightened adding landscap-ing and gateway features to improve thegained area.

CHINATOWN

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2. Pedestrian and Vehicular Circulation Improvements (in addition to Vine Street Reconnecting Communities Recommendations)

• Race and Arch connecting to FranklinSquare and Independence National Park

Race and Arch Streets provide importantpedestrian connections from Chinatown toFranklin Square and INP. Currently the side-walks are dilapidated and there are fewstreet trees or other pedestrian amenities.Surface parking lots and the blank facadesof institutional buildings further deterpedestrians, including tourists and resi-dents, from accessing Franklin Square andINP. Between 10th and 6th, Arch and Race

Streets could have street trees, gateway sig-nage, benches, and trash receptacles toencourage pedestrian activity. In additionto these improvements, transit shelters andbus schedules could be installed along ArchStreet to serve SEPTA's 48 and 61 bus routes.As noted in the Vine Street ReconnectingCommunities Plan, between 7th and 5thStreets the five-lane wide section of RaceStreet is a holdover from pre-expresswaytraffic patterns accessing the Ben FranklinBridge. Race Street should be significantlydownsized to respond to actual traffic vol-ume, and to be consistent with the crosssection both to the east and to the west,which generally consists of two traffic lanesplus parallel parking.

• Intersection of Ridge, Callowhill and 10ththe new 'town square' area

As the northern part of the Chinatownstudy area begins to redevelop and in lightof the PCDC townhome developments, theintersection of Ridge, Callowhill, and 10thStreets should be reconfigured to accom-modate the new town center square asshown in the future land use plan. Thetown square will be bounded by a newnorthbound road between 10th and 11th,Noble Street, 10th Street, and CallowhillStreets. Ridge Avenue bisects the squarediagonally. Recognizing that Ridge Avenueis an historic right of way, the portionthrough the square could be paved withcobbles or another pavement treatment.This portion of Ridge could be closed toautomobiles transforming it into a pedestri-an path through the new square, whichwould simplify the six pointed intersec-tion of Ridge, Callowhill, and 10th Streets.Or, this portion of Ridge Avenue couldremain open to traffic with a textured ortinted pavement treatment.

• 10th, Ridge, Spring Garden, and 13thstreetscaping and count-down pedestri-an signals

Pedestrian amenities such as new side-walks, street trees, pedestrian lighting,benches, trash receptacles, and gatewaysignage should be added along majorcommunity spines including, 10th Street,Ridge Avenue, Spring Garden Street, and13th Street. Along 10th Street at theintersections with Arch, Race, Vine, andSpring Garden Streets new count-downpedestrian signals should be installed.

An example of a pedestriancountdown signal.

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3.39

These intersections have high volumes ofelderly and school-aged pedestrian trafficwith crossing distances that exceed thetime allotted by the yellow signal phase.For example, if a person begins walking atthe end of the green signal phase, the sig-nal may turn yellow while they are in thefirst lane and then change to red beforethey can finish crossing. Since this plan rec-ommends new schools, community centers,and elderly housing, it is important to pro-vide the appropriate traffic safety measuresto support these institutional uses.

• Spring Street Extension

In the core of Chinatown, the 800 block ofRace Street is a prime block for mixed useredevelopment. The design of redevelop-ment should consider extending SpringStreet through the block from 8th to 9thStreets. Bifurcating the block will havemany benefits. It will improve pedestrianand vehicular circulation, add more streetfrontage for retail development as shownon the land use map, provide excellentaccess to the redevelopment site, and pro-vide easier access to the new apartments in

the MetropolitanHospital building.Moreover, it wouldalleviate some ofthe existing trafficcongestion inChinatown andprovide a directroute for pedestri-ans from the sub-way station,Franklin Square,and adjacentdevelopment into

Chinatown.

3. Transit Improvements

• Ridge Ave Spur new station and re-openingof existing Spring Garden Station

In the past, SEPTA has proposed closing theRidge Avenue spur line due to budgetaryconstraints and lack of ridership. As a resultof new development proposed in this plan,the Ridge Avenue Spur Line could provide acritical new connection into ChinatownNorth. Much like transit oriented develop-ments in the region and around the coun-try, ridership could be boosted by develop-ment, especially residential developmentoriented around a transit stop. Not only willthe existing Chinatown station experiencean increase in ridership if developmentoccurs around the station at 8th and RaceStreets as recommended previously, but rid-ership would also increase if a new stationwere built at Ridge and Callowhill, in theheart of the first phase of redevelopment inChinatown North. SEPTA could partnerwith public or private development projectsto fund the new station. As developmentspreads north to the Spring Garden area theexisting station could be reopened. Again,it might be possible to partner with devel-opers to fund the station reopening.

• Broad Street and Vine Station entrance improvements

Another opportunity to improve transitservice within the study area exists at theBroad Street Line's Vine Street Station. Thisstation is an example of a one-sided subway station. Although there are exits on bothsides of the station, at both Vine Street and

Race Street, only Vine Street has anentrance, increasing the walk distance tothe station for some patrons by almost 500feet. This limits the station's potential serv-ice area, especially in the direction of theplanned Convention Center Expansion andexisting buildings in the area. SEPTA couldinstall pass-activated, two-way barriers (sim-ilar to the Metrocard-activated barriers inNew York) to replace the one-way barrierscurrently in place at the Race Street end ofthe station, allowing transit riders to enterthe station more easily.

4. Parking Management

• Parking Validation System

In the community visioning process, residents tended to have few concernsabout parking, while business owners foundparking to be an important amenity for theneighborhood. Furthermore, business owners stated that more Asian businessesare moving to the Washington Avenue areabecause of abundant and free parking.Parking lot owners claim to have amplespaces available during the weekend, whenbusinesses perceive a parking shortage. Tocombat the perception of a parking short-age within the Chinatown core area, theexisting parking garages and parking lotsthat line the perimeter of Chinatown's corecould be better marketed to Chinatowncustomers. Some Chinatown customersmight be used to free parking alongWashington Avenue and would benefitfrom a parking validation system similar tothe program used in the Reading Terminal,where customers can have their parkingticket validated by businesses. Businesseswould formulate an agreement with

This would be thelocation of the Spring

Street Extension.

CHINATOWN

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3.40

parking lots in their area and work to adver-tise the validation system with allChinatown promotions as well as their ownadvertising.

• Shared Parking

The future development proposed in theEconomic Development and housing sec-tions of this report will include a combina-tion of public facilities, offices, stores, andresidences. It is important to efficiently usethe parking resources already available inChinatown. New developments shouldexplore forming shared parking agreementswith adjacent and nearby parking resources.For example a new building with office andresidential uses could share their parkingspaces because most employees will usethe parking during the day, while the resi-dents will use the parking at night.Moreover, these residents and employeeswill have less demand for parking due tothe high percentage commuting by publictransit.

• Centralized Parking

Where additional parking will be necessary,such as in the area of the Asian Mall, a centrally located parking garage can satisfysurrounding parking demands as well asthe immediate needs. A new structurecould be located close to many of the newhousing and commercial developments.Building parking facilities on the VineExpressway air rights could also provide acentrally located parking area.

chinatown chap3

Technology

developed housing

public housing

existing housing

subsidized housing

housing asia

housing preservationchoices

type of housing

additional housing oppor