greenplan philadelphia executive summary

Parks and Recreation SpacesI

Vacant Land OpportunitiesK

Plazas and Auxiliary SpacesO

Rail and Utility CorridorsP

Green DevelopmentN

Green StreetsM

Green SchoolyardsJ

WaterfrontsL

GreenPlan PhiladelphiaOur Guide to Achieving Vibrant and Sustainable UrbanPlaces

Executive Summary

2 GreenPlan Philadelphia Executive Summary

GREEnPLAn PhiLADELPhiA at a glance

Achieve at least 30% tree cover in every neighborhood.

Increase park space to ten acres of parkland per thousand residents.

Green 100 additional schoolyards through the Campus Parks program.

Create a citywide network of 1,400 miles of green streets.

Ensure that there is a trail within a half mile of all residents.

elements/PlacesGreen Places are made up of elements that are the building blocks of the spaces that surround us outside. These individual elements, when successfully combined, make effective urban places that reduce pollution, build value, and enhance quality of life.

GreenPlan Philadelphia takes an innovative approach to open space planning that goes well beyond that of a typical open space plan. Many cities plan for open space by focusing on specific elements, such as parks or streets, or on specific issues, like recreation or circu-lation. Rather than emphasizing just one set of networks or issues, GreenPlan Philadelphia offers an integrated methodology, using an inclusive range of considerations—environmental, economic, and social—to maximize the benefits of City efforts. Enhancement of our open space is critical to Philadelphia’s future. The “green infrastructure” outlined in this plan will contribute to meeting the city’s contemporary challenges in a wide variety of ways.

The approach and recommen-dations are driven by the input of thousands of Philadelphians who participated in a wide range of civic forums.

Welcome to GreenPlan Philadelphia, our guide to achieving vibrant and sustainable urban places!

TARGETS/RECOmmEnDATiOnSGreenPlan Philadelphia sets over 30 ambitious but attainable targets, with supporting recommendations for incorporating open space planning into the agenda for both private development and public works using the elements and places with an organizational framework.

OPPORTUniTiESIn order to reach the plan’s targets and recommendations, Philadelphia will need to grow its open space network. GreenPlan Philadelphia identifies a large number of opportunities to help achieve this.

sample targets

sample opportunities

Elements of Green Places A Trees B Stormwater Mangement Tools C Meadows D Trails and Bikeways E Wetlands F Urban Agriculture and

Community Gardens G High Performance Surfaces H Renewable Energy

Green Places I Parks and Recreation Spaces J Green Schoolyards K Vacant Land Opportunities L Waterfronts M Green Streets N Green Development O Plazas and Auxiliary Spaces P Rail and Utility Corridor

Enhancements

3

netWORK OF BeneFitsGreenPlan Philadelphia makes the case for a comprehensive open space system, describing its essential functions and irreplaceable network of environmental, economic, and quality-of-life benefits.

This network of benefits becomes a common language used throughout the plan.

inDiCATORSThe network of benefits provides a framework to track and clearly communicate progress in achieving targets and recommendations.

sample indicators

Robust habitatacres of managed meadow 318 gg 520

Productive Land Usepercentage of lots and structures

not vacant 90 gg 95

Fresh, Local Producenumber of urban agriculture businesses 14 gg 24

Institutionalize GreenPlan Philadelphia within city government.

Regularly measure and update the progress of GreenPlan Philadelphia. Revise targets and goals as circumstances warrant.

Increase private funding participation to achieve 30 percent of funding for GreenPlan Philadelphia initiatives through non- governmental sources.

Create broad citizen and interest-group understanding of GreenPlan Philadelphia, the City’s green-performance objectives, and the opportuni-ties available in the city’s diverse open-space resources.

Funding, management & OPeRatiOns, maintenanceGreenPlan Philadelphia sets

broad targets and select

recommendations for funding,

management, operations, and

maintenance of open space.

These recommendations are

for both immediate use and

consideration in the develop-

ment of subsequent plans

that focus in more detail upon

these areas of concern.

ObjECTiVESAlso tied to the network of benefits is a set of objectives that help the City receive the most benefits from its investments. These objectives encourage a strategic and transparent decision-making process in selecting the appropriate opportunities for investment.

healthy WatershedsThe project improves water quality through managing stormwater with green infrastructure techniques.

Competitive EconomyThe project creates a major tourist destination, enhances the landscape of an existing tourist destination, or enhances tourism routes.

Convenient Recreation AccessAt least 25% of the project site is within an area currently underserved by parks and recreation.

sample objectives

sample targets

EnvironmEnt EconomY qualitY of lifEClean Air

healthy Watersheds

Robust habitat

hospitable Climate

Efficient Energy Use

Valuable Properties

Productive Land Use

Competitive Economy

Fresh, Local Produce

Convenient Recreation Access

healthy Residents

Strong, Safe neighborhoods

“[I’d like to see] stormwater management in [my] park, ecological restoration. Maintain natural resources.”GreenPlan Philadelphia civic engagement participant from Northeast Philadelphia.

B stORmWateR management tOOlsIn urban places with largely impervious cover, managing stormwater is imperative to keeping watersheds healthy. Stormwater tree trenches, bump-outs, stormwater planters, rain barrels, rain gardens, and flow-through planters can be used to collect runoff from hardscapes that cannot be converted to pervious areas. These elements hold the water long enough for it to evaporate into the air, percolate into the ground, absorb into the roots of plants, or simply slow the passage of water into the sewer system.

elements OF gReen PlacesA tReesTrees bring an extraordinary range of benefits. They make neighborhoods look bet-ter and more cared for, increase property values, lead to more active and therefore safer streets, remove pollution, reduce local flooding by absorbing rainwater, and increase comfort while saving energy by shading buildings and streets in the summer and blocking wind in the winter. A palpable emblem of renewal, trees add substantially to property values and a sense of well-being.

Achieve at least 30 percent tree cover in every neighborhood.Planting one million trees will bring Phila-delphia to 30 percent tree cover in all neighborhoods. It is a physically manage-able target that can spread benefits across the city. Currently, tree cover varies widely: from a low of 1.8 percent in South Philadelphia, where row houses are the predominant housing type, to a high of more than 38 percent in Germantown and Chestnut Hill, where single-family detached houses are common. Efforts should be focused on neighborhoods with the fewest trees.

Support tree planting and stewardship within the city’s communities.The city can meet the one-million-tree target by better harnessing the city’s enormous enthusiasm for trees and by making cost-sharing by the City and private partners simpler and more efficient. Strengthening partnerships also will allow the tree-plant-ing effort to tap additional sources of funds beyond taxpayer support.

Expand the use of stormwater management elements to help meet the City’s stormwater reduction target of managing the first inch of rainwater to reduce burdens on the sewer system.Through its land-based and Low-impact Development Programs, the Water Department seeks to manage the first inch of rainwater through retention and infiltration techniques, slowing and preventing some stormwater from entering the city sewer system and filtering out pollution before the rest enters the sewer system and streams.

WRT


“More trees... some sections and corridors are almost desert-like! [We] need to educate people on the value of trees.”GreenPlan Philadelphia civic engagement participant from South Philadelphia

Jennifer Martel, WRT

5At a Glance • Elements of Green Places • Green Places • Network of Benefits • Project Objectives

“I’d like to see more native grasses/native plant/habitats... for birds and wildlife...”GreenPlan Philadelphia civic engagement participant from West Philadelphia

D tRails and BiKeWaysThe goal of trail planning is to provide an attractive travel alternative for the full range of purposes, including trips for shopping, school, recreation, and commuting trips. Trails knit communities together and provide safe paths for recreational uses like walking, running, and biking.

Trails can be built in rail corridors, parks, greenways, and streets. Unlike a bike lane, a trail within a street right-of-way consists of a bike path that is physically separated from automobiles with a safe sidewalk for pedestrian use.

C meadOWsMeadows add ecological diversity to our region, which makes our natural systems more appealing and resilient. Typically made up of grassland vegetation, native grasses, and herbaceous flowering plants, meadows offer a wide variety of advan-tages with little maintenance. They are treasure troves of biodiversity, enhance soil quality, and filter out pollutants.

In Southeastern Pennsylvania, meadows occur naturally as breaks in the forest due to blight, insect damage, or fires, and on lands that are saturated, periodically flooded, or geologically unable to support a forest. Many meadows naturally revert to mature forest within decades. Meadows can also be constructed. Where open space is not programmed for an active use, allowing for a more natural landscape to take root will yield significant savings on maintenance and energy costs and reduce carbon emissions generated by lawn care.

Ensure that there is a trail within a half mile of all residents.A half mile is recognized as the longest distance that pedestrians and bicyclists are inclined to travel regularly to reach a trail. Distances beyond a half mile tend to limit or prohibit regular use. Currently, only about 12% of Philadelphians are with-in a half mile of a trail. An established trail system of over 200 miles of trails would make the network a more visible and feasible option for a variety of trips and users.

Connect independent trail systems in a comprehensive citywide system.Philadelphia has more than 10 independent trail systems. When trails are connected together into a network that reaches many destinations, bicycling and walking become more attractive travel options.

Improve existing meadows, and create 220 acres of new meadows.There are currently 318 acres of managed meadow in the city. Considerable opportu-nities exist for many more acres of meadow within Fairmount Park lands and in new parks. There is also significant potential for other City facilities and private property owners to replace existing lawns or paving with meadow plantings.

Supplement the proposed trail system with 300 miles of on-street interconnected bicycle lanes.Since most residents of the city have to ride on the street in order to reach their destinations, an on-street network is essential to a comprehensive trail system. Planning for on-street bicycle routes can be coordinated with streetscape improve-ments, stormwater management, and traffic calming. The city’s 196 miles of on-street bi-cycle lanes are an important component of a complete bicycle network but should not be seen as a substitute for physically- separated on-street trails or off-street trails.

Jennifer Martel, WRT WRT


E WetlandsWetlands are a cornerstone of stormwater managemnet, environmental education, and biodiversity. Maintaining a wide variety of species is crucial to helping main-tain and preserve the ecological resilience of a region. In addition, wetlands afford educational and recreational opportunities. The addition of boardwalks for bicycling and walking, benches, and signage that provides ecological interpretation can also enhance the visitor experience. Long undervalued, wetlands provide a wide variety of services, such as protecting and improving water quality, promoting the infiltration of stormwater, maintaining surface water flow during dry periods, and storing floodwa-ters, thereby moderating the effects of flooding and ultimately reducing the amount of rain that needs to be handled by the sewer system.

Wetlands are areas where the frequent and prolonged presence of water at or near the soil surface drives the types of soil formation, plant growth, and fish and wildlife communities that inhabit them. Often, these conditions are present in low-lying land adjacent to stream corridors. Wetlands are an integral part of an often less expensive and more effective alternative to industrialized approaches to stormwater management.

Create 200 acres of new or improved urban stream banks and tidal/non-tidal wetlands.In Pennsylvania, the tidal wetlands of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers are rare and valuable ecological resources. Today, Phil-adelphia has roughly one-third of a square mile of tidal marsh—a remnant of Tinicum Marsh at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. In addition to this remnant, there are small patches of mudflats along the rivers and ponds as well as seep springs scattered around the city. There are op-portunities along all river and stream corri-dors in the city to create wetlands. Wetland restoration projects, like the recently com-pleted grassy wetland at Pennypack on the Delaware, demonstrate the possibilities.


Promote the creation of commercial urban agriculture projects that are profitable and environmentally responsible, beginning with a goal of 10 projects within the first five years.Existing urban agriculture projects in Phila-delphia vary greatly in size and location, from small community gardens to larger commercial efforts. The Penn State Coop-erative Extension in Philadelphia County and the Philadelphia Urban Farm Network (PUFN) report that there are approximately 14 existing entrepreneurial urban farms in Philadelphia and that there is significant unmet demand for urban agriculture.

F uRBan agRicultuRe and cOmmunity gaRdensUrban agriculture can take many forms, ranging from an entreprenurial urban form to a rooftop community garden. Localized urban agriculture can help to provide Philadelphians better access to fresh foods and provide more nutrient-dense foods at lower prices. Philadelphia’s high inventory of vacant land makes urban agriculture especially relevant to open space planning for the city.

Urban agriculture is the growing of crops, trees, shrubs, flowers, or other varieties of plants within a densely developed area. It can be for-profit or nonprofit. It can take place inside greenhouses or outside in the open air. In addition to planting in soil, growing techniques include hydroponics and aquaculture. Such techniques may utilize unorthodox structures such as unused shipping containers.

WRT


G HigH PeRFORmance suRFacesHigh performance surfaces include pervious and “cool” systems designed to miti-gate stormwater runoff and urban heat island effects that are associated with con-ventional impervious and heat trapping systems. Pervious surfaces allow some amount of water to filter through them rather than cascade over them. “Cool” sur-faces absorb less solar energy and are generally made of reflective materials, typically with lighter-colors. Pervious surfaces play a central role in capturing and managing as much stormwater as possible when it hits the ground before reaching the sewer system. Use of cool surfaces can result in lower air pollution and lower, more comfortable outdoor and indoor temperatures across the city.

Pervious and cool surfaces provide structural properties that vegetated areas can-not. For building envelopes, vegetated surfaces like green roofs and green walls are also an option.

H ReneWaBle eneRgyRenewable energy is generated by harnessing the inherent energy in resources —such as wind, sunlight, or water—that are not depleted in quantity or quality through the generation process. Renewable energy can help the city reduce dependence on non-renewable sources of energy that typically have negative ef-fects on air and water quality.

Renewable energy generators can be used in tandem with other green elements. For example, green roofs and solar panels can be used concurrently, enhancing each other’s efficiency. Green roofs help cool ambient temperatures and allow solar panels to operate more effectively in hot weather. Solar panels shade green roof vegetation and slow evaporation, making it less likely that the vegetation will dry out.

“[The city should provide] subsidies or tax breaks for residential green roof installation and [require] mandatory green roof installation for all city recreation facilities.”GreenPlan Philadelphia civic engagement participant from Lower North Philadelphia

“[We should have our] parks powered by solar energy.”GreenPlan Philadelphia civic engagement participant from South Philadelphia

Expand the use of pervious surfaces to help meet the City’s stormwater-reduction target of managing the first inch of rainwater.Similar to the target for stormwater man-agement tools, this target seeks to manage the first inch of rainwater through retention and infiltration techniques, slowing and preventing stormwater from entering the city sewer system.

Use open space resources to meet Philadelphia’s renewable energy requirements and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.Greenworks Philadelphia calls for sub-stantially reducing the city government’s building energy consumption and in-creasing its puchase and/or generation of electricity from renewable sources to 20% by 2015. The over eight million square feet of roof area at parks, recreation cen-ters, and regional rail stations suitable for solar panels provide many opportunities to continue to increase the renewable en-ergy resources of the city.

Expand the use of heat-reflective surfaces to reduce urban heat island effects.Changing the performance of roofs, side-walks, and streets is the key to realizing this target. In total, 52% of the city is impervi-ous, with streets and roofs accounting for 62% of that area. Reducing the heat ab-sorbed by over half the city would greatly reduce the urban heat island effect.

Andrew Dobshinsky, WRT


gReen PlacesI PaRKs and RecReatiOn sPacesParks are places to exercise and to relax, to let off steam and to seek solace in nature, to enjoy family and friends, and to compete in team sports. Parks increase the value of real estate and play a central role in tourism. Their quality encourages people and businesses to locate near them. Within urban parks, trees and forests filter the air, soils absorb rainwater and recharge the water supply, streams and wetlands slow the flow of stormwater into overburdened sewers and rivers, and diverse habitats nurture a startling number of plant and animal species. In all, a healthy, growing park system is critical to a city’s success.

Increase park space to ten acres of parkland per thousand residents. A 2008 economic study by the Trust for Public Land for the Philadelphia Parks Alliance documents the $1.2 billion in economic value the city derives from its parks every year. However, parkland is not evenly distributed across the city. Far Northeast Philadelphia’s 16 acres per thousand residents is exemplary, whereas other neighborhoods are considerably un-derserved—like Bridesburg, Kensington, and Richmond’s one and a half acres per thousand residents. Based on the current population, 10 acres of parkland for ev-ery 1,000 citizens would require a total of about 15,000 acres, an increase of 4,200 acres. The target would put Philadelphia in line with the goals of many peer cities.

J gReen scHOOlyaRdsA schoolyard that includes natural features becomes an outdoor classroom, a way to make nature less mysterious and introduce children to more diverse recreational opportunities. Park-like yards, with trees and other plants, even a rain garden that children can enjoy while learning about nature can make outdoor exercise and play both more appealing and more stimulating. With attractive playgrounds, schools become more appealing neighbors, inviting to children and parents alike. Linking campus improvements to networks of parks, trails, and other open spaces enhances the value and potential to serve children and to act as a recreational resource for the neighborhood.

When outfitted with surfaces that retain water, filter pollutants, and naturally release stormwater, school sites can help reduce flooding from storms and improve water and air quality. Serving these larger public purposes can also broaden available funding resources.

Green 100 additional schoolyards through the Campus Parks program.Eleven school campuses have so far ben-efited from the Campus Parks Initiative, which has added trees, environmental features, and more diverse recreational opportunities. The city’s 281 schools and 305 schoolyard sites and ball fields cover-ing 1,060 acres are a valuable resource for both schools and communities, and they have an enormous impact on community well-being.

“By [greening] school grounds, we are... improving the quality of life of our children and future residents.”GreenPlan Philadelphia civic engagement participant from Center City

Ensure that all residents are adequately served by parks and recreation centers.

Residents living farther than half a mile from a park or playground are considered underserved. Additionally, parks serving over 500 people per acre of park within a half mile radius are considered over-burdened. Using such measures identified that the highest priority areas for additional parkland are along certain stretches of the central Delaware waterfront and in lower income-neighborhoods.


WRT


K Vacant land OPPORtunitiesVacant land presents opportunities for re-use as public facilities like parks, school-yards, recreation centers, playgrounds, community gardens, and urban agricul-ture. Vacant land can augment urban connective tissue like bikeways and green streets. These public uses, aside from being valuable themselves, will enhance the private-development potential of remaining vacant land, while interim uses can add development appeal to parcels regarded as having little investment value now.

When an urban area undergoes economic restructuring, including lost jobs and population, neighborhoods are often left peppered with vacant lots. Vacancy spurs greater decline as once-dense and vibrant neighborhoods gradually lose the criti-cal mass that makes them viable. A comprehensive approach to reducing vacancy in the hardest-hit neighborhoods will likely pay the greatest dividends.

Reduce vacant land and structure abandonment from 10% to 5% of privately held parcels (60,000 to 28,000 parcels).This reduction is achievable by strate-gically repurposing land in public and private hands for uses that both serve public purposes and catalyze private development. While the extent of vacant land, when massed, is equivalent to the size of Center City, it is composed mostly of small parcels spread unevenly across the city. South Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Bridesburg, Kensing-ton, Richmond, Olney, and Oak Lane suffer from the scourge of vacancy more than do other areas.


L WateRFROntsWaterfronts are a break in the commotion of typical street activity, and the water’s edge can be a quiet place to escape for a while to take in a long view, relax, con-template, and even connect with nature. Waterfronts offer especially alluring park and recreation opportunities and enrich the natural function and ecological diversity of the city.

Develop parkland and open space connectors along the city’s riverfronts.The Schuylkill and Delaware waterfronts could be transformative, as they are enor-mously desirable development and recre-ation sites. One study estimated that the creation of a greenway on the northern Delaware—a modest investment—would generate between $828 million and $1.4

Create an average of two public river-access points per mile along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. Currently, there are only 10 public access points—3 on the Delaware River and 7 on the Schuylkill River. This target specifies a minimum of access points, but ideally ev-ery city street that runs perpendicular to the river would extend to the river edge.

billion in private capital investment. Though there are a combined 38 miles of riverfront along the Schuylkill and the Delaware Riv-ers, remarkably little of this waterfront is publicly accessible or realizes its develop-ment potential.

WRT


M gReen stReetsGreen Streets offer numerous environmental benefits, while safely and efficiently man-aging movement by pedestrians, transit, bicycles, and vehicles. Functionally, green streets manage storm runoff—a major step to cleaner water and healthy watersheds. Aesthetically, green streets can transform a narrow, treeless street lined with trinity houses into a shaded place to stroll or play, or convert a multi-lane commercial strip of signs and parking lots into a lush, more appealing and efficient boulevard.

Create a citywide network of 1,400 miles of green streets.The Department of Streets and the Water Department are currently preparing design standards, including green-street elements, for street typologies that represent typical

Apply measures recommended in GreenPlan Philadelphia to large-scale master-planned private developments.Developments of significant size and impact can gracefully and efficiently incorporate GreenPlan Philadelphia measures when integrated through design at the earliest stages. The City should integrate GreenPlan Philadelphia measures as it further devel-ops its Green Building Program as part of Greenworks Philadelphia implementation.

The master-planning process can be set up so that public and private investments, even if not shared in a public/private pro-cess, can mutually reinforce each other. Public/private partnerships require a mas-ter plan that enumerates public-benefit ele-ments and who builds, pays for, and main-tains them.

N gReen deVelOPmentMost cities have historically incorporated various environmental aspirations into codes for development, subdivision, zoning, and building, augmenting these with a variety of programs to save energy and reduce pollution. This process continues today with various ongoing initiatives, including the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ innovative energy standards and the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system.

A well-used open space is tremendously more valuable than one that is little used. Partnering with private development is a good way to ensure the success and vibrancy of open space projects. Private development projects of substantial size are particularly valuable means by which the quality and marketability of real es-tate can be enhanced in tandem with values and actions that raise the city’s livabil-ity and environmental performance. With coordination, private development, large and small, can be a tremendous asset in meeting the objectives of GreenPlan Philadelphia.

“[We need to provide] incentives to businesses and developers to use sustainable practices: green roofs, rainwater reuse.”GreenPlan Philadelphia civic engagement participant from Germantown/Chestnut Hill

Increase the use of integrated building-design measures that augment sustainability goals for open space, public space, and natural systems.Rather than mandating specific tactics, GreenPlan Philadelphia recommends that the City either mandate or use incentives to achieve superior environmental perfor-mance. By focusing on performance rather than tactics, building owners and designers can devise the combination of measures that most efficiently meet the City’s target and their own needs at the same time.

conditions in Philadelphia. The standards will include planting, stormwater retention, and drainage systems that meet Water De-partment criteria for diverting stormwater from the sewer system, especially in areas served by combined sewers.

Andrew Dobshinsky, WRT


O Plazas and auxiliaRy sPacesThe benefits of open space are not limited to public land. The rain that falls, the grass that grows, and the birds that sing do not care who owns the land. Well de-signed and maintained landscapes are valuable amenities to private as well as public land owners. A well-designed landscape can be a place for the gathering of people and fostering of community. However, too much open space spreads out buildings and decreases walkability.

Plazas and auxiliary spaces include privately-owned landscapes that are (or ought to be) accessible to the public. Often this takes the form of a plaza adjacent to a large building like a skyscraper, or open space located within the bounds of a large development parcel. Of particular interest, because of their prominence, are off-street parking areas, both surface and structured.

In the past, zoning ordinances, particularly parking requirements, have been an obstacle to quality urban environments, consuming valuable land, creating vast expanses of impervious surfaces, and creating eye-sores. With a better under-standing of the benefits of mixed-use neighborhoods and shared-parking strat-egies, parking requirements can be drastically reduced in many cases, leaving more resources available to create higher-quality, higher-performing spaces.

Improve the performance of plazas, sidewalks, and landscaped spaces pursuant to GreenPlan Philadelphia targets and recommendations.This target is intended to encourage the design and adaptation of publicly acces-sible urban spaces consistent with related targets and recommendations. For ex-ample, plazas and auxiliary spaces can particularly take advantage of High Per-formance Surface recommendations. In this way, GreenPlan Philadelphia touches on every key open-space system, allowing them to work together to produce large ef-fects through many modest, low-cost indi-vidual efforts.


WRT


P Rail and utility cORRidOR enHancementsRail remains essential to a city’s commerce and mobility. When rail and utility corridors are well maintained, they add value and appeal to neighborhoods. Rail corridors in particular play a large role in shaping perceptions of a city, for the residents who live near them and the passengers that travel by train to commute to work, to get to school, to go shopping, or to enjoy the city’s cultural amenities.

There is great potential in rail and utility corridors. Many are able to host multiple uses—recreation, access, and enhancements to environmental sustainability.

Upgrade cleanliness standards along utility and rail corridors and in passenger-rail facilities. Apply GreenPlan Philadelphia measures within rights-of-way.Rail remains essential to Philadelphia’s commerce and mobility, with 93 miles of elevated, at-grade, and trenched rail cor-ridors threading their way through all parts if the city. Basic maintenance can inspire neighborhoods that would otherwise see infrastructure corridors as impeding their progress. Neighbors inspired by the pro-active commitment of corridor owners are much more likely to defend well-maintained structures from vandals and dumpsters. Additionally, for the millions of passengers that travel by train to and through Philadel-phia each year, more attractive rail corri-dors can help Philadelphia visually put its best foot forward.

“Right across the street from me is an empty lot [next to] the Bridesburg train station. It would be nice to have some... trees. They bring the country to the city and we... need this.”

GreenPlan Philadelphia civic engagement participant from Near Northeast Philadelphia


The triad of environment, economy, and quality of life is the basis of GreenPlan Philadelphia’s network of benefits, developed specifically for Philadelphia to es-tablish a common language for sustainable open space and to measure our prog-ress toward achieving a greener, more sustainable city. While elements of green places provide a multitude of benefits on their own, the largest set of benefits can be achieved when multiple elements are combined into green places.

By including this network of benefits, GreenPlan Philadelphia provides the City a framework to clearly communicate goals, justify open space spending, objectively evaluate and prioritize open space projects, and report progress. The benefits matrix on the following page summarizes the benefits each element and each green place provides.

EnvironmEntTrees and other vegetation trap car-bon dioxide—a major cause of climate change—and airborne particulates, which ensures clean air. Wetlands in-tercept and manage stormwater from rain events, which reduces the burden on our sewer system, reduces runoff, recharges groundwater, and produces healthy watersheds. At the same time, trees, meadows, and wetlands provide robust habitat that serves as home for a variety of terrestrial, arboreal, aquat-ic, and avian species. Trees espe-cially help ensure a hospitable climate by shading buildings and people in warm weather and breaking the wind in cold weather.

EconomYBy shading buildings and break-ing the wind, green infrastructure can help reduce electricity demand and promote efficient energy use. Local research has shown that proximity to trees and well-maintained open spaces can positively influence housing prices, creating more valuable properties. GreenPlan Philadelphia also recognizes that the city has quite a bit of vacant land, which presents an op-portunity to become a more productive land use if used as temporary or per-manent open spaces, or if redeveloped. By enhancing its open space network, which provides recreational amenities and leads to more valuable properties, Philadelphia can cultivate a competitive economy and become a city of choice for attracting businesses, residents, and events.

qualitY of lifEUrban agriculture and community gardens make fresh, local produce available, offering an alternative to processed and fast foods. Parks, rec-reation centers, and trails that are appropriately sized and within walk-ing distance provide convenient rec-reation access. The availability of places to recreate and exercise and the availability of fresh produce can make sure Philadelphia has healthy residents. Parks, recreation centers, schoolyards, and community gardens that are in good repair all help foster a sense of community, which leads to strong, safe neighborhoods.

netWORK OF BeneFits


benefits matrix/benefit network

Cle

an A

ir

Hea

lthy

Wat

ersh

eds

Robu

st H

abita

t

Hos

pita

ble

Clim

ate

Effic

ient

Ene

rgy

Use

Valu

able

Pro

perti

es

Prod

uctiv

e La

nd U

se

Com

petit

ive

Econ

omy

Fres

h, L

ocal

Pro

duce

Con

veni

ent R

ecre

atio

n Ac

cess

Hea

lthy

Resi

dent

s

Stro

ng, S

afe

Nei

ghbo

rhoo

ds

EnvironmEnt EconomY qualitY of lifE

Trees A

ElEm

Ents

of

Gr

EEn

Pla

cEs

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2

Stormwater Management Tools B 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 2

Meadows C 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 2

Trails and Bikeways D 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3

Wetlands E 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 2

Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens F 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 3

High Perfromance Surfaces G 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 2

Renewable Energy H 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2

Parks and Recreation Spaces I

Gr

EEn

Pla

cEs

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Green Schoolyards J 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3

Vacant Land Opportunities K 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Waterfronts L 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 3

Green Streets M 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3

Green Development N 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Plazas and Auxiliary Spaces O 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3

Rail and Utility Corridor Enhancements P 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2


GEnERALLeveraging Assets and Audiences

The project is within a half mile of a neighborhood anchor, such as a school, library, train station, community center, �park, or recreation center.

The project coincides with scheduled new street creation or existing street rehabilitation. �

The project integrates green infrastructure into scheduled street improvements. �

Life Cycle Cost The project reduces life cycle costs and long-term site or facility maintenance and management as compared to �conventional project development practices, and project design is coordinated with the maintenance practices of the entity responsible for maintenance.

EnViROnmEnTClean Air The project significantly reduces carbon production. �

At least 25% of the project site is within an area with a National Air Toxins Assessment risk of at least 65 per million �and is devoted to tree-planting, using species specially selected for pollutant absorption.

healthy Watersheds The project prevents water pollution through source control measures. �

The project manages stormwater with green infrastructure techniques. �

The project infiltrates, reuses, or evapotranspirates the first inch of each rainfall from the development footprint. �

At least 25% of the project site is currently impervious, and the project will reduce impervious surfaces by at least 20%. �

The project creates no impervious surfaces within the 500-year floodplain, or if it does, then at least 90% of the �project site is pervious.

Robust habitat The project creates, protects, or restores habitat for native species or increases diversity of habitat. �

At least 25% of the project site is devoted to habitat improvements within an area of high environmental potential. �

hospitable Climate The project increases tree canopy, and at least 25% of the site is within an area of less than 30% tree cover. �

The project creates at least 30% tree cover on the project site or plants street trees at the rate of 180 trees per mile, �and is in a planning analysis section (PAS) with less than 30% tree cover.

To ensure that Philadelphians are getting the most value for their open space dollars, GreenPlan Philadelphia includes an objective way to evaluate potential open space projects. The following set of objectives is based on the network of benefits that open space provides. Some objectives are place-based, since different neighborhoods in the city have different levels of open space needs. The more objectives met, the more benefits a potential project provides to the city’s environment, economy, and quality of life and the closer to GreenPlan Philadelphia targets we will get.

Meeting certain threshold numbers of objectives qualifies a project to be endorsed by the City as a GreenPlan Philadelphia project. Endorsement provides a project with recognition, credibility, greater likelihood of public funding, and the opportuni-ty to unlock other resources. Projects that meet an additional set of objectives that speak to their uniqueness, location, design, and impact can become GreenPlan Philadelphia signature projects.

PROject OBjectiVes

Objective �

Place-Based Objective (point only possible if the project is located in certain areas) �

The Park Opportunities map above is one of seven opportunities maps in GreenPlan Philadelphia. Some opportunities are further along in planning and development than oth-ers. Each has a score based on the number of place-based objectives it currently meets. These maps and scores will change over time.


ECOnOmyEfficient Energy Use The project creates energy savings, employs alternative energy production methods, or provides alternative �

commuting forms, such as trails.

Valuable Properties At least 25% of the project site is within a distressed or transitional residential housing market. �

Productive Land Use The project encourages sustainable development strategies, such as smart growth, use of public transit, �development of infill sites, or reuse of previously developed sites.

Competitive Economy

The project is planned to stimulate increased tourism or to enhance the tourist experience. �

The project creates a major tourist destination, enhances the landscape of an existing tourist destination, �or enhances tourism routes.

The project provides connections and access to commercial nodes, commercial corridors, or employment centers. �

The project provides workforce, job training, or similar capacity-building opportunities for community groups, �institutions, or businesses.

QUALiTy OF LiFEFresh, Local Produce The project contains an urban agriculture program. �

Convenient Recreation Access

At least 25% of the project site is in an area that has at least 40 people per acre. �

At least 25% of the project site is within an area currently underserved by parks and recreation. �

At least 25% of the project site is farther than a half mile from a major trail. �

The project provides connections to other public open space or cultural resources. �

The project extends over a length of at least 7 miles. �

healthy Residents The project encourages recreation. �

The project provides educational opportunities. �

Strong, Safe neighborhoods

At least 25% of the project site is within an area that has at least 5 degrees of disadvantage, as defined by DVRPC. �

At least 25% of the project site is in one or more of the nine Police Department districts targeted in the City’s �Crime Fighting Strategy Action Plan.

The project is designed to increase the perception of safety. �

The project includes multiple partners, participation by grassroots stakeholders, and has community support. �

ThREShOLDObjectives The project meets at least 10 of the above objectives, including a minimum of one in each of the four categories. �

EnDORSEmEnTObjectives The project meets at least 15 of the above objectives, including a minimum of one in each of the four categories. �

Site Control The applicant has control of the site or commitments for control have been made. �

Sponsoring Agency or Organization

The project has a champion and is sponsored and managed by a City agency or credible organization or business. �

Funding The project is attractive to funders, has a high likelihood of secured funding, or has a credible, long-term funding plan. �

Timeframe A realistic timeframe has been identified, and all significant obstacles to achieving that timeframe have been addressed. �

SiGnATURE PROjECT EnDORSEmEnTEndorsement The project has received endorsement. �

Uniqueness The project presents a unique set of opportunities. �

Site Location The project site is highly visible or prominent. �

The project site is adjacent to a major resource, like the Delaware or Schuylkill River. �

The project site is adjacent to a major tourist destination that it may support. �

Design The project achieves the highest standard of design. �

For Parks Only The park has the ability to accommodate large crowds. �

The park has a managing organization. � 19

The Honorable Michael A. Nutter, Mayor

management gROuP

Fairmount Park

Office of the Managing Director

Department of Commerce

Mayor’s Office of Sustainability

Philadelphia City Planning Commission

Philadelphia Water Department

Department of Recreation

Zoning Code Commission

cOnsultants

Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC,

Lead Consultant

Center for City Park Excellence, Trust for

Public Land

Evergreen Capital Advisors, Inc.

SK Designworks, Inc.

Nitsch Engineering

James S. Russell, AIA

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

city OF PHiladelPHia

Department of Public Property

Department of Commerce

Department of Public Health

Department of Streets

Fairmount Park

Law Department

Office of the Managing Director

Mayor’s Office of Sustainability

Division of Technology

Office of Housing and Community

Development

Office of the Mayor

Philadelphia City Planning Commission

Philadelphia Historical Commission

Philadelphia Police Department

Department of Recreation

Philadelphia Water Department

Philadelphia Housing Authority

Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority

FundeRs

City of Philadelphia

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation

and Natural Resources

William Penn Foundation

United States Forest Service

PECO, An Exelon Company

PaRtneRs

City Parks Association

Delaware Valley Regional Planning

Commission

EPA Region III

Keystone Conservation Trust

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation

and Natural Resources

Pennsylvania Environmental Council

Philadelphia Association of Community

Development Corporations

The School District of Philadelphia

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

United States Forest Service

OtHeR Plan PaRticiPants

Awbury Arboretum

Center City District

Delaware River City Corporation

Delaware Valley Green Building Council

Fairmount Park Art Association

Farm to City

Impact Services Corporation

Mill Creek Farm

The National Archives

National Park Service

Neighborhood Gardens Association

New Kensington Community

Development Corporation

Philadelphia Orchard Project

Penn State University, School of Forest

Resources

PennPraxis

Delaware River Waterfront Corporation

Pennsylvania Department of

Transportation

Pennsylvania Economy League

Philadelphia Industrial Development

Corporation

Philadelphia Parks Alliance

Philadelphia Zoo

Project N.E.A.T.

Schuylkill Center for Environmental

Education

Schuylkill River Development Corporation

Sierra Club

University of Pennsylvania, Leonard

Davis Institute, Robert Wood Johnson

Health & Society Scholars Program

greenplan philadelphia executive summary

Documents

open space network

open space planning

typical open space plan

green infrastructure

sustainable urban places

miles of green streets

elementsplacesgreen

effective urban places