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Home My WebLink AboutInformation Item: Article: The West Philadelphia InitiativesDAVID TAKESUYE ~he !~le~t Phi(adelphia lnitiatives multifamted development plan implemented by the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) to cevitalize the neighborhood surrounding its urban campus, the West Philadel- phia lnitiatives (WPI) program has reduced crime and blight, increased job opportunities, and improved the quality of life for all West Philadelphia residents. Most important to Penn, these results have reinforced the univer- at~s ability to attract the best students, facul- ty, staff, and research opportunities. By the eady 1990s, economic recession and its decaying effect on West Philadelphia (the dty west of the Schuylldll River) and especially Uni- versity Ciry (the neighborhood'unmediately sur- rounding the Penn campus) created an insUtu- donal a~isis. Penn faced the fiscal, social, and n:t ^~i economic unpaummCS fim~7iaz to so ma~ryvr- ban communities. Ctime rates wae hi~t, stratt were dirty, and West Philadelphia was plagued by indications of disinvestments.l'he disagree- able surrounding emironment undermined Pends abiliry m recruit a wodd-cal~ber Caculry and srudenu. With the dtyof Plv7adelphia near banlauptcy,amunidpal eBortto shore up Pauis neighborhood was inconceivable. Many, both inside and outside Penn, perceived the twiver- sity's urban location as a major liability-one that would constrain its abiliry to wmpete az a top-tier arademic and research insYitution Be- ginning in 1996, under the leadership of Penn's president Judith Rodin, du univasiryembarked upon a real estau and communitydevdopmmt strategy tl~at rnrolved azound the strengths of the instituuon> iu community, and iu dry, un- derstanding that the univer- ~ sit}~sacademicreputationwas ~. inexorably linked to its sur- ir rovndings. `'~.9. k"'~ ~t,y~. ~~,%`,.~,a;»~ M1J,~~a ~ q't ~d~ . _ \~° ~ •'~•y l~,yl~f • ~S •~~~f~ V~ The university served as developer, facilitator, and partner in this comprehrn- sive neighborhood nwitali~a- tion program. strucmring it azound five core principles: clean and safe streeu, hous- ing and homcrownership, im- proved public education, economic developmenb and commercial development. Penn spearheaded the ae- ation of the University Ciry District, an overlay district to improve the urban design of the neighborhood, a pedes- trian lighting progtam, and a greening pmgram to plant Mes and transform vacant lou. The university offered mortgage incentives to at- tract Pmn affiliates to pur- chase homes in the azea, as well as matching grants to e.xisting homcowners ro take on renovation projects; and it rehabilitated 20 ~acant propeo- des and sold them to single-family homebuy- ers in order ro stimLilate the market The uni- versiry broadened its already extensive partnership wi[h the Philadelphia Schoo] Dis- trict by crearing a new universiry-assisted ele- mentary ufiool-pre-kindergarten through eighth grade-nearby. To stimulare business growth, Penn directed its contracts and pm'- chases to local businesses, emphasizing minor- ity- and women-owned businesses, resulting in $300 million in expendiiuzes on ~oods and services from the West Philadelphia area over five yeazs. And ro foster mmmercial activity, more than 25 new businesses have moved in- m WPI projects, establishing a variety of shops, restauran[s, and entertainment venues. By investing in the community and the ciq; the WPI has redefined the traditional role nf an wban universiry. It has bmught together the diverse resources of the universitv and the broad :illiances of the community in order to execure s~viftly a mmprehensive neighborhood attd campus revitalization plan. These efforTs have linked Pends well-Ueing ~vith chat of tha surrounding community, creating an interde- pendency that cvill promote the long-term em- nomic vitality oF West Ph~7adelphia. An ambitious real estate development pro- gram ~vas crirical in the WPI program. Guid- ed by the goal of improving the relationship benveen Penn and Universiiy City, the program mandated orienting buildings to the street rether than to yuadrangles, promutii~g infill construttion, establishing open and green spaces ro rnnnect the communiry, and rehabil- itating e~dsting buildings. Of the many success- ful projeczs, four itt particular exempliCy the achievement of the WPI vision. ~ University Square. Penn invested S90 mil- lion in the conaKruction of a 300,000-square- foot mi.eed-use building on the site oF a former parkin~ lot. It houses a~0,000-syuare-foot campus booksrore and the 230.room Inn at Penn. Across Walnut Street from the Annen- herg Schoo! for Communicationa, Universih~ Square creates a corridor of shopping and dining-a soeial and commercial ienter-for Penn students, taculq; and residents. Hamilton Square. F~rther ~vest on FValm~t Street, Hamilton Snuare reinforces the newly nvitalized dOth Street corridor, inhoducing the commimity's first gourmet grocerv smre, a sir- saeen cinema, and calis, all under a 700-car parking garage. Left Bank. At the Walnut Street "gateway° ro University City, local developer Dranoff Properties converted a once-vacant railroad warehouse into market-ra[e rental aQaztments. I[ is one of the larges[ residenriat conversions of a building on the Narional Register of His- roric Places, ivith 22,000 square feet oE retail at street levcl,100,000 square teet of office syace, 2321oft-style units ~vith 20.foot ceilings, and 358 indoor parking spaces. Penn Alexander School. "Phe pazmership of Penn's Graduate School of Education with the school dishia and the ]ocal [eachers' union has residtcd ii~ a ncw facili[~ that, in addition to pro~~ding an escellent elemen- tary education to neighborhood children and a community center, doubles as a professional develop- ment center for the school district. Penn developcd the ~24 mil{ion fa- cility a~d sold it to the school dis- trictin '_002. In its lirst hve ycars, die INPI I~as successhilly linked the campus with the comnnmitt~: che program I~as attracted nwrc than 350 familics to Program Data iocauon: Philade:phia, Penn,yivania Master ~e!~eloper: Univer,ity cf Pe;;rsylvania. Phdadelphia. Pennsylvania OwnedDeveloper ~The Left BankY C; anoff Properties. Inc., Philadelphia Development Manager (Universrty Syua2): 1LL, WashingYOn, D.C. Archrtects; Atkm Oishm Lawson-Bell, Philadel- phia. Pennsylvama; Bower Lewis Thrower prchi[ects. Philadelphia, Pennsylvama; Elkus,Manfredi ArchRects, lW., Boston, Massachusetts: MGA Partners, Philadelphia, P=nnsylvania: Shapiro Petrauskas Gelber. Philadefphia, Pennsylvania; Wood & Zapata. ~nc., Boston. Massachusetts Piogram Size: wmmercial, 375,000 square feet: residentiai. 700,000 square feet; ele mentary school. 83,000 square feet ~fagrm Status: first pmject compleUOn. 1998; latest compleUOn. 2002 the surrounding neighborhood, making it one of the fe~v communities in Philadelphia to ex- perience growth during dils period. It has in- creased ridersMp on-and the economic feasi- bility of-local public transit. Focusing on the principles of infill mnstruction, adaptive use, and wallcable communities, the WPI has creab ed a richer em~ironmeni that buiids on diver- sity, scholarship, arts, and culturc-a mmbina- tion of resources that exploits the strengths that universities are best able to offer. The lNPI has transformed Universin~ City from a neighho[hood on the dedine inco a healthy community and a desirable destinadon with improved economic fundamentais.l'he university's investment in the surrounding neighborhood has stimulated millions of dol- lars in private sector Eunding. The success of the WP[ in impraving employment, invest- ment, and quality-of-life metrics to West Philadelphia has Uecome a model foc the col- laboration of universiries ~vith distressed neigh- baring urban communities throughout the United States seeking to reverse the flight of jobs, families, and talent. 0 Dwm Ta~:ism'~, u IicenseA nrcbitec4 ~i n seniarns- wriate. policyanAprnct~ce, at ULI. fYesiPhilndel- p6in 6irttntmes ~vns one o( ten pro~ects aeletted for UL!'s 1003 Awnrds Jor Fxcellence. For inJonnnnou ma tlie otl~er wrnners, seepnyrs 133-739 o(die NoremLedDrcembn~2003 issue. For infm~mntion nbout ULI's rnvnrAs progmm, rorimct d~e nudiarnr ?02-G24-7090 ar 6y E-nmd at awnrAs@~~li.org, or ~o ro[ILPs I ~e6 s~re at rvmm. uli.ory. -aR~~..: $ rsm.~~ ~~ti _ v ~,.