Open space greeted
with open minds

By Lauren Fritsky
Times Staff Writer

By the time Philadelphia’s through, other cities may be green with envy over our latest open-space project.
GreenPlan Philadelphia, a multigroup agency operating through the city’s Office of the Managing Director, met with Northeast residents on Oct. 26 to discuss ideas for maximizing green space in their neighborhoods. The meeting was the second of 12 scheduled in communities citywide.
While many groups around the city contribute to green space efforts, project officials believe a unified plan can further benefit the city.
"It’s really the first comprehensive parks and recreation plan in the city," said GreenPlan project manager Bob Allen, who is also a city assistant managing director.
Ultimately, GreenPlan partners want communities to adopt manageable plans for improving, increasing or preserving green space. They also hope every city department will play a role in implementation, which is why the managing director’s office, not agencies like the Department of Recreation, is heading the effort.
Funding for the initiative includes a $200,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which was matched by the city, and additional dollars from the William Penn Foundation.
The 14 project partners include the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the School District of Philadelphia, which provides additional support and services. In the case of the school district, which recently announced a $73 million deficit, its participation would include controlling playgrounds and playing fields or undertaking greening projects, not contributing hard dollars.
Thus far, no politicians have been linked to the plan, though Allen expects both private and public support in the future.
GreenPlan began meeting in late 2005 and has since started taking inventory of the city’s open space, which includes vacant lots. Allen expects the group to present a completed plan in late 2007. However, implementing the recommendations — compiled heavily from community input — carries a 15-year timeline.
"The idea is that this is a long-term plan. We want to engage the community, engage citizens in the process, and review recommendations before the plan’s published. We want to give people a sense of ownership," Allen said.
Green space means more than just creating beautiful open areas. Greenery can positively affect the economy and quality of life, Allen said.
"Some citizens think of open space as kind of a bad thing. If something’s not built on it, it has no economic value. There are quantifiable economic benefits for communities," he said.
A University of Pennsylvania study showed that greening vacant lots and planting trees increased property values by 30 percent in the New Kensington area of North Philadelphia. Other studies assert that going green cuts crime and stimulates mental well-being.
Philadelphia is already at an advantage when it comes to quantity of green areas, boasting seven acres of open space per 1,000 residents, more than other major cities like Chicago.
The problem is the quality and even distribution, Allen said.
"It’s not equally spaced," he said.
More than 30 Northeast residents attended the community meeting at George Washington High School to learn about the plan and submit their own ideas.
Split into small working groups, residents dished on local green space issues like improving park accessibility and the effort to prevent Fox Chase Cancer Center from expanding its campus onto Burholme Park land.
Glenn Graham, who sits on the Poquessing Creek River Watershed Steering Committee, thought the meeting went well.
"It was a lot of different ideas, different conclusions, different suggestions," he said.
Graham has developed a plan to add walking and biking trails throughout the Poquesssing Creek watershed. He saw overlap in the issues GreenPlan seeks to address and those studied by his committee.
"The positive part is that they have many of the concerns being addressed with the watershed," he said.
Other concerns mentioned at the recent meeting included dumping areas, Pennypack Park, playground safety and major construction projects at the former Philadelphia State Hospital (Byberry) and the Delaware River waterfront.
Graham understands that the Northeast is just one of many areas to be encompassed into the citywide GreenPlan project.
"When they get to West Philly, they’re going to get a whole other set of concerns," he added.
In the end, GreenPlan officials will consider the suggestions that serve the maximum amount of citizens and then produce a draft plan. The forthcoming challenges include determining precisely what departments and groups will implement the plan in different neighborhoods.
Another Northeast community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 6:30 p.m., at the John Perzel Community Center, 2990 St. Vincent St.
In the meantime, residents can weigh in on the project by posting comments on GreenPlan’s Web site, accessible at www.GreenPlanPhiladelphia.com ••
Reporter Lauren Fritsky can be reached at 215-354-3038 or lfritsky@phillynews.com