Phase I: Our Voices, Our Future
Town Meeting
May 5, 4-8 pm
Amtrak 30th Street Station
The first gathering brought over 400 people to 30th Street Station to imagine possibilities for vacant land in the city. Participants were asked to identify what they love about the city: all ideas were collected and then voted upon using keypad polling, the results of which appear on the Philadelphia LANDvisions website (landvisions.org/index.php). The program continued with a series of short presentations providing background on the current state of vacancy in the city as well as an overview of the ecology of the region. The session continued in smaller groups of ten. Participants both clarified their ideas and expressed their hopes and aspirations for the future of the city. Using innovative technology techniques, these ideas were captured and made immediately available on the website for public appreciation and ongoing involvement.
The River Corridors
May 18, 4-8pm
The Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn's Landing
This session applied the ideas from the Public Community Forum to our river corridors. The meeting began with a series of presentations on existing or planned projects that integrate our rivers with recreational, residential, and commercial uses. The session continued with a keypad vote on the ten most critical themes, including "Living with Water," "Creating New Communities," and "Economy and Jobs" that emerged from the May 5th session. Participants then broke into small groups to discuss the inherent values, guiding principles, and strategies that follow from a particular theme. Groups then shared their ideas with the larger forum; you can view them on the Philadelphia LANDvisions website (landvisions.org/index.php). The meeting concluded with a vote ranking the importance of each theme.
The Neighborhoods Session
May 25, 4-8pm
City Hall
The final session focused on how vacant lands can be used to transform Philadelphia's neighborhoods. After an initial keypad polling exercise to determine the characteristics of those present, participants began by discussing the assets and liabilities of different types of vacancies within the city. Then a mapping exercise challenged participants to brainstorm uses for vacant lands in an unidentified Philadelphia neighborhood. While some groups concentrated on the environmental possibilities of vacant sites, others directed their attention to social or economic options. Finally, participants engaged in a storytelling exercise in which they shared memories of their neighborhood's past and their hopes and wishes for its future. The keypad polling results, lists of assets and liabilities, maps, and hopes and wishes can be viewed on the Philadelphia LANDvisions website (landvisions.org/index.php). Additionally, audio recordings of the storytelling exercise are also available online.