What would Philadelphia look like if development was guided by the needs and voices of community members and not just by developers’ search for profits?
Communities deserve control over development that impacts their lives.
Visioning for Market East, our downtown core, should lead with the voices of surrounding communities and Philadelphians across the city. Yet, the City’s approach to planning for Market East has been restricted and opaque as the Mayor “fast-tracks” a process that goes in direct opposition to the City of Philadelphia’s own guidance for “Equitable Community Engagement.”
In the absence of City leadership for a true community-engaged process, the Save Chinatown Coalition, in partnership with architects and urban planners at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design, began a process of bringing community voices to the table to vision collectively for revitalization of Market East.
A PEOPLE’S VISION
Principled Development
Our downtown core – easily accessible from all areas – can and must serve to drive local economic development, promote interdependence and allow for more frequent interactions across our diverse communities, fostering face-to-face interpersonal relationships.
From community input, the following principles emerged:
Bring economy back to a human scale
People want small businesses that feature local arts, cultures, and talents. In this scenario, money spent on everyday goods continues to recirculate in the local economy. Place-based economic development that directly contributes to our own residents’ and communities’ well-being is key to revitalizing the city.
Create a compelling & inviting place to be
Redevelopment of our downtown core must emphasize developing community, face-to-face social connection, and cultural resonance. Center City is a hub that brings together people from across the region. Diverse types of services, activities, offices, shops, and tenants create dynamic and compelling places to be.
Develop housing with purpose
People want truly affordable, accessible housing – especially in Center City. Housing should prioritize families and multigenerational tenancy, accessibility, and social connection that activate the neighborhood.
Design buildings integrated with the surrounding area
Development on Market East should match the fabric of the surrounding areas, breaking down walls, bringing the outside in, and people through. Principles of long-term sustainability should orient our work to help address climate change and bring welcoming environments to the concrete downtown core.
This is the beginning of the conversation.
Development shouldn’t be driven by a few interests or groups. We know that it should be driven by all of us, and that we need more voices at the table for comprehensive community input. Thank you for being part of this conversation.
We seek to engage with neighbors, workers, development partners, business owners, elected officials, and Philadelphians from across the city who value and use our Center City in a process of re-envisioning Market Street East that is driven by the principles above.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. How could we use the existing structure and make it more welcoming?
By saving parts of the Fashion District that are valued and used like the movie theater and bowling alley, we could both reduce project costs and continue to serve as an entertainment center at our mass transit hub.
2. How can we support & preserve the vitality of the community?
The old Greyhound Station could be repurposed into a community museum showcasing Chinatown’s 150+ year history, with small business vendors highlighting the diverse cultures of Philadelphia.
Creating greenspace on the rooftop of the repurposed Fashion District, with a public space for passive recreation, picnics, small concerts and events, and a community garden for residents of the new, largely affordable housing tower built atop the west side of the block. The original Gallery Mall was built to support additional skyscraper construction above the mall, and a tower at the west side of this block would help increase density and activate use of this part of Market Street by residents.
3. How can this central location serve Philly & the broader region?
Non-profit service organizations who rely on being located in the Gayborhood or Center City could occupy the upper floors and would be reliable, long term tenants in the space. By co-locating several service organizations in the building, community rooms and conference rooms could be shared. Staff and clients would bring more activity to Market East and support the food, retailers, and other vendors there.
As city leaders, planners, and other stakeholders work to envision the future of Market East, our thousands of survey respondents and over 150 workshop participants show us:
People from across the city are invested in Market East and deserve a real seat at the table in the city’s planning for its future.
We agree on the essentials: adaptive reuse and sustainable development with public-serving retail, services, entertainment, and public space accessible to residents and visitors from all walks of life.
What do you think?
Are we missing anything? Tell us your vision for the future of Market East and keep the conversation going!
Explore by Floor
Ground / Street Level
Retail space on the first floor and small food stands on the lower level concourse could support both our small businesses and our larger retailers. This provides an “experience per square foot” – so different from big box stores. With more retail and food vendors along walkways that function as true interior pedestrian streets, these levels would attract far more daily foot traffic and customers, creating greater business opportunities in a livelier and safer public space.
Concourse Level
Non profit service organizations who rely on being located in the Gayborhood or Center City could occupy the concourse and upper floors and would be reliable, long term tenants in the space. This provides the “mixing up” of the space that help sustain malls by turning them into mixed use, integrated settings. This project would support organizations to provide needed services and make a central, accessible location affordable in an otherwise pricey downtown office rental market.
Second Floor
By co-locating several service organizations in the building, community rooms and conference rooms could be shared, reducing the amount of space needed by each organization. The staff and clients/members of the non-profit service organizations would bring more activity to Market East and would support the food, retailers, and other vendors there. This allows for the connectivity needed to create a central hub for community engagement.
Third Floor
By saving parts of the Fashion District that are valued and used, like the movie theater and bowling alley, we could both reduce redevelopment project costs and continue to serve as an entertainment center at our mass transit hub.
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