Philadelphia2035 wins statewide award!
The Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) received a Special Achievement Award for Philadelphia2035, the city’s comprehensive plan, from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association. Woohoo!
“To overhaul a plan that dates to the Eisenhower Administration is a real accomplishment,” said Denny Puko, chairman of the chapter awards committee. “To undertake a citywide vision and 18 different district plans, and to do so almost entirely in house, is truly exceptional.”
What is Philadelphia2035 again?
Philadelphia2035 is the official vision for the future of the city’s growth. It is the first written comprehensive plan for Philadelphia since 1960. The plan calls for:
Housing everyone can afford
Quality public transportation
Streets safe for walking, driving, and biking
Jobs and shops
Parks within a 10-minute walk for everyone
Healthy food options
Historic buildings that are saved and reused
In other words, Philadelphia2035 is the plan for Philadelphia to THRIVE, CONNECT, and RENEW, which we are already hard at work putting into action.
Together, we won this
Philadelphia2035 is the result of research, outreach and collaboration with thousands of Philadelphians, and coordinating with multiple partners. stakeholders, and other city agencies.
Philadelphia City Planner Martine Decamp received the award on behalf of the City at the APA-PA annual luncheon in Erie, PA. DeCamp told the audience, “Although I am standing here on my own, there are 1.6 million people behind me to accept this award.”
During the nine years since the start of the process to create Philadelphia2035, the City wrote a new comprehensive plan, rewrote the zoning code, added a civic design review process for large building projects, created a permanent civic engagement arm of city planning (the Citizens Planning Institute), and created a process to put the plan into action.
Almost all the work was done in-house by City staff, not outside consultants.
“Once again, the City Planning Commission and its staff have been recognized by their colleagues,” said Mayor Kenney. “Philadelphia has a detailed map to its future, and it is because of these dedicated professionals and the thousands of city residents and stakeholders they engaged over the past nine years.”
What is the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-PA)?
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-PA) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization for the promotion of planning, and for professional planners and planning officials in the Commonwealth. APA-PA provides leadership in the development of vital communities by advocating excellence in community planning through education, empowerment, partnership, and public policy.