Collaboration Breeds New Capabilities in Philadelphia

Several recently completed projects have revealed the benefits of combining resources to improve Philadelphia's walkability, sustainability, and vitality. One example is the city's Pedestrian Plaza Program, a collaboration between the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities, the Streets Department, University City District and the University of the Sciences, which just completed its first project in West Philadelphia at a cost of $50,000.

The Porch, a new plaza located adjacent to 30th Street Station, is another example of a highly collaborative project completed recently that is already paying dividends in terms of new economic activity.

"In abiding a strategy of incremental, low-cost improvements," says Vuocolo, "collaboration between community groups and the city has become the new norm in Philadelphia for projects such as the Plaza and the Porch."

Thanks to Emily Williams