SHORT TERM ACTION PLAN FOR CHINATOWN

Reconnecting Communities

Project for Public Spaces, Inc.May 2003

Reconnecting Communities

SHORT TERM ACTION PLAN FOR CHINATOWNVINE STREET SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM

VINE STREET EXPRESSWAY, PHILADELPHIA, PA

Prepared by:

Project for Public Spaces, Inc.153 Waverly PlaceNew York, NY 10014212.620.5660

and

Center City District917 Filbert StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19107215.440.5500

May 2003

This short term action plan is an appendix to the VINE STREET: RECONNECTINGCOMMUNITIES report where overall long term goals for improvement and revitalization areoutlined. The full report is available in PDF format at http://pps.org/vineonline

This short term action plan for Chinatown grew out of the "Vine Street ReconnectingCommunities" final report and of two phone conferences - one between Project forPublic Spaces (PPS), Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC) andCenter City District (CCD) held on May 5, 2003, as well as an earlier phone conferencewith the William Penn Foundation, PPS and CCD held on April 29, 2003.

GOALSThe overall goal of this action plan is to use a portion of the William Penn Foundationgrant to make visible, small scale improvements along Vine Street in the short term. Thefollowing are the specific goals for improvements to the Chinatown area of Vine Street:

" Give a stronger identity to Chinatown as an important "place" along Vine Street and in Philadelphia in general.

" Make Vine Street more of a connector than a barrier in the expansion of Chinatown to the North.

" Empower members of the Chinatown community to help them have a stronger, readily visible impact on the growth of their neighborhood.

IMPROVEMENTSA number of short-term visible improvements furthering the goals above were dis-cussed including:

1.Create a more interesting continuous pedestrian experience at street level, especiallyNorth of Vine Street:

" Landscape parking lot edges throughout Chinatown, with possibly little corner garden areas (mini-gardens);

" Use fences possibly incorporating art created by community/local children at parking and vacant lots throughout Chinatown in addition to or as an alternative to landscaping;

" Improve pedestrian connections throughout Chinatown by striping crosswalks and curb extensions as a temporary experimental measure of traffic calming for assessment ( Streets Dept. has already done some crosswalk striping on 9th Street).

SHORT TERM ACTION PLAN FOR CHINATOWN

Examples of parking lot edge treatments

2.Create new public places in the neighborhood:" Create a small demonstration garden in front of the Holy Redeemer School

possibly taking some of the parking lot wall down to improve visibility and access;

" Landscape Vine Street with Asian-style trees, flowers and bushes in selectedareas;

" Transform the NJ Transit bus stop into a more comfortable "place" with a shelter, seating, landscaping, etc.

3.Strengthen the identity of Chinatown along and on both sides of Vine Street:" Install small white bee lights in existing trees both on the 10th Street bridge

and along surface Vine Street;" Create Chinese-style art (banners, dragons, etc.) with community

participation to be attached to existing light fixtures;" Paint a mural with community participation, possibly showing a map of

Chinatown on the blank wall of the Holy Redeemer School facing Vine Street;(see Carmel mural photo)

" Use art pieces from existing public art installation at appropriate locations for emphasis.

4. Develop appropriate uses to activate existing public spaces, consider temporaryvending, a small market, events, etc.

EXISTING AND POTENTIAL PARTNERSPartnerships will be crucial to successful implementation efforts. Some of the partnerslisted below are already involved in this project, others are aware of it but would needto be brought up to speed, others are yet to be approached for participation.

" STREETS DEPARTMENT - as it was noted they are already re-stripingcrosswalks in Chinatown. They should be encouraged to continue with re-striping existing crosswalks as well as striping experimental curb extensions,and other proposed traffic calming measures.

" PENN DOT - working with DOT should be actively pursued - they are in aposition to make dramatic changes to the roadway, and to fund a number of

Forsyth Street Bird Garden, Chinatown, NYC Landscaped bus shelter with local character

Chinese themed street art.

Mural as map to the community, Carmel, CA

improvements. One opportunity is seeking to make Vine Street a demonstration project for Context Sensitive Design solutions on the State and Federal level.

" NJ TRANSIT - they are a potential partner for improvements to the bus stop on the south side of Vine & 10th. PPS has a good working history withNJ Transit on projects mostly in New Jersey, and approaching them with a local partner about Vine Street is a possibility.

" PHILADELPHIA GREEN - The Chinatown community could partner upwith Philadelphia Green on landscaping projects. For example, a Chinatownspecific program for Asian-style landscaping may be an exciting opportunity for the community, Philadelphia Green and other local partners.

" DELAWARE PORT AUTHORITY - could get involved in implementingpedestrian and roadway improvements in Chinatown, and along the entire corridor of Vine Street.

" ASIAN ARTS INITIATIVE - this local arts' partner could participate increating murals, fence art, banners, dragons, or other art pieces that wouldbe mounted on light fixtures, fences, walls, etc.

" HOLY REDEEMER SCHOOL - the school would be an invaluable partner by offering its blank wall for a mural, and mini-garden, and by encouraging students to participate in the art projects, Asian landscaping progrmaand landscape maintenance.

" DEVELOPERS / OWNERS OF PARKING LOTS - if softening parking and vacant lot edges is to succeed developers and land owners will haveto be on board. They could also participate by selecting appropriate treatments for their properties and providing some funds for landscaping, fences, or art installations.

Asian landscaping

Traffic calmed intersection - before, experi-ment and after

NEXT STEPS:

1.Send copy of report, drawings and short term action plan to potential partners.

2.CCD to do a cost estimate on the street improvement plan for Chinatown prepared byPPS and presented in the final report "Vine Street Reconnecting Communities."

3.Meet with potential partners.

4.Develop a budget based on cost estimates and partner interests.

5.Refine ideas with partner participation.

6.Implement improvements.