Centering Well-being and Welcome
Philadelphia’s civic commons 2021 in pictures
The past year has served to reconfirm the importance of a robust, nature-rich public realm that is welcoming to all. From health and wellbeing to environmental and economic resiliency, our parks, trails, libraries and community centers are critical civic infrastructure that provide multi-faceted benefits for communities. Today, the fifth in our series of photo essays reflecting on public space efforts in cities across the country, features the civic commons work in Philadelphia.
A Welcoming Walk in the Park
In 2021, We Walk PHL welcomed nearly 2,000 walkers to more than a dozen parks in Philadelphia, making it the largest year in the program’s history. We Walk PHL is a free walking program supported by Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health that encourages folks to take a walk in their park while meeting their personal fitness goals and their neighbors. This year, the We Walk PHL community celebrated the return of in-person walks, and participated in a variety of park events hosted by partners throughout the city, from the East Parkside Farmers Market in Parkside to weekly Trash Grab Tuesday cleanups with Fairmount Park Conservancy. At the same time, We Walkers continued to support and engage with their fellow walkers virtually via their active and always inspiring Facebook group.
Book-sharing Finds a Natural Home
Little Free Library is considered the largest book-sharing movement across the country, where people are invited to “take a book, share a book.” This year, Fairmount Park Conservancy offered volunteer Park Friends Groups in Philadelphia the opportunity to install a Little Free Library at their park. Along with bringing 24/7 book access to neighborhood parks, the Little Free Libraries also allowed the opportunity to partner with PowerCorps PHL, a workforce development program. PowerCorps PHL fellows spent the summer constructing and installing the Little Free Libraries in all eight parks across Philadelphia.
“Parks have offered us so much this past year. And now, we’re glad that neighbors, families, and friends across the city can experience the simple joy of reading a book in the park,” says Maura McCarthy, Executive Director of Fairmount Park Conservancy.
Prioritizing Health and Healing at the Black Man’s Conference
During Juneteenth weekend, the first-ever Black Man’s Conference was held in Philadelphia’s Parkside neighborhood. The idea for the conference was sparked after the political unrest in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Centennial Parkside CDC, the organizer, knew there was a need for black men in the community to be heard and healed. Over the course of three days, more than 100 participants took part in socially distanced days of mind, body and spirit enrichment, including chair massages, reflexology, breathwork and yoga demonstrations. They heard from inspirational speakers and brought their families out for a neighborhood walkabout with porchside storytelling. The conference was also an opportunity for local community organizations to connect; since the conference they have intentionally worked together toward change, guidance, mentorship, building skills and programming for young African-American males.
A Spot for Fun and Gathering in East Park
Since 2017, members of the East Fairmount Park Coalition — a group of Strawberry Mansion community members, stakeholders and park institutions that work with Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation — proposed the idea of building horseshoe pits in East Fairmount Park. After some starts and stops along the way, the community celebrated the completion of the horseshoe pits, which are free to use, in the summer of 2021.
“This is so important, to have amenities that welcome people to our park. We know people want to get off the beaten path. So we say welcome, welcome to East Fairmount Park!” — Judith Robinson, Director of the Strawberry Mansion Civic Association and longtime champion of this project at the ribbon cutting ceremony
Tending Trees and Community
In Southwest Philadelphia, the historic Bartram’s Garden launched a Tree Care program with Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and TreePhilly after local residents came together to identify community priorities and efforts amid gentrification and development in their neighborhood. The Tree Care program is a way to train and educate high school students in Southwest Philadelphia on the importance and value of trees to the community’s health. A class of eight students have started to receive training on how to care for their neighborhood’s trees, and hopefully, “become life-long tree advocates,” says Merissa McDonald, Bartram Garden’s Tree Program Coordinator. The participants in the Tree Care program joined dozens of volunteers at this fall’s Love Your Park Service Day at Bartram’s Garden, where they helped plant trees, bulbs and seeds.
Reimagining the Civic Commons is a collaboration of The JPB Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and local partners.
