All About Philly's Awesome Pop-Up Scene

New York may have dominated headlines regarding big tactical urbanism efforts in years past. But it’s New York’s near neighbour Philadelphia that might be the U.S’s real tactical capital. Rife with small-scale interventions making for a big collective change, Philly’s upswing in public space improvements is changing the way other cities do pop-up. 

Calling all tactical efforts in the city ‘small’ might be selling things short. The city’s newest parklet was just installed near Penn’s campus, and it’s massive. At 60 feet (18m) its one of the longest parklets ever built.

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West Philly Parklets. Source: newsworks.org

It’s one of 5 major parklets scattered around the neighbourhood. UCD, the local community organization who maintains them, recently published the nationally-acclaimed study: "The Case for Parklets: Measuring the Impact on Sidewalk Vitality and Neighborhood Businesses." The study provided data and recommendations based on a multi-year analysis of parklets and their ability to bring more life to public spaces.

The study has given pop-up efforts the quantitative bona fides to make similar improvements across the country. But in Philly, anecdotal evidence has fueled pop-up success; none more so than the buzz behind the now infamous Philly beer garden scene.

 Beer garden pop-ups like the Spruce Street Harbor Park, The Oval and the PHS Pop-Up Garden have become some of the city’s most popular summer destinations. And for good reason – they’re awesome!

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Spruce Street Harbor Park. Source: wheretophilly.com

The Spruce Street Harbor Park has so far been the stand out. The temporary summertime village is now in its second year and has upgraded the down and out waterfront area with a floating restaurant, weekend beer garden, hammocks, shuffleboard, and hundreds of thousands of visitors.

And in true pop-up style, the space’s cheep and cheerful successes have drummed up support for long-term solutions for improving the waterfront. Above all, this is the true power of the pop-up paradigm and one that’s been observed for years. Short-term improvements can and do lead to long-term change.

So it's no surprise that across town Philly’s most famously awesome pop-up, The Porch, has now began to improve with permanent features. The Porch started as a temporary experiment to breathe life into what was a parking lot next to 30th Street Station, the City’s main transport hub. That was 4 years ago. Now the folks behind the Porch have teamed up with Groundswell Design Group and Gehl Studio to enhance the space with more permanent planters, seating, lighting and food options that compliment the popular programming schedule.

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The Porch. Source: vixemporium.com

The City of Philadelphia has also taken note of this movement across its city. In recent years they’ve implemented a Pedestrian Plaza Program to grease the wheels for neighbourhood groups to build their own pop-ups, and with a solid revenue stream from city coffers. That too has been pretty awesome for improving open spaces in Philly’s neighbourhoods.

If the past is a measure of future successes, it isn’t likely Philly’s pop-up revolution will slow down. Maybe we’ll see floating beer gardens down the Delaware next year? Or roller skate rinks along Market Street? At this point, nothing seems totally off limits. Lets just hope it stays as equally awesome as years past.  

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Greg Meckstroth is a certified planner, award winning urban designer, and published writer, Greg's passion for cities and placemaking extends across various spectrums. Connect with Greg on twitter here. 

Was the I-96 a missed opportunity for Detroit?

I96. Image courtesy of @ishootmi.

"The long wait is finally over", says Ashlee Baracy, "Traffic is moving again on this stretch of I-96".

Baracy is referring to the recently completed (and ahead of schedule) road upgrade on Detroit's Interstate 96. The $148 million project is welcome news for drivers but is this 'improvement' a missed opportunity for a more liveable Detroit?

Around the world, roads and the way we view them, are changing. We're seeing the rise of community led initiatives that are converting roads into people places and Governments that are adopting progressive transportation policies to make roads safer and more comfortable.

These projects don't discriminate against modal choice but don't prioritise the car either.  They find balance in meeting local and regional economic needs, moving products and people from 'A to B', while making the journey more enjoyable and improving micro experiences along the route.

The Complete Streets policy and design approach achieves this balance by improving road efficiencies and designing better environments for people and their communities. In a similar way but through a temporary activation, the Open Streets Project closes roads to automobile traffic and invites the public to explore the space, reclaiming it as a place for people not just the car. 

I96. Image courtesy of @caitbug420.

On Sunday, 21 September 2014, this is what happened on the I-96. Governor Rick Snyder declared the freeway a Family Fun Day and invited the public to 'view' the upgrade. In total, more than 10,000 people took the opportunity to play on the newly completed 7 mile section with the public response catching people by surprise. "Sunday afternoon was a celebration, something we'd never really seen before. Thousands walked or biked on the reconstructed freeway which was obviously still closed to traffic" says Ashlee Baracy.

The day was a huge success. It was also a missed opportunity.

In many ways the 'fun day' highlighted other uses for the extensive (and now underutilised) car-based infrastructure that currently exists within the City itself but failed to connect these new uses with long term planning or strategy. Can we have fun and also plan a better City too?

In a City synonymous with the car, is it time for Detroit and its suburbs to build a new brand? A new image that reflects its people rather than its products? And if so, how can the Detroit landscape, in a rapidly changing world, be used to benefit the City rather than cause it harm?

"Detroit calls for more intimate exploration", says Joe Baur, "And there’s no better way to experience this iconic city once ruled by cars than on the saddle of a bike."

Baur in his article, ‘Cycling Detroit makes too much sense to ignore’, claims urban infrastructure previously focused on the American Dream and suburban culture could be adapted to produce a new urban paradigm. It's an interesting concept and one that is changing the very fabric of cities that have already adopted cycling as a serious transport option.

In Detroit there is also a move towards the return of the wheel (bicycle that is). Innovative companies like Shinola are now making more bespoke products (including bikes), the Tour de Troit is advocating for non-motorized infrastructure and the Slow Roll originally starting in Detroit, is now popping up around the Globe as new Slow Roll chapters emerge in Malmo and Berlin, just to name a few. Attracting over 3000 riders each week, the Slow Roll is a local success story and so too are these other projects reflecting a growing appreciation, recognition and need for a stronger bike culture in Detroit.

This is something the project team of I-96 should have considered during the upgrade. How can a city built from 20th Century values be adapted to suit 21st Century needs? Instead of manufacturing cars, could Detroit celebrate a new future, one with a strong vision to supply America and the world with bikes?

What are your thoughts? Should Detroit's Interstates be adapted for cycling and what culture change would this bring for a shrinking City limited only by possibilities?

I96. Image courtesy of @whalemap.