Imagine Philadelphia: Laying the Foundation

In the summer of 2007, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) began an examination of citywide land use issues to inform the work of the Zoning Code Commission and future citywide planning efforts. This initiative is called, "Imagine Philadelphia: Laying the Foundation."

The project began with a series of roundtable discussions on a range of key issues. Next, PCPC will conduct a series of public meetings throughout the City to listen to what residents, workers, students, visitors and other stakeholders have to say about issues important to Philadelphia's growth and change over the next 25 years.

With the help of a consulting team lead by FX Fowle of New York, Planning Commission staff will prepare a series of policy papers on land use and other topics relevant to citywide, comprehensive planning - such as industrial land, housing and community development, preservation, and mobility to name a few. The consulting team will provide the important perspective of best practices to help guide and inform the policy papers.

Laying the Foundation will build on the work of GreenPlan Philadelphia - the first comprehensive open space plan for the City which is anticipated to be finalized by the end of 2007. The broad input from the public, combined with the issues and opportunities identified in the policy papers, will support the work of the Zoning Code Commission and ideally position the City for future comprehensive planning efforts.

You can review the report from the roundtable discussions by clecking here for a copy of 2007 Planning Roundtable Series: Synopsis of Proceedings (Draft, October 10, 2007).

Public meetings were held December 2007 thru January 2008. Citizens were encouraged to attend and to help Imagine Philadelphia. How do you imagine Philadelphia's neighborhoods, skyline, parks and business districts in 2035?

Keep checking this site (zoningmatters.org) for updates, or you can also go to the Imagine Philadelphia Web site at www.imaginephiladelphia.org.