POWELTON VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
Philadelphia, PA
Powelton Village is a historic West Philadelphia community with beautiful Victorian homes, handsome apartment buildings, old growth trees, and compact streets. The neighborhood is also home to Drexel University, which after a robust period of growth is recognized as one of the finest universities in the region. Like many residential communities in close proximity to major educational institutions, Powelton Village has been struggling to preserve its neighborhood identity even as Drexel more than doubled its enrollment since 1995.
Currently, residential blocks with spectacular homes occupied by long time residents are interspersed with neglected properties, carved up into rental units. In 2009, Urban Partners joined a team of consultants that spearheaded a planning effort that aimed to empower Powelton Village residents charts their own course. Our work involved the completion of the retail market analysis of the area to identify potential retail expansion opportunities, assessing opportunities for residential development, and preparing the strategic plan which is being utilized by the Powelton Village Civic Association to coordinate the work of various stakeholders in the implementation of the plan.
