Quote:
Originally Posted by cardeza
Some people post here and I wonder how much they know about Philadelphia. They discuss these areas like they are in master's class on urban design principles with no context. To the east of the viaduct you have hundreds of mostly 2 story homes in this neighborhood. There are very few large apt buildings and aside from old factories- very little above 3 stories. Almost EVERY part of North, West and South Philly is close to transit. Saying, there "should" be something much more dense here because transit is nearby is funny when you think about all of the subway, RR and bus service running through North Philly. This is 10th street, not Broad Street- the proposal is plenty dense in relation to the neighborhood. There is another phase of housing being built a block away and the units are only 2 or 3 stories.
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Not only was I raised in West Philly, but I spend a lot of time in that area--especially since I still live nearby as a resident of Francisville. I think that there's absolutely nothing wrong with demanding better density and design standards from the PHA, an organization that has no business being a developer in many parts of the city. North Philly is historically dense and transit-oriented, and properties located close to transit (not just rail transit) should be built out at the maximum allowable density, especially since the PHA still has a years-long waiting list. That surface parking lot could be developed to provide additional units to prospective residents; instead, the PHA still believes that space for lifeless, inanimate cars is more important than space for humans to live.
This is also the huge problem I have with what stands where the Allen Homes used to be (although, back in the 90s, people believed that the area would never attain land values high enough to warrant new construction from the private market), new PHA housing in Cecil B. Moore/Templetown, and their taking of Sharswood.
If I were a Councilmember, I would ensure that the PHA would not be able to develop in my district, less they cut the suburban-style crap with a ton of parking from their plans. I would also try to free up as much land from City hands as possible, which is another huge problem that hinders the progress of this city.