The Philadelphia City Planning Commission is undertaking a Strategic Plan for the area known as the Callowhill Industrial District. This area, roughly between Broad Street and 2nd Street from I-676 north to Spring Garden Street, was established as an industrial district in the late 1960s to attract new industry to land near Center City and the interstate highway system. Although some industry settled into the district, the area has little industry left and is transitioning to other uses. The expansion of Chinatown north of Vine Street, growing residential communities of Callowhill and Poplar, and the potential of reusing industrial infrastructure such as the Reading Viaduct offer opportunities to redevelop this area as a vibrant, mixed-use corridor.
The Strategic Plan will provide recommendations on land use and zoning to guide future development. Recommendations will include ways to incorporate more green space, stormwater management and other amenities for the growing residential population. Infrastructure for pedestrians and bicycles and transit upgrades will also be included.
The Planning Commission hired URS Corporation as the prime consultant for the project, along with Studio І Bryan Hayes, BAE Urban Economics and McMahon Associates. Thank you to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the William Penn Foundation for providing the funding for this plan.
So far, we have had two public meetings. As a part of each meeting, the consultant presented boards with various ideas and asked participants to “vote” using dot stickers. Attached are pdf’s of the boards, along with the tally of “votes” for each idea.

Strategic Plan
1st Public Meeting
2nd Public Meeting
Final Public Meeting
Map of Plan Boundaries