As the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society looks forward to its 200th birthday, it's proposing some changes to Philly's landscape. Seven sites, identified by PHS in conjunction with other players and stakeholders throughout Philly, will be getting full horticultural overhauls.
The seven sites chosen are:
· North Broad (Diamond St. to Spring Garden St.)
· Central Broad (Spring Garden St. to South St)
· South Broad (South St. to Passyunk Ave.)
· Vine Street (Benjamin Franklin Bridge/5th St. to 20th St.)
· Northeast Corridor (Amtrak/SEPTA rail corridor through North Philadelphia)
· West Girard Avenue (29th St. to 41st St.)
· Airport (PHL/ I-95)
If you're wondering how tasteful plantings could possibly change the negative impression left by smoggy doom trek from the Philadephia Airport to the city proper, hear this: the PHS is not planning your Grandma's backyard garden. The PHS is considering improvements such as signage, lighting, resurfacing, and yes, tasteful plantings, to totally change the way that these civic landscapes function. The society points to its work on the Ben Franklin Parkway as an example of what can be done with some shovels and horticultural know-how.
The PHS also isn't planning to go it alone: they're looking to collaborate with area organizations to see where they can help along already planned or underway projects. And they're looking at creating a digital tool that might help gather input from Philadelphians about what sorts of improvements they'd like to see.
· PHS looks to seven sites as next generation civic landscapes [Plan Philly]