Congratulations to the 2024 Great Places in PA!
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association is proud to announce the 2024 Great Places in PA. Great Places are unique, memorable places that display a wealth of best practices in community planning, serve as a community focal point, and strengthen the local economy. They also demonstrate the rewarding results that occur through planning, partnerships, and community engagement.
For 2024, the categories were Great Public Spaces and Great Transformations. Two Great Places were designated in each category. There are now 59 designated “Great Places in PA” located in 32 of the Commonwealth’s 67 counties. Additionally, designated Great Places can be found in each of the Chapter’s six sections.
A Great Public Space is a vibrant place that fosters a sense of community through people of all ages and abilities gathering to play, socialize, enjoy a meal or concert, relax, or just enjoy the outdoors. It is a focal point for community events, which bring people together and bolster the economy. Below are the 2024 Great Public Spaces.
Bryn Coed Preserve, located in the Chester Springs area of Chester County, consists of 1,505 acres that were once on the brink of being sold for development. Natural Lands stepped in to preserve what was said to be one of the “largest remaining unprotected swaths of land in the greater Philadelphia region.” The purchase was made possible through much community support, including donations to a purchase campaign spearheaded by residents that had an accompanying William Penn Foundation Challenge Grant, as well as grant support from the State, County, and West Vincent and West Pikeland Townships. Today, the Preserve protects woodlands, farmland, wetlands, habitat, stream valleys, scenic vistas, and more. With over 10 miles of trails, including an ADA-accessible trail, it offers
opportunities for persons of all abilities to hike, walk, horseback ride, and explore nature. The trails meander past Pennsylvania Big Tree register trees, Bald Eagle nesting spots, historical ruins, and 19th century stone farmhouses. Bridges and boardwalks, built by volunteers, protect the sensitive natural features. The Preserve hosts a variety of events, attracting visitors from near and far, and generates significant economic value for local municipalities and the region. Ongoing stewardship further protects this unique landscape. Bryn Coed not only demonstrates the importance of land protection and its many community benefits, but also serves as a model for what can be accomplished through public-private partnerships and collaboration.
Schwenksville Borough Hall & Community Complex in Montgomery County was the former home of the Borough’s Main Street firehouse. Through collaboration with several state, local, and regional partners, the firehouse was acquired and repurposed into a new ADA-accessible Borough Hall and community center. The renovation celebrates the history of the town with displays of handmade replicas of local historic buildings and memorializes the fire company with a museum room that displays a firefighting wagon and other artifacts. The project also created a visually appealing public plaza and pavilion with extensive streetscaping, including ornamental planters and fencing, benches, pedestrian scale lighting, signage, and a mix of attractive pavement materials, as well as connections to downtown businesses, Meadow Park, and the Perkiomen Trail and Creek. Green infrastructure was incorporated with features such as energy- and water-saving fixtures, porous pavement, bioretention areas, and a rain garden. The renovations reflect recommendations set forth in the Borough’s 2010 Revitalization Plan Update and the 2017 Main Street Streetscape Plan and Design Guidelines, both of which engaged the community during the planning process. This adaptive reuse project demonstrates the value of public-private partnerships, planning, and collaboration to achieve community goals. The complex, with its community center that bustles with activity through a variety of programming and events, has become a focal point that enhances the economic viability of the Borough.
A Great Transformation is revitalization of a place that was not thriving, and which was negatively impacting a community. Examples include a deteriorated shopping center or building retrofitted to be a viable use, a failing commercial or industrial corridor revitalized to be economically viable, a rejuvenated neighborhood, an historic rehabilitation, and a brownfield to park conversion. Transformations strengthen communities and the local economy. The 2024 Great Transformations are listed below.
New Kensington’s Fifth Avenue in Westmoreland County grew with the rise of the industrial market and Fifth Avenue was the heart of the City’s downtown. However, the decline of industry and business in the 1970’s and 1980’s led to Fifth Avenue becoming a street with many vacant and blighted buildings, high crime rates, aging infrastructure, and a loss of hope. Over the past decade though, local leaders, organizations, investors, and residents began collaborating to set revitalization in motion. Through significant community engagement, a strategic plan for downtown, referred to as the “Corridor of Innovation,” was developed to identify solutions and guide redevelopment. With a focus on mobility planning, zoning reform, smart city initiatives, and business development, the plan put Fifth Avenue on the road to recovery. Vacant and blighted buildings have since been transformed into incubator spaces for unique small businesses, such as bakeries, restaurants, breweries, art shops, and retail. Services and resources for residents have also evolved, including The Corner collaborative workspace and The Digital Foundry training center. Public parks and patches of open space are interwoven along the street to provide green space and sites for community events that draw a large crowd. Fifth Avenue is once again thriving, and reinvestment is spreading to nearby neighborhoods. This community-driven success story provides a model for other communities to emulate.
The Navy Yard (TNY), located at the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers in Philadelphia, operated as a US Naval base for nearly 150 years, until its operations ceased in 1996. After sitting idle for four years, the PIDC, on behalf of the City, acquired control of the property for purposes of economic revitalization. PIDC subsequently led the charge to engage partners and develop a Navy Yard Master Plan in 2004, with updates in 2013 and 2022. Community engagement was vital to Plan development and played a key role in determining the vision, values, and design priorities. Although the original focus on creating an office, industrial/manufacturing, and research/development complex in a campus setting was very successful, the 2022 Navy Yard Master Plan shows the site evolving into a mixed-use, mixed-income sustainable community. Today, TNY boasts 150 employers, preservation of the Historic Core through adaptive reuse, 20 acres of parks, a mile of waterfront trail, a two-route shuttle system, complete streets, designation as a certified Level-1 arboretum, and many events ranging from music, art, and food festivals to health and wellness programming. Integration of residential development is coming soon. Through dedication to planning, public involvement, successful public-private partnerships, and a growing focus on sustainability and innovation, TNY is an excellent example of a “great” transformation that has resulted in creating a vibrant and thriving Philadelphia neighborhood.
In recognizing the 2024 Great Places, APA PA also celebrates the many community leaders, officials, professionals, and residents who contributed to making these places “great.” A special thank-you is extended to the dedicated panel of judges that volunteer their time to review and rate the nominations, as well as select the Great Places.
Consider adding PA’s “Great Places” to your list of places to visit. More information about the 2024 Great Places and previously designated Great Places is available on the Chapter website (www.planningpa.org).
Stay tuned for the opportunity to nominate Great Places in 2025. It’s not too early to start thinking about great places to nominate in your community. The categories will be Great Public Spaces, Great Greenways/Trails/Preserves, and Great Transformations. You are strongly encouraged to review the category criteria and tips for submitting a good nomination in advance.