The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philadelphia released its Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) Report today, summarizing recommendations to help develop a plan for improving the safety and well-being of Eastwick neighborhood residents. Eastwick United CDC and the Office of Sustainability (OOS) were interested in exploring the idea of a land swap arrangement that would allow the most at-risk homeowners to relocate to new housing on a currently undeveloped parcel of land owned by the City of Philadelphia and situated on higher ground within the Eastwick neighborhood.

The interdisciplinary panel of volunteer experts, at the request of Eastwick United CDC and OOS, were asked to evaluate the idea of a land swap arrangement and any additional alternatives that would accomplish the following objectives:

• Engender safety of residents in the flood plain amid growing risks of climate change
• Preserve a sense of community as residents relocate to safer housing
• Provide replacement housing at no additional cost to residents
• Safeguard household generational wealth from disaster and more loss

Over two-days in November 2022, the panel assessed the land swap approach and evaluated it on the merits of the above criteria, adding timing and feasibility to the list as important considerations.

Recommendations

The panel presented to Eastwick United CDC and OOS a land swap arrangement with a planning process that included two years to develop a site plan and community consensus building; up to 13 years to secure public and private financing for the development of the conceptual site plan with revisions; and finally, a phased approach to executing the land swap which could take up to five years. The panel offered recommendations and steps to complete under each phase and acknowledged points at which the timeline to completion could be expedited, occur concurrently, and that this evaluation is based on the financial resources and political will at the time of the two-day program.

A complete summary of the recommendations can be found in the report, Exploring Pathways to Community Safety and Restorative Justice in Eastwick, Philadelphia

“The Office of Sustainability enjoyed co-hosting a Technical Assistance Panel with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in the Fall of 2022. We thank the ULI members who shared their ideas and experience related to the long-term flood resilience strategies that are being explored in Eastwick. As Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration continues to work with Eastwick residents to evaluate possible flood resilience measures in Eastwick, the insight from this Technical Assistance Panel provides an important first step towards a whole of community approach in addressing flood risk,” Taylor Quinland, Program Strategist for Place-Based Initiatives, Office of Sustainability, City of Philadelphia.

Background

The neighborhood of Eastwick has endured environmental and civic injustices for several decades. During the 1950s to 1970s the city’s urban renewal program displaced approximately 10,000 residents during the process of extending I-95, expanding the airport, and building a sewage plant. During this same time, two major landfills were built in the area, including the Clearview Landfill which was designated a superfund site in 2001. In the intervening years, Eastwick has borne the weight of this history, including environmental contamination, sinking homes and streets, property abandonment, and ongoing flooding.

Environmental disaster looms over the community as climate change has spurred more frequent, intense storms and rising sea levels. Given the inevitability of future flooding, the CDC has sought solutions that not only keep residents safe and their community whole, but which also deliver a reparative outcome for Eastwick.

“Eastwick United CDC sincerely appreciates the quick and serious response from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and its members for the assistance and insight provided regarding a proposed Land Swap to benefit Eastwick residents who have a history of experiencing repetitive, catastrophic flooding. ULI took on the challenge of evaluating this resilience option and within a couple of days had findings to share… a “Herculean” effort to say the least. Although no final decisions have been made in reference to the Land Swap project; Eastwick United and the Eastwick community extends our appreciation and Thank You’s to the ULI team for a job well done which provided much needed information,” Eastwick United Community Development Corporation.

The panel – chaired by Charnelle Hicks, CHPLanning and Gina Tonn, Verdantas​ – acknowledged that while the land swap arrangement best suits the community’s goals and criteria for action, it requires the most time, cross-sector and cross-agency collaboration, and coordination to overcome the technical and financial challenges it poses. The panel sought to manage community expectations in establishing that the process could take twenty years to complete, while at the same time, presenting short-term recommendations for the community and the city to put in place some safety measures against future flooding impacts.

To view the full report, visit philadelphia.uli.org.

ULI Expert Volunteer Panel:

• Co-Chair: Charnelle Hicks, CHPLanning​
• Co-Chair: Gina Tonn, Verdantas​
• Nora Bergsten, Cecil Baker + Partners Architects​
• Joanne Chen, Center City District​
• Dan Garofalo, Dan Garofalo Architects​
• Wynne Kwan, FEMA Region 3​
• David Mercuris, The Goldenberg Group​
• James Mogan, Reed Smith LLP​
• Vaughn Ross, Rvesta​
• Peter Zabierek, Sugi Capital Management, Inc.

Study Stakeholders:

• AKRF​
• Drexel University, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Lab​
• Eastwick Friends and Neighbors Coalition​
• Eastwick United​ CDC
• Eastwick Community Ambassadors
• FEMA Region 3​
• Office of Emergency Management​
• Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems​
• Philadelphia City Planning Commission​
• Philadelphia Housing and Development Corporation
• Philadelphia International Airport​Philadelphia Office of Sustainability​
• Philadelphia Water Department​
• Regina Young​
• State Senator Nikil Saval​
• Stevens Institute of Technology​
• US Army Corps of Engineers​
• US EPA​

This Technical Assistance Panel is part of a larger series of resilience technical assistance and learning opportunities, called the Resilient Land Use Cohort (RLUC). The RLUC is a network of ULI district councils, member experts, and community partners in five cities working together to identify strategies to be more resilient in the face of climate change and other vulnerabilities, including floods, extreme storms, drought, wildfire, and extreme heat, as well as the related social, environmental, and economic impacts. Funding for this engagement and the cohort is provided by the ULI Foundation through support from JP Morgan Chase & Co.