Desolate to Dynamic | PlanPhilly: Planning Philadelphia's Future

Special Report: Salvation, optimism and perseverance in Eastern North Philadelphia

February

21

Last part in a series: APM isn’t just about reclaiming a neighborhood’s infrastructure. The non-profit development agency changes the people who come in contact with it

Interactive Lightbox Watch a few transitions from vacant lot to pristine property

Photo Gallery Browse through some of APM's most changed vacant lots

How APM turned growing pains into gains

When Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha founder Jesus Sierra’s leadership faltered, the organization endured a necessary reformation

Photo Lightbox

Special Report: How the city serves Eastern North Philadelphia

Part five in a series: What drilling down into data tells us about the degree residents in the APM community have access to transportation, health facilities, police and fire coverage, nutritious food, recreation and parks.

Interactive Lightbox PlanPhilly's analysis of service access in Philadelphia

Photo Gallery See a selection of photos of recreation centers near Eastern North Philadelphia

The rewards of redevelopment: stabilization and safety

The physical redevelopment of Eastern North Philadelphia has yielded tangible improvements in the lives of area residents, a new Fels Institute study finds.

Photo Gallery

Special Report: A surprising mix of bricks, mortar and imagination

Part four in a series: How the architecture in the APM area - a somewhat eclectic mix of suburban style townhomes, LEED-certified, mixed use, transit oriented development and plain ugly cinderblock commercial spaces - shows us how low-income developers have become leaders in green building techniques and forward-looking design.

Interactive Lightbox Browse through APM's mix of architectural options in this interactive feature

Video Gallery How APM's approach to design and urban planning is creating a sophisticated housing palette in Eastern North Philadelphia

Photo Gallery Have a look at Eastern North's unique urban architecture

Special Report: APM set its own rules

Part three in a series: How Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha courted power players and used political influence as a tool, not a crutch

Interactive Gallery Click through ten civic leaders who have influenced the development of Eastern North Philadelphia

Photo Gallery See illustrations of the political players involved in Eastern North

Special Report: A new face on race relations

Part two in a series: How an organization created to serve the city’s Puerto Rican community has helped to quell conflict and build community by choosing to assist all low-income residents regardless of race.

Interactive Lightbox A compelling view of the racial divide caused by 6th St.

Photo Gallery Eastern North Philadelphia — and APM — are becoming more diverse

Vacancy victories are rare, but city says reform is coming

Some developers have mastered the art of acquiring and building on vacant land in Philadelphia, but most struggle to make the city's opaque and confusing system work. Council and the mayor both say they want changes, but the challenges are huge.

Interactive Lightbox Philadelphia's 40,000 vacant lots mapped

Photo Gallery Philly's vacant lots, from PlanPhilly's photo archive

Special Report: Vacant land, focused plans

Part one in a series: Examining the planning, patience and politics that made it possible for Asociación de Puertorriqueños en Marcha to reclaim one of the most challenged sections of the city.

Interactive Lightbox A timeline and bird's-eye view of the APM-led transformation in one North Philadelphia neighborhood

Video Gallery Reporter Patrick Kerkstra introduces PlanPhilly's coverage of APM

Photo Gallery The startling past and inspiring present of development in Eastern North Philadelphia

In the coming months, PlanPhilly will publish a series of reports on the Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha and its role in Eastern North Philadelphia’s revival. Among other topics, the stories will cover the experiences of the area’s residents, the politics and racial dynamics of urban recovery, the design and architecture of low-income developments, and the massive investment of taxpayer funds that enabled the neighborhood’s transformation. The writing, video and photography that comprised this series is made possible by a grant from the William Penn Foundation.

Reporting: Patrick Kerkstra

Photography and video: Neal Santos

Art direction and interactive: Brian James Kirk

Editing: Matt Golas

Jesus Sierra, courtesy of APM

Norma Morales, administrative assistant in Councilman Darrel Clark's office.

The facade of the Maas building, which is a mixed use facility that houses office space and a rental facility for events.

Ben Riesman, co-owns the Maas Building with his wife, which is located on1320 N. 5th street in lower eastern north Philadelphia.

Mayor Nutter adjusts his glasses as he discusses the role CDCs play in neighborhood redevelopment.

Morales, brushing her hair inside of her Pradera II style townhome which she purchased from APM.

Morales preparing mailings for the Councilman's office.

Morales holds her City Hall access card.

A transformed lot at 620 Diamond St.

620 Diamond St. in 1998

A PHA development covers a formerly vacant lot at 637 W. Oxford St.

637 W. Oxford St. in 1998

1900 N. 5th St. is now home to Cousin's shopping center.

1900 N. 5th St. in 1998

A PHA development covers a formerly vacant lot at 1906 N. 8th St.

1906 N. 8th St. in 1998

APM's Pradera sites along 1917 N. 8th St.

1917 N. 8th St. in 1998

A formerly vacant property was rebuilt with a make-shift garage at 1936 N. 4th St.

1936 N. 4th St. in 1998

Tire swings hang from trees at a small park on 5th street near York and Dauphin.

Children play ping pong at a playground located on 8th and Diamond Streets in Eastern North Philadelphia.

Samiyah Beckham plays a board game at one of Eastern North Philadelphia's few playgrounds.

Dana Clark, the director of the 8th and Diamond playground, walks through a snowy basketball court.

Dana Clark, the director of the playground located on 8th and Diamond Streets.

Teddy Kilgore plays chess while at an afters school program at the playground located on 8th and Diamond Streets.

Dana Clark reaches in a storage closet for chess pieces.

A mural on the wall of a handball court located on 5th streets, in between York and Dauphin.

Sarah Sturtevant, Program Officer at LISC

Jennifer Rodriguez, Deputy Vice President of Programs of APM

Two school children walk home from school near the playground located on 8th and Diamond Streets.

Kyirah Beckham spends time on one of the three computers at the 8th and Diamond playground.

Mural at N. 6th St. (photo by Neal Santos)

Mural at 6th St. and Diamond (photo by Neal Santos)

Cousin's Supermarket customers (photo by Neal Santos)

APM resident Michelle Laguna (photo by Neal Santos)

APM resident Manuel Pomales (photo by Neal Santos)

An overhead view of the APM area, specifically focused on the corner of 8th and Berks where APM's Pradera developments stand.

A group of typical Philadelphia rowhomes in Eastern North Philadelphia.

Boriquen Plaza consists of the Cousin's Supermarket, Tru Mark Financial bank, a laundromat as well a pocket park.

A customer walks away from Cousin's Supermarket, located at 5th and Berks streets.

Construction and development has begun on Boriquen Plaza's small pocket park located near Cousin's supermarket.

Boriquen Plaza cuts into Germantown avenue in the Eastern North Philadelphia neighborhood.

The developers of the Jardines de Boriquen units intentionally designed these with a Southwestern aesthetic.

Views of the Jardines de Boriquen units, located on 6th and Diamond streets, which were APM's first housing construction.

Philadelphia Housing Authority's three and four bedroom Ludlow Home developments located on the 1300 block of Marshall Street.

PHA homes located on the 1500 block of N 6th Street, in the Ludlow section of Eastern North Philadelphia.

The Pradera homes, APM's signature suburban style developments, are located throughout several blocks of Eastern North.

The Pradera homes, APM's signature suburban style developments, are located throughout several blocks of the Eastern North.

An overhead view of the Pradera style homes.

Construction of the new Sheridan Street, which hopes to combine green building with affordability.

Renderings of the new Sheridan Street Green Homes.

The Taino Gardens, located on 6th and Dauphin streets, are rental developments as part of APM's developments.

This important new development on north 9th Street should improve the link between Temple University and its eastern neighbors.

Future projects under consideration are intended to separate residents from industry, like this plan from SMP Architects.

The SMP "central park" proposal clusters the homes around a central green space featuring a rainwater basin.

The New Carver Apartments in Los Angeles provides 97-units for formerly homeless, elderly and disabled residents.

In Brooklyn, New York, the Schermerhorn provides 217 permanent units to low-income working tenants.

Darrell Clarke

Nelson Diaz

Rose Gray

Shirley Kitchen

Rick Mariano

Michael Nutter

Frank Rizzo

Nilda Ruiz

Maria D. Quiñones-Sanchez

Customers smile while waiting in line at the deli at Cousin's supermarket

An overview shot of the APM neighborhood, as seen from 9th and Montgomery

Awaiting passengers at the corner of 6th and Berks for the 3 SEPTA Bus

Cousin's Supermarket storefront

International produce is shipped in from all parts of the world to the Cousin's supermarket

A customer pulls a plastic bag from the aisle in front of traditional ethnic produce such as plantains, chayote, and yucca

Cousin's Supermarket located on 5th and Berks in the APM area

Assorted root vegetables like Cassava, potatoes, and cocunuts

A customer loads boxes of greens into his truck outside the storefront located on 5th and Berks.

Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy, located on 1501 Germantown Ave. is a private school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Located on 1824 Germantown Avenue

A temporarily untitled mural painted on 1931 N. 6th Street by artist Betsy Casanas.

Kroc Center site

Lot between 5th and 6th Streets and Carpenter and Washington Ave.

Reading Viaduct near Vine Street

Vacant lot under Reading Viaduct

Property in Queen Village

Queen Village blight

Vacant lot on Carpenter Street

A wider view of the lot at 6th and Diamond.

APM Outdoor Theater mural created in 2005 created by artist Danny Torres.

Michelle Laguna (center) prepares to leave her home located near 6th and Norris streets while taking her kids for a walk.

A vacant lot maintained by PHS through the Vacant Lot Stabilization program located on 6th and Berks.

Vacant lots that are maintained by PHS feature an open wood fence with openings narrow enough to prevent unwanted dumping.

Scrap metal and debris is dumped in an abandoned lot near 6th and Germantown in the APM neighborhood.

Houses abandoned along N. 6th Street in the Eastern North Philadelphia neighborhood.

Random documents, photographs and sketches are laid across a conference table at the APM offices located on 4301 Rising Sun ave.

Robert Grossman, Director of Philadelphia Green explains the history of a vacant lot in the APM area.

Temple University neighbors the Eastern North Philadelphia neighborhood.

John Kromer speaks during a walkthrough of the APM Neighborhood.

Manuel Pomales waters the garden in front of his house near Norris street in the APM neighborhood.

APM President and CEO Nilda Ruiz.

PHS's Todd Baylson, Manager, Open Space Planning and Philadelphia Green.

A rendering of LEED-certified APM housing now being built on Sheridan Street.

Construction is scheduled to begin next year on this 160-unit development next to the Temple regional rail station.

Litter lined nearly every sidewalk in the late 1990s, including the 600 block of Montgomery Street.

Contractors used Eastern North Philadelphia as a huge dumping ground in the late 1990s.

APM assembled this large lot at Germantown and Berks, which eventually became a shopping center.

Abandoned buildings on N. 8th Street, late 1990s.

An abandoned, rubble-filled lot squeezed between two empty homes on W. Norris in the late 1990s.

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