On May 2, a group of students from the Temple University Masters of Science in City and Regional Planning Program presented their Capstone Project–the Tacony Environmental Action Plan–to Tacony community members. Hosted by the Tacony CDC in the Tacony Library, the presentation discussed the research, planning, and development of a plan with suggested interventions that will guide Tacony toward a more accessible, sustainable, and cleaner future. Fifteen members of the Tacony community joined us at the event, where we enjoyed healthy snacks and Malaysian treats from local shop Las Go Nuts on Torresdale Avenue.
Alexsys Frierson, Will Gleckner, Hanna Jacobs, Rebecca Jump, Chloe Moormann, and Molly Pollak have been researching and visiting the Tacony neighborhood throughout their last semester. As their final requirement for graduation, they developed this Action Plan which addresses the environmental issues that they identified through their time speaking to Tacony residents and studying the history of Tacony. The plan includes a matrix of short term, medium term, and long term interventions that they identified as possible efforts Tacony organizations and community members can make to improve the environmental connectivity of the neighborhood. The plan includes many ideas, but in the presentation they highlighted three main interventions; forming a Disston Sawmakers soccer team, installing meandering pathways through Disston Park, and implementing a connective greenway.
As a short term goal, the students presented the Disston Sawmakers Soccer Team as a way to bridge Tacony's past sports successes with its present need for more outdoor, community building activities. In 1910, the Disston Sawmakers was a team of employees from the Keystone Saw Works who won the American Cup. The students suggested bringing back this historic source of Tacony pride, first through children's soccer clubs, with the opportunity to expand into adult leagues as well. Another suggestion was the medium-term goal of installing meandering pathways through Disston Park. In surveys taken at community events, the students identified the current lack of walkways through the park as one deterrent against residents utilizing outdoor green spaces. The long-term intervention highlighted in the report connects all of Tacony's pre-existing green spaces through a greenway the students call the "Disston Stitch." This would be a path through Tacony, guiding pedestrians from one green area to the next and connecting the neighborhood to the waterfront.
The presentation wrapped up with a Q&A, in which residents had the opportunity to discuss the implementation of these ideas and bring up other concerns about the Tacony environment. At the TCDC, we're incredibly grateful to the six students for the Action Plan and the presentation. It's very exciting to be involved in conversations about how Tacony can improve and how we as an organization can support Tacony residents in efforts towards a clean, green, safe, and connected neighborhood.
Keep an eye out for the Tacony Environmental Action Plan, which will soon be available for you to read on our website!
