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A new campaign is asking Philadelphia residents to share their “hopes and dreams” for the city.
The public survey is the first phase of a broader effort to update the city’s comprehensive plan — a blueprint that will guide physical development over the next 25 years.
“We work with communities, we work with other departments and we think about the broad goals and direction of the city and how we can get there through planning, zoning, investments and other tools,” said Martine Decamp, deputy director for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, the independent agency behind the campaign.
The survey will inform how the commission proceeds with updating the comprehensive plan, a requirement under the city’s home rule charter. It centers on nine open-ended questions rooted in the future of Philadelphia.
They are:
What is your vision for the future of Philadelphia?
What is your vision for the future of your neighborhood?
What does access to opportunity look like for you?
What does a healthy and safe Philadelphia mean to you?
Imagine a thriving neighborhood. What does it include?
What housing options would you like to see in Philadelphia?
Which parts of your culture and tradition would you like to see celebrated more?
How are you impacted by Philadelphia’s hotter summers, flooding, and more extreme weather?
Are you satisfied with how you get around Philadelphia and beyond? Why or why not?
“It’s important for us to hear that so that we know we’re on the right track and that we’re actually prioritizing the issues that residents want us to prioritize,” Decamp said. “It’s also helpful to us because we’ll know that if we’re moving forward with some recommendations for investments that there’s buy-in from the public before we go any further with it.”