Infill Philadelphia Receives Community Action Grant from the ULI
Infill Philadelphia has more than one reason to celebrate. The five-year urban revitalization initiative will complete phase three of the program this fall, and they’ve also been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Community Action Grants program.
Grant recipients are judged on ULI’s three core values: sustainability, infrastructure and workforce/ affordable housing. Conceived by the Community Design Collaborative, Infill has excelled in all three areas, bringing attention to the city’s countless vacant and neglected spaces.
Since 2007, the initiative has used design to inspire ideas for revitalizing older neighborhoods. The Pilot Program created innovative prototypes for affordable housing in low-income neighborhoods. Phase 1 offered solutions for revitalizing commercial corridors, and Phase 2 worked to improve food access in under-served areas, in partnership with the Reinvestment Fund and the Food Trust. The in-progress third phase is focused on the reuse of industrial sites, once proud symbols of Philadelphia’s status as “Workshop of the World.” The grant money will be used to spread the ideas of industrial site reuse and assist the initiative as it looks ahead to future opportunities.
“We are delighted to receive the support and recognition of the Urban Land Institute because it shines a light on Philadelphia and the role innovative design can play in preparing opportunities for new investment and economic development in cities,” says Beth Miller, Executive Director of the Community Design Collaborative.
Upcoming: The CDC will reveal the results of their Infill Philadelphia: Industrial Sites Design Challenge on May 27 at the Center for Architecture (1218 Arch St.) The program—scheduled to run 4 – 6:30 p.m.—will feature commentary by a diverse panel of experts.
For more information, visit infillphiladelphia.org
