Thomas Jefferson University

Jefferson University's Park in a Truck (PiaT) is an initiative within the College of Architecture and the Built Environment, serving as a green-space development strategy that helps under-resourced communities transform open and available space in to engaged green spaces within their neighborhoods. The PiaT toolkit is an instructional manual that aims to independently guide community members through the park construction process, and also providing content on landscape architecture, design process, urban planning, built environment, sustainable methods, etc. Because every scenario is different, the toolkit will provide case studies, potential scenarios, and decision scenarios to illustrate the entire process. Through development of our toolkit, we will promote dialogue, raise awareness, and develop new audiences on the significance of landscape architecture and the built environment. Through funding from the Elevate Prize, we will further develop and finalize the toolkit content, create multi-lingual versions, create 'park packs' which include all materials the community needs to design a park including 3-d models pieces of the various design options, and  as an open source document, piloting in Philadelphia and then scaling to other cities. We would also use the funding to further our park ambassador program which includes a toolkit chapter and training for youth.

Park in a Truck (PiaT) is a green-space development initiative that helps communities transform open and available space into low-cost, fast-turnaround and highly engaged green spaces. A community- operated green network, established through renovations of vacant lots, can improve environmental, social and physical health in under-resourced neighborhoods, while also uniting advocacy efforts to slow displacement and allow communities to guide revitalization and reinvestment efforts.

To date, two PiaT locations in two neighborhoods have engaged hundreds of individuals, with two additional locations underway. 

We have also expanded our PiaT work to include the Park Ambassador program, a paid internship engaging youth to influence positive change in their communities by planning events, leading to community clean up days and performing regular maintenance at their Park location, advancing their education/employment trajectories.  The need to develop leadership skills among young people of color is urgent.

Through this work, PiaT activates vacant spaces through three distinct roles: 1) placing parcels on a permanent trajectory towards green space ; 2) providing agility and capacity into the system by designing for interim use; and 3)  providing capacity for existing park space that needs care and maintenance.

Longstanding economic, environmental, and health disparities prevalent in cities across America challenge our common values for a just and equitable society. The city of Philadelphia characterizes many of these complex issues. Residents in affluent districts can live 20 years longer than their low-income neighbors. These same underprivileged neighborhoods are often 15-20 degrees hotter and less safe. In addition, with nearly 25% of the city’s total population below the poverty line, the city has the distinction of having the highest rate of deep poverty of the ten largest US cities. Underlying these issues- literally- is the physical landscape itself, which contains nearly 40,000 vacant lots that require upwards of $20 million in annual municipal maintenance.

While there is much energy spent on trying to equalize the economic and health disparities in Philadelphia, the complexity and scale of these issues challenges traditional top-down models of managing public health and open space planning.

In response, the Park in a Truck program (PiaT) challenges traditional planning models by creating neighborhood-led opportunities for socially and ecologically equitable design. Piat is a simple - neighbors working with neighbors to repurpose vacant lots to create new networks of neighborhood resiliency. 

As part of Jefferson’s greater mission to improve lives, PiaT is deeply committed to implementing sustainable and replicable projects that directly impact the community and reduce health inequity in Philadelphia. Park construction is normally an expensive and complicated process with minimal local engagement and support. However, our PiaT method costs much less
than the average park. We benefit from inexpensive construction methods, local suppliers and volunteers, and recycling many onsite materials. Sustainability is administered through community members and Park Ambassadors who are identified and trained in the park development stages. Industry partners and charitable organizations interested in improving access to communal green space in Philadelphia are essential to the development and sustainability of PiaT.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has shed light on huge disparities in our urban environment. The ability to social distance outdoors should not be a privilege—it’s a necessity. As such, the need to scale PiaT is crucial and requires us to think beyond physical environments. Some of the opportunities we have identified include:

Ramping up the Park Ambassador Program by seeking additional funding for an Executive Director. The Executive Director will be responsible for developing a training program and overseeing the Park Ambassadors. The program will also include additional staff members to manage different city sectors and volunteers to teach community members key park-building skills.

Exploring more ways to connect with neighborhoods virtually, such establishing an Online Toolkit that outlines the entire park-building process, shares essential information about designing, building, and maintaining community parks, and includes 3D park models.

Growing our “Pay It Forward” Initiative that shares park-building knowledge.

Creating a virtual platform to host town hall meetings and design charrettes that expands access for all community members to provide and receive input about the project.

Expanding partnerships with agencies managing city lots, as well as initiating new relationships with  partners interested in advice and guidance from PiaT.