Sites
Each team must choose one of the following sites for which it will submit an entry. Additional site information can be found in the brief and will also be provided upon registration.
Learning Landscapes: Blanche A. Nixon/Cobbs Creek Branch
Free Library of Philadelphia
Cobbs Creek | 5800 Cobbs Creek Parkway
The Blanche A. Nixon/Cobbs Creek Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia is one of 25 Carnegie libraries built in Philadelphia in the early 20th century to open up libraries to communities. Located on a green half-acre site on Baltimore Avenue, the library’s name honors a mother, community activist, and library volunteer who helped teens resist the pressure to join gangs in the ‘80s. The library continues its legacy of community engagement, serving over 49,000 residents annually. The addition of an innovative outdoor play space has the potential to expand the library’s capacity to serve as a safe place for education, recreation, entertainment, technology, and community gathering – both inside and out.
Reclaiming Recreation: Waterloo Recreation Center
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Norris Square | 2502-12 North Howard Street
The Waterloo Recreation Center, a mid-block site cobbled together in 1955 from vacant land and the former Waterloo Street, has more than once been closed due to drug-related crime and vandalism. The resilient community has most recently reclaimed their space through a City Council, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, and nonprofit-led effort which has transformed and successfully re-opened the center. Adjacent vacant lots could be used to enhance the site with the potential to offer an innovative approach to play and accommodate all generations, enabling the center to bring together the diverse residents of this neighborhood.
Reviving Recess: Haverford Bright Futures
Philadelphia School District
Mill Creek | 4601 Haverford Avenue
Haverford Bright Futures is located in an urban renewal area that lacks the traditional grid and density of the city. Its ample, nearly-two-acre site feels disconnected from the surrounding community. Green, but un-stimulating, the site does not reflect the vitality of a Bright Futures preschool program with an international enrollment inside. Each of the four classrooms leads directly outdoors, but the children are greeted by a modest concrete pad and a vast lawn. Enhancing this site with innovative play opportunities will create a more engaging place for both the children and the community.
