Tacony Creek Park is emblematic of green spaces in Philadelphia, a portrait of the gap between grand visions and stark realities that has existed since the very beginning of William Penn’s “Green Country Town.” Famously, Penn established the city’s five public squares and made other efforts to improve upon the cramped confines of European cities. Less famously, he never actually found the means to publicly fund them, setting the stage for centuries of often chaotic or contentious management of public spaces.
Today, according to professionals in Philadelphia’s park space, that legacy has taken the form of inequity. It’s always helpful when there’s a report card for a civic function, and every year the national nonprofit Trust for Public Land issues its ParkScore report, grading the park systems of the country’s largest 100 cities using a variety of metrics. This year, Philadelphia jumped several spots to 28th overall. Not bad on its face. But as always, the details matter.
Read the full article in Philadelphia Magazine.
