1. North Delaware Riverfront Greenway
Patrick Starr
Vice President

2. Philadelphia’s Northeast Riverfront

3. THE NORTH DELAWARE RIVERFRONT GREENWAY
Building Connections and Communities With Green Space
Prepared by Greenways Inc
River Road
Green Connector Streets
Walking & Biking trail
New Parks
Public piers
Ferry landings
Habitat restoration
Wetland recreation

4. Degraded conditions Historic shoreline buried
Riverbank hard edged & rubble fill
Debris & detritus
Vegetation is invasives
Soils contaminated and unstable

5. Lardner’s Point Park
New 5-acre “trailhead” park at Tacony-Palmyra Bridge
Design completed with CZM funds & approved by Fairmount Park
Estimated Construction costs: $1.2 million
New 5 acre public park along K&T trail at Tacony Palmyra Bridge
Features – river overlook, new tidal wetland, restored riverbank forest, fishing and sitting pier, interpretive signage, picnic areas, compost restroom, solar lighting
Also Trailhead for Delaware River Heritage Trail
PEC coordinated design with funding from PADEP Growing Greener and Coastal Zone funds –Design completion Fall 2005
Fairmount Park Commission approved 90% design
PEC to solicit funds for Park Construction – approximately $1.2 million

6. Lardner’s Point Restoration Elements
Invasive species management & planting of native vegetation exclusively
Riparian buffer enhancement & establishment
Tidal shoreline softened & sloped
Intertidal vegetation enhancement (aquatic and terrestrial species benefits)
Non-tidal wetland enhancement
Signage, permeable pavers, composting toilets & solar lighting

7. Critical Issues Where do you start? What is the end goal?
 How do you coordinate with attendant recreational facility development?
 How do you engage a disengaged public?

8. Restoration Opportunity Assessment
Tasks:
Identify current conditions – urban, upland, riparian, littoral, aquatic habitat, migratory routes
Collate info from existing databases
Field surveys – boat survey, walking survey, wetland ID, benthic survey
Data collected into GIS
Prioritize opportunities for eco-restoration
Improve existing habitat areas
Reduce conflicts between urban and natural environments
Fill in missing links along migratory routes
Follow-up
Disseminate to researchers, agencies, and public
Engage residents as river stewards
Focus:
Along North Delaware Greenway section of the Delaware rivershed (8 miles), with probable extension north and south (into Center City)
Tasks:
Identify current conditions – urban, upland, riparian, littoral, aquatic habitat; migratory routes
Collate info from existing databases and reports, such as PNDI data, NOAA regional scale map of potential habitat areas, Del Estuary report, etc
Field surveys – boat survey, walking survey, wetland ID, benthic survey
Data collected into GIS
Prioritize opportunities for eco-restoration
Improve existing habitat areas
Reduce conflicts between urban and natural environments (reduce impacts and eco footprints)
Increase opportunities for residents to access the river environment
Fill in missing links along migratory routes
Use eco restoration projects to reduce stormwater issues, PCB contamination, nutrient loading, salt line intrusion
Follow-up
Disseminate collected, collated info to researchers, agencies, and public
ID, list funding sources, and implement follow-up tasks and pilot priority projects
Public Education and Outreach