Community Impact Assessment


1996 view north on 10th Street, the heart of Philadelphia, PA's, Chinatown .

Community Preservation: Chinatown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


Lessons Learned

PennDOT used a full-scale, public involvement program on the Vine Street Expressway project. The project involved a number of useful community-relations techniques that are broadly applicable:

  • The need for the project must be firmly established. The public must be convinced of the project's need before there can be progress on other issues. The community must be convinced that there is a problem that can best be solved by the proposed project.

  • Project managers who relate well to the public should be assigned to community-relations tasks, even if they are not the people who are most familiar with the technical details of the project. Technical presentations and answers to technical questions must be prepared in simple terms that the public will easily understand. Meetings are most productive when held in an informal setting in the community, as opposed to off-site or in a government facility.

  • On the Vine Street Expressway, a great deal of latitude was given to agency representatives working directly with the public. This enabled decisions to be made, while keeping the public from feeling they were simply being placated.

  • Several agency participants in the Vine Street project stressed that there must be continuity of agency staff throughout the process, particularly to ensure implementation of the mitigation plan as written. Continuity of involvement is also important for the trust and relationships built between agency staff and community leaders.

  • Continuity of community leadership is one indicator of a cohesive community. Community leaders involved in the Vine Street project in 1966 still functioned as community leaders in 1996--30 years later.

  • If used correctly, the FHWA NEPA (environmental) process can be a vehicle for resolving problems. It provides a mechanism to identify and address community issues early in project planning, before the community or the agency has a firm position. It allows for flexibility of design and, consequently, the design can reflect the community's contribution in perpetuity.
Chinatown is unique in its ethnicity and traditions. The level of commitment and the longevity of its leadership is also somewhat unique in a Nation where people move on average every 5 years and often do not know their neighbors.

It is important to remember that Chinatown has historically been a truly cohesive, cultural community filling a unique role in the large cultural community. Chinatown's subsequent revitalization and success are indicative of the significant contribution of the Vine Street Expressway mitigation. The most important lesson learned from Philadelphia's Chinatown is that when community values are recognized and dealt with in a collaborative manner, everyone benefits.


References

    --------; Vine Street Transportation Improvements, City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Section 4(F) Evaluation; prepared by Federal Highway Administration and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; December 2, 1982 (FHWA-PA-EIS-82-1-D).

    --------; Vine Street Transportation Improvements, City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Final Environmental Impact Statement; prepared by the Federal Highway Administration and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; September 23, 1983 (FHWA-PA-80035-F, 2 Vols).

    --------; Philadelphia's Chinatown; Gluck and Chadbourne Associates, Inc.; New York, 1975.

    Barns, Gerald; "A New Highway Through an Old City: Philadelphia's Vine Street Expressway Must Bow to Block-by-Block Needs"; Engineering News Record; July 28, 1988; pp. 22ff.

    Begley, Kathleen; "Chinese Protest Xway Plan"; Philadelphia Evening Bulletin; April 23, 1973, p. 8-B.

    Carey, Art, ed.; "The Lasting Stand of Cecilia Yep"; "Our Town" column, The Philadelphia Inquirer; July 8, 1984.

    Greenwald, Frederick; Chinatown Redevelopment Study; Drexel University; Winter 1970.

    Harris, Gene; "Expressway Is Blocked in Chinatown for Study"; Philadelphia Evening Bulletin; November 30, 1973; p. 57.

    King, Wayne; "Philadelphia's Chinatown Is Threatened by Progress"; New York Times; July 16, 1973; p. 18.

    Nelson, Nels; "Irate Chinatown Raps Vine St. Ramp"; Philadelphia Evening Bulletin; February 10, 1973.

    Townley, Rod; "Chinatown Fights for Its Life"; Today/The Philadelphia Inquirer; August 18, 1974.


Introduction
Previous |  Next